The idea of developing a product based on consumers needs was a new to me. I don’t think I ever really put much thought into the process of product development until this class. I loved that we were assigned a room and had to figure out what our persona needed in the room. As we explored our assigned room, the bathroom, we came across several unique features that are found in the area that I had not necessarily analyzed previous to this assignment. Grasping the needs of aged adults in the bathroom was also a different way to identify what consumers actually need to make life easier or safer rather than creating a product for no apparent reason. Throughout the course of this project one of the key elements that aided us in determining how to best meet aged adults needs in the bathroom was from the feedback we received. We were able to get feedback from aged adults as they strolled in the Barton Creek Mall and also from a photo journal from a retired couple. In each of these examples, we found specific ways we would be able to help the retired population feel safer and more comfortable in the bathroom. I never realized the impact a photo journal could have, or the willingness of people to help students with a project.

Building a prototype was an interesting way to learn more about our project. In working on the prototype we were able to develop more ideas of how it would be useful in the bathroom. The first time we built our prototype we were not exactly sure how it was going to work, but throughout the process of building prototype number two we gained confidence in our project and perfected a lot of the ambiguous design. The prototype also helped us to better understand our target market. When just creating an image in your head I think it is easy to also generate the results of what you imagined whereas with a prototype you can actually see it working and how it could be fixed. A lot of time within our group I found that we were not always on the same page as far as design of our prototype is concerned. When actually using tangible objects to create what we imagined we came up with different ideas and thoughts of how a certain part should work. When laying out our design, we were able to collaborate our thoughts and choose the most effective idea in order to come up with a more successful product.

My group was wonderful to work with. We had a much different team of dynamics in this group than in any other group I have worked with in my last 3 years in the Business School. Our group worked very well together but often times suffered from groupthink as no one seemed to want to step on any toes and pull away as the unassigned leader. We all added value to the group at different times but as everyone had a little bit of leadership in them it was frustrating at times because no one jumped out and took charge. After several meetings we started to get this under control and several members stepped up (without being an overbearing leader) to take on the role.

I loved the feedback you gave us, Professor Walls, on all of our presentation. Hearing your thoughts as soon as we finished presenting (with the exception of the last presentation) was extremely helpful and always so positive. Your words were always encouraging and very helpful, which was extraordinarily heartening.

The process of the project seemed to be a little confusing at first, as most projects are but after the first presentation everything went very smoothly. I like the process because it seemed very real and was extremely helpful in discovering how innovation in the real world works to some extent. I thoroughly enjoyed the project and your class Dr. Walls!