Assignment 1

Persona Research

We conduct product research to evaluate how a product might fit into the market, to learn about the competition and determine what our product differentiator could be. Product research helps companies understand what customers really want, and what is likely to succeed in the market using available technology. Product research helps refine new product ideas.

Before you start working on this assignment, you must have your major project topic selected. For this assignment, you will get together with 3-4 students who selected the same topic as you, and you will conduct product research together. Product Research is a group deliverable.

Topics

You can select between the two predefined topics or define your own topic:

#1. Tutoring Network Students often need help with their assignments, or to improve their second language. There are many applications and websites available, but they want to use a safe and reliable source of tutoring options to choose from.

You will work on designing an app where these activities can be posted and searched.

There will be three main parts to the app:

An interface for posting activities, adding necessary details for families to browse and understand them (ex. time, location, age range, abilities supported)
An interface for browsing, searching, viewing and comparing activities
An interface for creating a profile with a family’s specific needs and requirements (ex. location, age range, interests, special needs, etc.)

You will design an app where tutors can post specialized services and students can search for these services based on a variety of criteria.

There will be three main parts to the app:

An interface for posting tutoring services, adding necessary details for students to browse and understand them (ex. Subject matter, location, level, etc)
An interface for browsing, searching, viewing and comparing services
An interface for creating a profile with the student’s specific needs and requirements (ex. location, age range, interests, special needs, etc.)

Focus on the browsing/searching interface and the profile-creation interface.You will account for the service posting interface in your overall framework and architecture, however you will not design the screens required for it.

#2. Network for in-home care for elderly people Elderly people often struggle to find in-home care and assistance with:

domestic tasks
self-care
travel to appointments
other simple activities

Known problems

Simple one-off needs for support are difficult to arrange for people who don’t want long term care arrangements
It is difficult to know what caregiver to hire for specific tasks
It is difficult to know where to look for caregivers

You will design an app where caregivers can post specialized services and elderly people or their families can search for these services based on a variety of criteria.

There will be three main parts to the app:

An interface for posting services, where service providers can add details about themselves and the services they provide (ex. Service offered, caregiver experience, locations served, etc.)
An interface where elderly people or their families can browse, search, view and compare services
An interface for elderly people to create a profile to capture their specific needs and requirements (ex. location, age, living arrangement, mobility, special needs, etc.)

Focus on the browsing/searching interface and the profile-creating interface.You will account for the service posting interface in your overall framework and architecture, however you will not design the screens required for it.

#3. Your choice! A similar network (that you will define) where one group with a need (service seeker) is connected with another group that can deliver the service (service provider).

NOTE: Your idea must be approved by your professor.

Define who are the service seekers that your app targets. Define the type of service that is provided through this app.

You will design an app where your primary target audience (the service seekers) will look for services that are provided by your secondary target audience (service providers).

There will be three main parts to the app:

An interface for posting services, where service providers can add details about themselves and the services they provide.
An interface where the service seekers can browse, search, view and compare services
An interface for the service seekers to create a profile to capture their specific needs and requirements.

Focus on the browsing/searching interface and the profile-creating interface. You will account for the service posting interface in your overall framework and architecture, however you will not design the screens required for it.

Instructions

Group Formation: Gather 3-4 students working on the same project as you to conduct product research together.
Figma Project Creation: Choose one team member to create a Figma project and name it MajorProject-Group#.
Collaborator Invitations: Invite all your team members and the professor to the Figma project with edit permissions so that everyone can collaborate seamlessly.
Figma Files Import: Download the provided Figma file, and import them into your newly created project. Download Figma File
Division of Work: Assign a group member to research each of these topics:
1. What competitors exist? (digital or other?)
  - How are they structured?
  - What features do they have?
  - How do they look?
  - What is their business model?
    - Free with ads?
    - Subscription?
    - Commission?
    - Supported by donations/grants?
    - Other?
2. What similar products exist? (a. service provider + b. service seeker?)
  - How are they structured?
  - What features do they have?
  - How do they look?
  - What is their business model?
  - Free with ads?
    - Subscription?
    - Commission?
    - Supported by donations/grants?
    - Other? Documenting your findings:

Record your findings in the Figma file.

Submission

Open BS LMS and go to the Activities > Assignments page. Go to Product Research. On the assignment page in BS LMS, provide a Png of your group competitor and competitive research and click the submit button.