Meet Ida.
Ida, a freshman in college, is taking a biology course where she’s working with a small team and a community partner on a bee conservation project. The team has been meeting regularly to develop a project that meets their course learning outcomes and serves their community partner’s goals. Ida is passionate about beekeeping and hopes to incorporate her interests into the project. Now that they’re moving into the design phase, she’s considering how best to start turning their ideas into a concrete plan.
Phase III “Designs”
A Scenario Based Self Assessment
Ida and her team are ready to start the design phase of their bee project. They need to decide on the best approach to kick off the design process.
What should Ida focus on to make sure their project meets the needs of the community partner and aligns with her interests in beekeeping?
Sketch Initial Ideas for a Bee Habitat
Ida could start by sketching some initial designs for a bee habitat, focusing on features that promote bee health and biodiversity.
Gather Community Partner Feedback
Ida could consult with the community partner to learn more about their specific priorities and ideas for bee conservation.
Create a Detailed Plan with Specific Materials and Dimensions
Ida could try to jump into a detailed, finalized layout with precise materials and dimensions.
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Option 1
Sketch Ideas
Ida decides to start by sketching her initial ideas for a bee habitat. This approach lets her quickly put her thoughts on paper, experiment with possible layouts, and visualize features that support bee health, like flower placements and water sources.
Ida feels confident that sketching is a great way to jumpstart the design process and allows her to explore her creative ideas without committing to any one layout yet.
TEAM 1
By starting with sketches, Ida creates a flexible and low-commitment way to experiment with different design ideas. This approach lets her and the team discuss possible layouts without getting bogged down in specifics.
However, without early feedback from their community partner, some of her design choices might miss the mark in meeting community needs.
Let’s See What Happens
Tip: Sketching ideas is a great first step, but gathering feedback early on can make sure your design is on track with user needs.
Ida decides to reach out to the community partner before starting any detailed design work. She thinks this will help her better understand their specific priorities for the project, as well as any local needs or constraints they may have insights on.
Tip: By gathering feedback early, Ida hopes to make her team’s design as impactful and relevant as possible.
TEAM 2
Option 2
Community Partner
By consulting with the community partner, Ida learns about the specific conservation needs in the area, such as planting native flowers that attract pollinators and creating shaded areas to support bee health.
This feedback helps shape a design that aligns well with the community’s conservation goals and allows Ida to incorporate beekeeping features in a way that serves the community.
A Great Choice!
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when Ida chooses other options
Let’s see What Happens
Tip: Early feedback from stakeholders can guide design choices, ensuring the final project is relevant and valuable to the community it serves.
Ida is super excited. She decides to skip sketches and feedback, diving straight into a detailed plan with specific materials and dimensions.
She hopes that by committing to a clear and structured plan from the start, the project will be easier to implement. Ida feels that this approach will save her team time and avoid the back-and-forth of multiple design iterations.
Option 3
Detailed Plan
TEAM 3
By creating a detailed plan too early, Ida finds herself locked into specific design choices before understanding the full scope of community needs.
Without initial testing or feedback, the team runs into challenges with certain materials and layout choices, making it harder to adapt their plan to meet real needs effectively.
Let’s See What Happens
Tip: Starting with flexible ideas and incorporating feedback helps avoid the limitations of a rigid plan. Iteration allows for adjustments and improvements along the way.
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