reflecting on the nature of meaningful work
Trying to understand innovation workers, their aspirations as well as their frustrations and create services that would bridge the divide between deeper aspirations of innovators and the pragmatics of life.
project general info
PROJECT : service DESIGN PROJECT WITH keit ein
CHALLENGE : HOW MIGHT WE ENSURE THAT MEANINGFUL WORK IS VIABLE FOR CREATIVE INNOVATORS TO PURSUE?
TOOLS : BOOTLEGGING TECHNIQUE, INTERVIEW DATA, METHODOLOGIES (DOUBLE DIAMOND), PERSONA, STORYBOARD, CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP, VALUE PROPOSITION canvas, SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, AFFINITY DIAGRAMS, KEY INSIGHTS, jtbd, prototyping
CHALLENGE : HOW MIGHT WE ENSURE THAT MEANINGFUL WORK IS VIABLE FOR CREATIVE INNOVATORS TO PURSUE?
TOOLS : BOOTLEGGING TECHNIQUE, INTERVIEW DATA, METHODOLOGIES (DOUBLE DIAMOND), PERSONA, STORYBOARD, CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP, VALUE PROPOSITION canvas, SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, AFFINITY DIAGRAMS, KEY INSIGHTS, jtbd, prototyping
Starting point
Process
End result
starting point
As we live in the 21st century world, our social and work life have changed immensely since the creation of World Wide Web. And generally speaking - people started spend more time at work and some of us make it the sense of their lives as a main factor. By the means of work people can express their value to their boss, colleagues, society, world and to themselves too. Humans feel the immense need to showcase their physical or mental capabilities to the world and feel the part of something bigger than themselves.
Brief task was to ensure that creative innovators do meaningful and viable work. The HMW of the challenge sounded as " How might we ensure that meaningful work is viable for creative innovators to pursue? " We wanted to look into the human value system as well as dive into the topics of work, meaningful work, self growth significance and changing culture of work. Since recent times more people switch towards entrepreneurship and working on themselves, rather than working on the same place until the retirement. People's values and desires from work evolved into bigger emotional needsand more people are ready to risk and start business than in other generations. We become more autonomous and appreciating the freedom of choices and possible futures for ourselves.
Brief task was to ensure that creative innovators do meaningful and viable work. The HMW of the challenge sounded as " How might we ensure that meaningful work is viable for creative innovators to pursue? " We wanted to look into the human value system as well as dive into the topics of work, meaningful work, self growth significance and changing culture of work. Since recent times more people switch towards entrepreneurship and working on themselves, rather than working on the same place until the retirement. People's values and desires from work evolved into bigger emotional needsand more people are ready to risk and start business than in other generations. We become more autonomous and appreciating the freedom of choices and possible futures for ourselves.
process
We started with a research (20 semi-structured interviews with people related to creative field) to understand what stands behind the idea of meaningful work and what stops people from acquiring it. Besides that we did a thorough research on several topics and fields that might help us to get aquatinted with the surroundings of the challenge and create a useful and unique solution proposition.
Interviews helped us to create a persona – it was a 24 y.o. student Hugo from an art school, who aspires to apply his various creative talents in his work and make impact to the world. But he can't get this kind of job, because he doesn't know how any work in real life is structured and he afraids to stick himself to the office routine and loose his freedom of choice on a daily basis. Hugo doesn't support to work from 9 to 5 and have a strict schedule, he want to do "his own thing". Besides that Hugo wants to find a balance between having a job and at the same time have diverse interests and learn something new. Therefore, it is important for Hugo to keep his choices and opportunities open. This is what have changed in the 21 century work culture.
We approached our persona's pain and gain points through service design canvas, that helped us develop key insights. Each of them addressed the issue of balance between Hugo's mess of opportunities and duty of choice.
This led us to our main challenge : how might we create a structure of freedom for Hugo? As a solution service we came up with an idea of a side-projects course.
Interviews helped us to create a persona – it was a 24 y.o. student Hugo from an art school, who aspires to apply his various creative talents in his work and make impact to the world. But he can't get this kind of job, because he doesn't know how any work in real life is structured and he afraids to stick himself to the office routine and loose his freedom of choice on a daily basis. Hugo doesn't support to work from 9 to 5 and have a strict schedule, he want to do "his own thing". Besides that Hugo wants to find a balance between having a job and at the same time have diverse interests and learn something new. Therefore, it is important for Hugo to keep his choices and opportunities open. This is what have changed in the 21 century work culture.
We approached our persona's pain and gain points through service design canvas, that helped us develop key insights. Each of them addressed the issue of balance between Hugo's mess of opportunities and duty of choice.
This led us to our main challenge : how might we create a structure of freedom for Hugo? As a solution service we came up with an idea of a side-projects course.
end result
This course would allow student to pick an idea himself and to work on it independently during 2 weeks, deliver a realproject and after that choose another one. There would be an access to mentors from relevant work fields, provided by the service. While accomplishing the projects, students would be gaining 2 study points per half a year. With these new experience the student will have a great opportunity to assemble their portfolio with cases that will showcase their talents. As we all know that your portfolio is your face as a designer. By spending time in a group work with other like-minded people next to you will accelerate the knowledge and your development as a designer. Moreover, by exploring this framework of working would enable the student grow with each project and obtain practical skills that are needed on the job market. Hugo will have an opportunity to take responsibility and connect with the brightest minds of various industries.
In these conditions, student would be able to learn how to structure the workflow, express his various talents and get closer to work that he finds meaningful.
In these conditions, student would be able to learn how to structure the workflow, express his various talents and get closer to work that he finds meaningful.
