Minor Project
ZHOU YUTONG / 0378676
Week 1-Week 15
Minor Project / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
TABLE OF CONTENT
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK
FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK
Week 1
First week of the class we were assigned to create a group of 7 members from different specialisation. Our group included:
1.0363575 / Yang Yang / Entertainment Design (Group Leader)
2.0375835 / Zhang Zihan / Entertainment Design
3.0376838 / Zhang Tianyao / Graphie design
4.0378676 / Zhou Yutong / immersive design
5.0378687 / Li Zexing / Graphic design
6.0360677 / Lim Zhi Yuan / UI/UX
7.0378712 / Diane Wan / UI/UX
Week 2
This week we were assigned the brief of selecting our project topic from a list of options, after discussion we selected "Period Poverty" as our topic. With direction set, our next step is get organised. We held a in class meeting to divide responsibilies, ensure every team members has a clear and defined role.
Week 3
This week was all about gathering information. We started by having a meeting with our client to talk about our project on Period Poverty. This was a helpful meeting because it made sure we understood what the client expects from us and helped us feel more confident about our direction.
After the meeting, the group spent time doing research. We focused on looking into how Period Poverty affects people in China. We spent the week reading through different reports and articles to get a better understanding of the situation.
By doing the research realise that menstruation is a sensitive topic in China. Many people dont have access to or a correct information about periods, We want to make an education website be a place people can learn and feel supported.
Week 4
After finishing the research last week, this week was all about getting ready to contact with real people. The first thing was decide on our target audience. team members working on research proposal spent time figuring out exactly who we should interview and how to get in touch with them.
We decided that our target audience should be students between the ages of 14 and 19, as well as volunteers who work on this issue. We chose this age group because we want to understand how period poverty affects young people in school. Then Yangyang and Zhou Yutong draft out the question for interview.
my teammates Yangyang, Zhang Zihan and Zhang Tianyao too charge of this parts. We used the wechat to reach out and talk to the volunteers for us. This was a huge help to ensure communication smoothly and make sure everyone was on the same page.
Week 5
This week we started the actual interview process. Now that we had our plan ready, it was time to talk to the people who fit our target group of students (ages 14–19) and volunteers.
Before we started each interview, we made sure to ask everyone to sign a consent form. This was a simple form to make sure they were okay with us recording the conversation and using their answers for our study. It was important to us that everyone felt safe and comfortable sharing their thoughts.
After the interview were finished, the interview recording have a few things to do:
- turned the recordings into a written notes (transcripts) so we could read then easily.
- wrote a summary of the main points from each person
Week 6
This week, we took all the notes and summaries from our interviews and used them to really understand the people we are trying to help. We worked together to create three main things: a User Persona, an Empathy Map, and a User Journey Map.
Creating a Character (User Persona) First, we created a "User Persona." This is like a character profile of a typical student who might face Period Poverty. Giving our user a name and a story makes them feel like a real person. It helps the whole group stay focused on who we are actually designing for, instead of just looking at data.
Next, we made an "Empathy Map." This helped us dig deeper into what a student in this situation sees, feels, hears, and does. We talked about their worries and the things that make their lives difficult. This part was really important because it helped us feel more connected to the problem. It’s not just about facts; it’s about how people feel.
Finally, we made a "User Journey Map." We drew out the steps a student takes and the struggles they face in their daily life. This helped us see exactly where the biggest problems are. By looking at the "journey" from start to finish, we can see where we should focus our ideas to help the most.
Week 7,8
For this two weeks, our group has been focused on one presentation for Week 9. We have been working on our presentation slides to make sure we can explain our research and ideas to our client.
Period Poverty by YUTONG ZHOU
Week 9
This week a major turning point of our project. We had a meeting with client to show our presentation and ideation for the education website. However, the feedback we received was not what we expected.The feedback from client felt that website might not be the best way to help people dealing with period poverty.
After the meeting, our group held an offline meeting on campus to talk about what to do next. We had to be honest with ourselves: if the website wasn't going to work, we needed a better idea fast. After a long discussion, we decided to pivot. Instead of a website, we are now going to create a card game for period poverty.
week 10
After we comfirmed the final product is game card, we decided to work fast on the prototype design and game rules.
