Writer's Block
Writer's Block
Introducing Design Thinking concepts to first-year college students to improve writing confidence.
Introducing Design Thinking concepts to first-year college students to improve writing confidence.
Timeline
Timeline
October-November 2021
October-November 2021
October-November 2021
Team
Team
Myself and 3 other Product Designers
Myself and 3 other Product Designers
Myself and 3 other Product Designers
Skills
Skills
User Research
Product Design
Prototyping
User Testing
User Research
Product Design
Prototyping
User Testing
User Research
Product Design
Prototyping
User Testing
Deliverables
Deliverables
Physical prototype
Physical prototype
Physical prototype
Overview
Overview
Writer’s Block is a board game that teaches the skill of ideation to help students create theses when writing essays.
Writer’s Block is a board game that teaches the skill of ideation to help students create theses when writing essays.
This was the final project for my Design Thinking class at Dartmouth College. My team’s prompt was to integrate design thinking in the college curriculum or culture. We began by conducting user interviews and background research, then synthesizing our insights, prototyping our solution, then performing user testing.
This was the final project for my Design Thinking class at Dartmouth College. My team’s prompt was to integrate design thinking in the college curriculum or culture. We began by conducting user interviews and background research, then synthesizing our insights, prototyping our solution, then performing user testing.
Problem
Problem
After conducting user interviews, we decided to focus on Dartmouth’s First-Year Writing Program, in which all freshman take 2 terms of writing classes. Writing essays is a skill that is widely taught and often used. However, many people struggle with writing; many students get stuck while generating ideas before they even start writing an essay. Students often are held back by internal filters telling them every idea they come up with isn’t good enough, or get caught up in with feeling like the idea they choose to focus on must be perfect before continuing on.
After conducting user interviews, we decided to focus on Dartmouth’s First-Year Writing Program, in which all freshman take 2 terms of writing classes. Writing essays is a skill that is widely taught and often used. However, many people struggle with writing; many students get stuck while generating ideas before they even start writing an essay. Students often are held back by internal filters telling them every idea they come up with isn’t good enough, or get caught up in with feeling like the idea they choose to focus on must be perfect before continuing on.
After speaking with students and professors about their experience with writing, we came up with our Point Of View statement:
After speaking with students and professors about their experience with writing, we came up with our Point Of View statement:
Procrastinating student writers need to learn to generate ideas without fear in order to build their creative confidence and improve their writing process.
Procrastinating student writers need to learn to generate ideas without fear in order to build their creative confidence and improve their writing process.
Solution
Solution
We created Writer’s Block: using design thinking principles in a hands-on environment to help students ideate essay topics and remove perfectionist filters.
We created Writer’s Block: using design thinking principles in a hands-on environment to help students ideate essay topics and remove perfectionist filters.
Features
Features
Memorable beyond gameplay
Easy implementation
Hands-on and collaborative
Generates actionable essay ideas
Sparks joy in the writing process
Memorable beyond gameplay
Easy implementation
Hands-on and collaborative
Generates actionable essay ideas
Sparks joy in the writing process
Research and Insights
Research and Insights
User Interviews
User Interviews
I conducted 9 out of 37+ total interviews with Dartmouth students, professors, and education professionals. Initially, we asked students general questions about curricular flaws, cultural barriers, and any experience they had with design or design thinking. I interviewed professors about their teaching experiences, barriers to student engagement and learning, and their knowledge of design thinking.
I conducted 9 out of 37+ total interviews with Dartmouth students, professors, and education professionals. Initially, we asked students general questions about curricular flaws, cultural barriers, and any experience they had with design or design thinking. I interviewed professors about their teaching experiences, barriers to student engagement and learning, and their knowledge of design thinking.
From these initial interviews, we found these insights:
From these initial interviews, we found these insights:
“The design thinking method is so useful because it gets you in a different mindset--things aren’t final, and you can always improve and iterate”
“The design thinking method is so useful because it gets you in a different mindset--things aren’t final, and you can always improve and iterate”
While interviewing a few students who had taken design and design thinking courses, all mentioned the benefits they had gained from learning to ideate, both in class projects and in every day situations. The mindset of ideation and iteration to solve problems helped them generate ideas more quickly and develop confidence in their abilities.
While interviewing a few students who had taken design and design thinking courses, all mentioned the benefits they had gained from learning to ideate, both in class projects and in every day situations. The mindset of ideation and iteration to solve problems helped them generate ideas more quickly and develop confidence in their abilities.
“Having a healthy culture around mistakes is so important”
“Having a healthy culture around mistakes is so important”
Students expressed that fear of making mistakes or being wrong would often lead them to procrastinating on their assignments, as they would have the mindset of their first try needing to be perfect, instead of just one out of multiple iterations.
Students expressed that fear of making mistakes or being wrong would often lead them to procrastinating on their assignments, as they would have the mindset of their first try needing to be perfect, instead of just one out of multiple iterations.
