Our UX experts have begun laying the groundwork for a re-imagining of the StreetWise experience. Among the moving parts noted by the participants were: distribution channels, identity of StreetWise customers, perceptions of StreetWise vendors, and the nature and value of the StreetWise product. Yet several of the designers suggested there may be additional, hidden factors in play.
Kevin Mech of KeyLimeTime asked how the UX trope of “optimization” might be brought to bear on the problems faced by StreetWise. The organization seems to have trouble optimizing both its sales operation and the job training it provides to vendors of the paper — what if, Mech asked, they could be combined in some way?
In a separate conversation, volunteer coordinator Al Herbach raised the question of how designers could help people imagine the situation of the average StreetWise vendor. Most of the people in the room, he observed, have some sort of long-term plan for their lives. “How do we put ourselves in the position of someone with no life plan?” he asked.
Several participants also raised the need for a thorough brainstorm on the characteristics of StreetWise vendors — real and perceived. Plenty of interesting questions as we examine how UX can solve the problems faced by this organization. Much more soon…
Read more about the StreetWise challenge here.