Week 11, 12
How we promote our game card
Week 15
Perceiving Period Poverty: Student and Volunteer Insights from ChinaFEEDBACK
Week 3
This week, our focus was on user interviews. For each interview, the interviewer was required to collect a recorded video and a full transcript. All materials have been uploaded to our shared folder.
We will use the collected data to create two user personas and map out the pain points identified during the interviews.
Week 7
Week 8
This week was focused on finalizing our project presentation and refining our user understanding before the final review.
Checked all slides for typos and ensured consistent formatting.
Outlined the presentation structure to ensure a correct progression flow.
Updated user background information with our latest interview insights.
Week 9
This week, after reviewing our progress and client feedback, we made a majority decision: to change our prototype products.
Week 10
No Feedback
Week 11
Game card adjustment.
REFLECTION
Looking back on the past fifteen weeks of the project, our team completed a comprehensive design exploration, from problem definition and user research to a complete shift in product direction. This experience not only deepened our understanding of the social issue of "period poverty" but also allowed us to personally experience the dynamics and challenges of a user-centered design process.
Phase 1: Establishing Direction and Initial Research (Weeks 1-4) At the beginning of the project, assembling a cross-disciplinary team was our top priority. The team included diverse backgrounds in entertainment design, graphic design, immersive design, and UI/UX, bringing diverse perspectives to the project but also requiring efficient coordination. We quickly selected "period poverty" as the topic and determined that an educational website would be the initial solution. Through preliminary research and meetings with the client, we realized that in the Chinese context, the sensitivity of the topic of menstruation and the lack of information were the core pain points. However, at this point, our understanding remained at a macro level, and our solutions were relatively direct.
Phase 2: In-depth User Research and Insight Generation (Weeks 5-8) Entering the user interview phase marked a turning point in our understanding of the project. Direct dialogue with students aged 14-19 and related volunteers transformed the abstract concept of "target users" into concrete, vivid stories. The process of creating user personas, empathy maps, and user journey maps forced us to systematically integrate fragmented observations from interviews into a deep understanding of users' emotions, dilemmas, and daily scenarios. We realized that for teenagers, acquiring menstrual knowledge is not only about information availability but also involves privacy, shame, and social pressure. This solid work at this stage laid the foundation for all our subsequent decisions.
Phase Three: Key Turning Point and Strategic Adjustment (Week 9)
Week 9 was the mid-term report with the client and a major turning point for the project. Our carefully prepared website proposal was questioned by the client regarding its effectiveness—undoubtedly a blow, but also a valuable wake-up call. It exposed a potential flaw in our initial proposal: an educational website might provide information, but it might not effectively address the core obstacles to sensitive topics, namely, low barriers to participation, privacy, and interaction.
The team's offline debriefing meeting was crucial. Instead of being stubborn, we conducted an honest reassessment based on client feedback and existing user insights. We recognized that breaking down the taboo surrounding the topic might require a more relaxed, interactive medium that could be used in safe, small-group environments (such as among friends or classmates). Thus, the idea of a "card game" was born. This "shift" wasn't a failure, but rather a demonstration of the team's flexibility and genuine problem-solving focus.
Phase Four: Agile Execution and New Direction Exploration (Weeks 10-12) After determining the card game direction, the team quickly entered the rapid prototyping and rule design phase. We attempted to translate user knowledge gaps, common misunderstandings, and positive values discovered in our earlier research into game mechanics and card content. How to make the game both educational and fun was our new challenge.
Overall Reflection and Gains
Teamwork and Leadership: Cross-disciplinary collaboration requires clear communication and division of responsibilities. As a team leader, it's essential to ensure information is synchronized and to create an environment where each member can leverage their strengths. When projects face directional challenges, collective decision-making and the ability to quickly build consensus are crucial.
Embracing Change and Critical Thinking: The design process is rarely linear. Client feedback is not the end, but the starting point for deeper reflection. We learned not to be attached to our initial solutions, but to dare to question and overturn them in order to find better solutions. This flexibility and critical thinking are among the most important abilities in design practice.
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