Last week, I met with Professor Laurie and expressed my concerns about the breadth of my project and my diminishing motivation for the chosen topic. (strategies for small businesses to connect with Gen Z consumers.) I don't quite know how I got to that idea but in my mind... it sucked! I was dreading presenting my final thesis to the board and I envisioned myself walking the plank. I laugh at that now but it's totally true. I was moving forward to a pending disaster.
However I am very grateful for Prof. Laurie's willingness to talk me through this change. We ended up talking for over two hours and it was wonderful. We explored ideas on how I might retain the core ideas of my project yet bring in some fresh new ideas to be more relatable to my own life.
<< These notes from our meeting are scribbled and some don't make sense, but to me, this page meant there's hope for this project to move forward without the pending doom of the plank. I found a little light in the quest for meaning through this project.
After getting off the phone, I thought through some ideas and kept thinking throughout the week. The brainstorming required me to integrate concepts from my old project into an uplifted project. I'm not going to lie... this has been a very daunting, process that would normally take months.
My reflective process began with two different questions that I have received from my Gen Z college students. Two key interactions sparked me:
A student of mine, not yet graduated, requested a letter of recommendation for a job application. She said, "I need a job. Can you write me a letter of recommendation?"
Another young individual confided in me her indecision about what to study in college. He said, "I have no idea what I want to study in college."
With those two key questions in mind, I started doing some research into what Gen Zers need. How could I help them? I obviously wrote a letter of recommendation for one student. But how was she going to find a job? How would the other student find out what she wants to study?
Lots more research..
I pulled out some key phrases that I would like to focus on to guide me forward.
The phrases I encountered during my research have become sort of like a mantra for the project's evolution:
"Through active participation, not mere observation." This emphasizes the need for a platform where Gen Z can actively engage in their career exploration journey.
"This project is more than just data; it's about Gen Z finding their reflections within the narratives shared." It's about creating a connection that goes beyond statistics, making the exploration a personal narrative.
"It transforms career discovery into an interactive journey." The aim is to turn the daunting task of career discovery into an exciting, interactive adventure.
With these guiding principles, I am crafting a platform that is not just a tool but a journey into self-discovery and empowerment for Generation Z.
Several other ideas of uncertainty that Gen Z might be up against came through my research as well.
Economic Uncertainty
Expectation vs. Reality
The Pressure of Early Specialization
Rapid Technological Change
Mental Health Concerns
Social and Environmental Considerations
Work-Life Balance Expectations
The Influence of Social Media
Information Overload
I think I could probably add some of those concerns to the project, but I needed this brainstorming session to be what the project could actually include and I feel those are tangents. Possibly how this thisi could grow in the future??
I came up with three different Gen Z age demographics that I could help. Each of these sections below is a different demographic so I think including post-high school, in college, and post-college might span to be too big of a project scope. I'll have to talk with Prof. Laurie more about that after. Anyhow, I came up with these three areas of possibilities of where the project could go and how this thesis could help Gen Z.
Three different branch ideas:
• Post-High School Guidance: A project guiding Gen Z students through post-high school options that can save time and set the stage for their career paths.
• Pre-College Decision Support: A tool to help Gen Z students weigh college against other options.
• Post-College Employment Aid: A project facilitating the move from college to a career that can boost employment and job satisfaction, accelerating the education ROI.
Being a college teacher I leaned towards my ability to reach the "in college" demographic the easiest.
I came up with this idea for extending the thesis.
"This thesis proposes the development of a graphic design-led toolkit for career visualization, aimed at aiding students in identifying suitable college majors. By leveraging interactive design, the project intends to create a suite of digital tools that assist students in mapping their interests and abilities to various academic and professional trajectories."
While talking with prof. Laurie, one of her concerns was how would this project integrate into the shell of my old project. Integrating this new idea is crucial so that I wouldn't need to start from the beginning and resubmit a mid-point proposal and then proceed to retake the class I am currently in. I am in the middle of my third semester of my old topic. It has of course evolved over time but still three semesters of work is an incredible amount of work to catch up to. So how would I integrate it together? The topic both focuses on Gen Z and there is a driving entity (original idea, "The Firm") but there are some subtle differences that need to be changes.
Question: What were the core ideas of my old project vrs, what are the core idea of the new project?
Here's what I came up with.
Old Project Core Ideas:
Marketing to Gen Z: Initially, my focus was on devising strategies for small businesses to connect with Gen Z consumers. Creating a "Gen Z Toolkit for Small Businesses."
Research-Driven Insights: I was collecting data and analysis to decode the distinctive preferences and behaviors of Gen Z and how to implement them through design.
Practical Application: A tangible aspect of my project was a case study that showcased the application of these marketing strategies.
Deliverables: DZN—"Marketing the firm", "Website", "Case study"
New Project Core Ideas:
Career Exploration: The new direction pivots towards creating interactive tools for Gen Z's career exploration. Creating a "Gen Z Toolkit for career visualization, aimed at aiding students in identifying suitable college majors.
Personalized Engagement: I aim to customize the exploration experience to align with individual interests and skills.
Immersive Storytelling: Employing narrative techniques, I plan to make the career exploration process more engaging and relatable.
Deliverables: DZN—"??", "Website", Case Study."
Lol, ok I don't have it all figured out yet. What could the "Marketing the Firm" section transform to? This might be a little bit of a change. What platform could this idea, "Career Exploration: The new direction pivots towards creating interactive tools for Gen Z's career exploration. Creating a "Gen Z Toolkit for career visualization, aimed at aiding students in identifying suitable college majors." be most suitable for? An app, on the website, a physical space on campus? I think I better talk with Professor Laurie before I make a decision on that. The branding for the project can stay the same as well. I'll keep the name "DZN". Also, I can utilize my old research from this area: Research-Driven Insights: I was collecting data and analysis to decode the distinctive preferences and behaviors of Gen Z and how to implement them through design.
Anyhow, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I want to get Prof. Laurie's approval before I move forward with any more work. Hopefully, we can have a conversation very soon about if this would work or not.
My next to-dos after getting approval would be: Have a quick brainstorming session with a few of my Gen Z students and what they think would be most important to talk about and what their concerns are. I also need to come up with a new Flow chart and User chart for this new information. I have about seven more weeks till the end of the semester. Here's to doing a bunch of work in a short amount of time. Pray for me!! -CLM
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