An interdisciplinary design team, which included seven WashU students, spent the 2019-20 academic year working to understand both the current and potential future role of University College in the St. Louis region. University College is the university’s largest continuing education program. With its potential shift to an independent school, this project aimed to investigate how it might better serve working adults in the region. Pilots and prototypes generated through their research will manifest in novel University College programming, with implementation beginning in Fall 2020.
| Objective | Redesign Washington University’s University College program to better fit the needs and aspirations of working adults in the St. Louis region, thereby increasing economic mobility and equity in the metropolitan area. |
| Field | Human-Centered Design Research, Human Centered Design, Service Design |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 months |
| Partner | Public Design Bureau |
All materials and information on this portfolio, including touch points and frameworks, are concepts and not currently implemented at University College.
Students studying a variety of subjects across campus came together to work on this project.
Click on the links below to explore their personal experiences.
To begin the project, we conducted secondary research to gain a better understanding of the problem space, existing benchmarks, and important stakeholders. This allowed us to narrow the scope of the project to three major industries (health, data, and change) and identify an audience to focus on (those looking to advance or switch in their careers).
In this phase, we spoke with a diverse set of working adults in the St. Louis area to gain insights on their experiences. These data points were then synthesized into themes that helped inform the concepts created in later phases.
Using the insights from our audience research to establish context, we facilitated brainstorming sessions to solicit concepts from stakeholders. These were then organized and used to establish a base for later prototyping.
In this final stage, we created increasingly detailed prototypes of possible programs. We tested them with stakeholders to receive feedback that has informed our final recommendations.
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The first day I walked into the January Hall conference room, I felt intense gratitude to be a part of this team. The folks I work with are some of the kindest, hardest working, most innovative WashU has to offer. Our disciplines span ArtSci, McKelvey, Sam Fox- making for a truly interdisciplinary convergence of thought and experiences.
When we applied for the Reimagine UCollege project in early August, it’s safe to say we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into. We found a common thread in our commitment to design thinking methodologies and equity in the St. Louis region, yet the extent of our involvement was then a mystery. Some of us anticipated intern-type responsibilities that were meaningful, but nevertheless regarded as background work. Some of us didn’t know what to anticipate at all. On day one, however, an exciting precedent was set. Project Lead Liz Kramer explained to us that our curiosity could very much guide our engagement with the research, which set the stage for an atmosphere of encouragement and risk taking. Every team member was positively surprised by the trust and agency bestowed upon us from the get-go. Liz and Annemarie regarded us as learners but also as professional consultants, which instilled in us a confidence that allowed us to make immediate leaps into interviews, ad design, and benchmarking (To this day, we still marvel at the fact that we found ourselves leading 90 minute interviews within weeks of beginning work… a risky move? You’d have to ask our Leads).
It quickly became evident that we had a valuable seat at the table. And this seat exposed us to more than any of us could have imagined. In addition to big picture work, we were immersed in the intricacies of project scheduling and organization; survey and interview recruitment; regional workforce data; and integration of landscape research with interview feedback.
We marveled at our conference room filled wall to wall with sticky notes, data points, and sketches. And because our roles were so active, these walls teemed with life! We persistently drew upon the stories revealed to us through interviews and surveys: A conversation with a single mother trying to set an example for her daughter through her pursuit of higher education. A server who dreams of a doctorate that will allow her to start a nonprofit for St. Louis youth. A gentleman in his 50s who’s working full time yet taking classes to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. Conversations that put the human in human-centered design, and consistently renewed our motivation to remain fully invested in the process.
As prototypes for University College programming begin to take shape, we find ourselves asking: Where does the project go from here? Where do we go from here? One thing is certain: we are incredibly excited to see pilot programs implemented in Fall 2020, and cannot wait to hear how roots begin to form, guided by student and University feedback. WashU has opened up countless opportunities for us, this team being one of them, so we are heartened and grateful to have played even a small role in expanding opportunities for future students - particularly the region’s working adults. As for our future? Some of us are particularly interested in UX design; others, the intersection of design and technology, all of us, continuing to apply design thinking and human-centered methodologies to all we do.
Perhaps our greatest hope going forth is that WashU continues to include students like us in projects that take on complex questions at the institutional scale. We cannot underscore the value of student involvement enough in promoting personal and professional growth, and deepening investment in both the University and St. Louis. To our supervisors, to Chancellor Martin, to WashU: you have given us confidence, invaluable design skills, and a genuine capacity to enact change in our region.
We wish to express appreciation to the many staff and faculty that offered their discussions, communications, and support for this project, among them the Marketing team, the Advising team, and UCollege Faculty.
Thank you to all the interview candidates for your time, energy, and valued participation.
A Special thank you to Liz, Annemarie, and Heather for your invaluable teachings, enthusiasm, patience, and continuous support throughout this project. From the tangibles - schedules, interview guides, surveys, synthesis boards - to the intangibles - encouragement, relationship building with users, and team members - we felt that no stone was left unturned. We are grateful for the confidence and far-reaching skills we’ve acquired through your leadership.
Sincerely,
Carrie, Jane, Nate, Anya, and Victoria Grace