After conducting initial student interviews, we synthesized the information we had collected and identified categories spanning existing design thinking programs on campus, professor-student connection, course selection and curriculum issues. From this wealth of information, we were eventually able to narrow our focus down to the First-Year Writing Program, chosen for its ubiquity in the curriculum and the common struggles often experienced in it. Then, we conducted a second round of interviews with more specific questions and generated more insights:
After conducting initial student interviews, we synthesized the information we had collected and identified categories spanning existing design thinking programs on campus, professor-student connection, course selection and curriculum issues. From this wealth of information, we were eventually able to narrow our focus down to the First-Year Writing Program, chosen for its ubiquity in the curriculum and the common struggles often experienced in it. Then, we conducted a second round of interviews with more specific questions and generated more insights:
A professor on writing:
A professor on writing:
“Writing is an on-going process, it is inherently an iterative process—when you turn in a paper, that isn’t necessarily the final draft. As academics we are continuously editing, revising, iterating”
“Writing is an on-going process, it is inherently an iterative process—when you turn in a paper, that isn’t necessarily the final draft. As academics we are continuously editing, revising, iterating”
A student on pain points while writing:
A student on pain points while writing:
“I never had any motivation to start my papers because I’d be scared that I’d do something wrong and have to redo the whole process”
“I never had any motivation to start my papers because I’d be scared that I’d do something wrong and have to redo the whole process”
Ideation
Ideation
After deciding to focus on integrating the design thinking process with writing, our first idea was a workshop held for First-Year writing classes that would walk them through the steps of ideation and encourage them to say whatever idea came to mind for a prompt, without a filter for mistakes. However, I believed that our experience needed to be more hands-on in order for students to retain the principles we were trying to instill, and my teammates agreed. Therefore, after a few more rounds of ideation, we thought of Writers’ Block, a board game that would center on the design skill of ideation.
After deciding to focus on integrating the design thinking process with writing, our first idea was a workshop held for First-Year writing classes that would walk them through the steps of ideation and encourage them to say whatever idea came to mind for a prompt, without a filter for mistakes. However, I believed that our experience needed to be more hands-on in order for students to retain the principles we were trying to instill, and my teammates agreed. Therefore, after a few more rounds of ideation, we thought of Writers’ Block, a board game that would center on the design skill of ideation.
Prototyping
Prototyping
Gameplay
Gameplay
We divided our game into three parts in order to take players from brainstorming essay topics, to generating theses, to brainstorming different arguments and subclaims.
We divided our game into three parts in order to take players from brainstorming essay topics, to generating theses, to brainstorming different arguments and subclaims.
I focused on the third part of the game, Question Everything
I focused on the third part of the game, Question Everything
In the first part of the game, players would ideate topics for thesis sentences, then construct thesis sentences in the second part of the game. For the third game, I suggested that players generate questions based on the theses created in Thesis Pieces, which would then further help them in essay creation by providing possible subclaims. I created the categories of Who, What, Why, Where, and How in order to prompt players to think about possible questions and different pathways for their arguments. By doing so, they would be able to exercise skills in reframing the prompt to change perspectives and consider cause and effect, and consider possible sub and counter claims to their arguments.
In the first part of the game, players would ideate topics for thesis sentences, then construct thesis sentences in the second part of the game. For the third game, I suggested that players generate questions based on the theses created in Thesis Pieces, which would then further help them in essay creation by providing possible subclaims. I created the categories of Who, What, Why, Where, and How in order to prompt players to think about possible questions and different pathways for their arguments. By doing so, they would be able to exercise skills in reframing the prompt to change perspectives and consider cause and effect, and consider possible sub and counter claims to their arguments.
User Testing
User Testing
Our team tested 4 prototypes with 6 users each using Usertesting.com. We conducted a test of the design that was already in-production, because it had never been tested before being released. Along with the in-prod design, we tested the two concepts we thought would be most effective, and the design that combined those two concepts.
Our team tested 4 prototypes with 6 users each using Usertesting.com. We conducted a test of the design that was already in-production, because it had never been tested before being released. Along with the in-prod design, we tested the two concepts we thought would be most effective, and the design that combined those two concepts.
Physical Prototype
Physical Prototype
After creating and documenting our game rules, we created a physical prototype of the game, with the board of the game being made of foamcore, and the cards of the game being made out of cut pieces of paper.
After creating and documenting our game rules, we created a physical prototype of the game, with the board of the game being made of foamcore, and the cards of the game being made out of cut pieces of paper.
User Testing
User Testing
After prototyping our game, we conducted a round of user testing. While most students enjoyed the freedom of the unfiltered ideation and iteration, several brought up the point that depending on the class, and how strict a student’s essay prompt was, the applicability of Writer’s Block might vary.
After prototyping our game, we conducted a round of user testing. While most students enjoyed the freedom of the unfiltered ideation and iteration, several brought up the point that depending on the class, and how strict a student’s essay prompt was, the applicability of Writer’s Block might vary.
Moving Forward
Moving Forward
With Writer’s Block, we were able to narrow in on one specific aspect of Dartmouth curriculum to create a hands-on experience focusing on ideation. With all three games, students would be able to learn to ideate without fear and also learn to iterate and reframe concepts.
With Writer’s Block, we were able to narrow in on one specific aspect of Dartmouth curriculum to create a hands-on experience focusing on ideation. With all three games, students would be able to learn to ideate without fear and also learn to iterate and reframe concepts.
In this project, I learned how to sit through ambiguity. After initial interviews, we had many different directions we could have gone in, and although the uncertainty of where we would go next was uncomfortable at first, I learned to keep sifting through information and have confidence that eventually we would be able to narrow in on our goals and create an effective experience.
In this project, I learned how to sit through ambiguity. After initial interviews, we had many different directions we could have gone in, and although the uncertainty of where we would go next was uncomfortable at first, I learned to keep sifting through information and have confidence that eventually we would be able to narrow in on our goals and create an effective experience.
Contact me: hannalhong@gmail.com
Contact me: hannalhong@gmail.com
Contact me: hannalhong@gmail.com