I'm currently catching up on my assignment after a brief detour to Utah for my cousin's wedding, which was a delightful but time-consuming event. Recently, I received encouraging feedback from Prof. Laurie regarding a slight shift in my thesis direction, along with some valuable suggestions:
Make changes to the Materials Matrix with these suggestions:
Event: Instead of a case study, create a tangible, physical space on campus to engage students directly.
Marketing: Develop a robust marketing strategy for the website. This could include leveraging popular Gen Z platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as utilizing physical posters and campus events to attract visitors to the website, which is central to the thesis concept.
Website: The focus should be on guiding career directions in design, particularly framing it as a "Gen Z Toolkit for careers in design." The website should explore various fields such as information design, interactive design, and service design, specifically targeting graphic design students who might be uncertain about their career paths. Incorporating elements of crowdsourcing and aligning with Gen Z preferences will make the website more interactive and engaging.
In line with these recommendations, last week I invited several Gen Z students from my classes to participate in a survey about navigating life post-graduation. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Here's the link to the survey for reference: Gen Z Post-Graduation Navigation Survey.
As of today, I've received 21 responses, which is a promising start for gathering insights. I ended up giving two extra credit points as an incentive to participate.
Everyone only submitted a written survey, however, one of my students uploaded a photo which was a nice touch.
"I'm unsure if I will commission in the Air Force, if so I think I won't have too much time to expand my work experience with Graphic Designing. If I don't commission, then I fear of not being able to find any jobs right away, unless I absolutely get myself involved on internships, workshops, involvement for designing before I graduate AND start applying for Jobs." - Dulce
Many students are worried about what post-graduation is going to look like job-wise.
Based on the responses received, I developed a card sorting activity and invited a few graphic design students from a different class to participate in this exercise. Card Sorting Exercise
Marcos - Fresno State Student Senior
John - Fresno State Transfer student Junior
As they began, I asked them a few questions. Card sorting questions:
1. How would you categorize these topics into groups that make sense to you?
2. What top-level navigation label would you assign to each group you've created?
3. Are there any topics you feel are unclear or could fit into multiple categories?
4. How would you prioritize these categories in terms of importance or relevance?
5. Is there anything missing that you think should be included in the website's navigation?
I asked them to talk out loud as they were sorting their cards. I jotted down notes as they were sorting and talking out loud.
After they sorted out the cards, I asked them to think of what each section would be named. I gave them some post-its to create a top-level navigation title for each. Ill take these notes and considerations and create a top-level navigation for the website.
Notes from card sorting activty
Pulling information from the survey and the card sorting activity, this is what seemed to be the most important combination of information.
Passion and Career Confidence: Looking into whether students who are really passionate about something are more confident about their career decisions.
Location and Career Guidance Happiness: Trying to find out if students who care a lot about where they live are happier with the career advice they get from their college.
Knowing About New Careers and Facing Job Challenges: Checking if students who know about new and emerging job fields expect to have an easier time in the job market.
Year in College and Their Worries and Hopes: Seeing if students at different stages of college, like freshmen vs. seniors, have different worries or feel differently about their future careers.
Age and Career Thoughts: Looking to see if a student's age has anything to do with how they plan for their career or what they expect from it.
From there I created a navigation list of the most important information and possible ideas on how to make it happen.
Finding Their Career: This section is dedicated to assisting Gen Z in navigating their first steps after college. Whether they are uncertain about the future, searching for job ideas, or exploring different career paths, this area provides resources. It features interactive stories and tools designed to help them explore a variety of career options. - Help for those who aren't sure what to do after college. - Different job ideas, including full-time work, internships, and starting their own thing.
- Cool interactive stories to see what different jobs are like.
Building Their Skills: Here, Gen Z can access tools to assess and enhance their skills. There's a quiz to help them identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Tips for creating a portfolio to enrich their learning journey.
- A quiz to see what you're good at and what you could get better at.
- Study materials and courses to learn more.
- Tips on how to make a great portfolio.
What's Going On in the Job World: This section keeps Gen Z updated with the latest job market trends and provides insights through real-life graphic design stories.
- The latest info on jobs and what's happening in different graphic design fields.
- Stories from real people about their work life.
Meeting People & Getting Advice: Networking is a critical aspect of career development. This area encourages Gen Z to connect with peers in their field, join relevant clubs, and seek mentorship from experienced professionals, fostering valuable career relationships.
- Places to meet others in your field, like a graphic design club.
- How to find someone experienced to give you career advice.
Their Resume and Personal Branding: Offering expert advice on crafting effective resumes, this section guides Gen Z in presenting their personal brand and story compellingly, aiming to help them make a great first impression in the job market.
- How to write a great resume.
- Guides on how to present yourself and your story.
Feedback and Interaction: This is a space for Gen Z to share their thoughts about the website, providing valuable feedback and suggestions to enhance their experience and meet their needs more effectively.
- A place where you can tell us what you think about the website and what you need to be included.
Support for Graduation Concerns: Catering to common concerns associated with graduation, this section provides resources and support for issues like job competition, adapting to societal roles, financial management, and stress management. It's a comprehensive hub for Gen Z to navigate the challenges of transitioning from college to the professional world.
- A section just for dealing with common fears about finding a job, facing competition, and fitting into society.
- Links to help with money, stress, and other big life stuff.
In this navigation setup, the focus is on addressing the primary concerns and needs of Gen Z as they approach graduation. Emphasizing personal growth, career exploration, practical tools, and networking opportunities, the content is streamlined and geared towards offering support and resources for various challenges and aspirations of this generation. The input from Marcos, John, and the survey results have been instrumental in shaping this tailored approach.
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I took the survey information and updated my Materials Matrix and DS Chart accordingly. I am hoping to meet with Prof. Laurie soon to go over this more as well.
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