As part of my undergraduate senior thesis, I played the role of researcher and designer. My topic focused on the impact COVID-19 had on the design studio experience of undergraduate industrial, interior and visual communication designers.

The primary deliverable was a sentiment journal highlighting key points from the research participants. This was supported with a visual system, experience map, presentation + workshop, and infographic system.

Understanding what the problem was and who it effects was the first crucial step of the process. After mapping out the problem, I could begin the process of identifying possible solutions.

I am of the opinion that surveys don’t provide the same value that interviews do. In an ideal world, I would’ve interviewed both students and professors. Time constraints and participant availability prevented me from doing interviews and including professors. Since I needed to connect with a large amount of participants in a short amount of time, a survey was used.

After planning the project and executing the research, there were some key points and takeaways that I could be highlighted in the form of a sentiment journal.

A few slides are highlighted below!

I came to the realization that not every problem will be solved easily with a nice little bow. Sometimes the conclusion will focus on a suggestion rather than a concrete answer. That is okay!

This was true for this project where I expected a specific solution. But really the final recommendations focused around catering towards the individual and their unique needs rather than oversimplifying everything into a simple answer.