Author: b7056175

6) North Tyneside Youth Council (week 6 blog)

DISCUSS AND DESCRIBE WHAT USERS CAN DO WITHYOUR PROTOTYPE

Users will be able to engage actively with a game component of a website. It will include improving the environmental problems in North Tyneside throughout the game. The player can only achieve this by answering the correct questions that either directly relate to North Tyne side or globally. The website will also have areas such a blog space. Where people can post thoughts about the community and areas of concern. These will be viewed by the youth council and can become a platform for many people to post thoughts. Additionally, there would be are of the website that includes all upcoming community events that engage the youth directly such as clean ups in the area including time, location etc.

Our main goal is to create a digital method that is educational and will create long term change in North Tyneside. With particular emphasis on schools and the learning program as the students are the next generation and have a platform to create change.

Long term goals can also include the possibility for the website to cover other issues potential planning and developments in the area that the council wants feedback on.

CONSIDER HOWYOU WILL CREATEYOUR PROTOTYPE

  • Marvel
  • Indesign/photoshop
  • Invision

3) North Tyneside youth council – stakeholder interviews

Our approach to user research has been specifically based on the key stake holder North Tyneside youth council. These a young people aged between 13 – 18 therefore it is particularly important that our method is suitable for the age group.

  1. What methods do you employ? (i.e. see lecture 2), Who do you involve and what insights do you hope to gain? What did you plan for your user interviews?

The initial method was contextual enquiry as it includes user conversation. With emphasis on the talking aloud method and artefact use. We feel this would be best as sometimes younger people can express their thoughts and ideas verbally or through visuals aid such as drawings. With large groups such as a youth council it will also encourage a collaborative detailing practice. Where all members are included rather than a survey or questionnaire style. Along with this method we also decided to conduct one of our meetings with the youth council using a design research method. It was intended to run the session in a workshop format. We created poster prompts to allow the members to write down ideas and thoughts in a creative way including different coloured pens in order of importance. Through these posters we has planned for a particular points or question to be on each so it wasn’t to over whelming. The points were of significance to help us better understand what the stake holders wanted achieved. With putting two methods into place we could create a strong attention to values and experience, but also making tangible with the use of posters and interactive activities.

Although we have had one meeting with the youth council members we do hope to have a more productive second meeting. Unfortunately, we did face some challenges with the adults present. They did take over the session and asked many of their own questions. Making it difficult to run the work shop style session with the youth member. Although it was beneficial because it clearly outlined we have a lot further to go with understanding clearly what they want achieved through the digital method. As it was different to what we had expected, they don’t want an app or anything online due to cost. So we are revisiting this as they want something much more simpler.

For our future research we hope to follow a workshop style for the youth with an additional element of wither surveys or questionnaires for the adults involved. This would allow for both groups to have a platform of opinion and ideas without one dominating. During week 4 we have also decided to outline some goals based on feedback from our previous blogs and what we learnt from our client meetings.

  1. Key issues or issue the North Tyneside Council want achieved from a digital method
  2. Is there a particular emphasis on the environment in the area if so do they wish for this method to help solved these issues?
  3. Who should this digital method be aimed at? Youth council member or general public?

2) Initial Client Meeting – Project Tyneside Council Youth & Environment

Stakeholders – First Client Meeting

Client Meeting 11/10/2017

Throughout the meeting we address a number questions and highlighted areas we need to further research. This will be done through a meeting with the direct client and youth council members. We have also outlined that secondary research such as previous council minutes, youth data for the local area and the comparison of North Tyneside council and others in the country that have been successful regarding similar issues would be beneficial. A key component that as a group we feel we now clearly understand who the stake holders ae and the level of importance within each of those.

Long Term Purpose:

  • Youth feeling apart of the council and the decisions made
  • UN Convention (children should be involved in decisions that impact them)
  • Engaging the youth in matter locally
  • North Tyneside leading the way for encouraging youth to be involved
  • Participating at younger age has long term benefits
  • Encourages involvement in other aspects of life (eg. Political)

Environmental Challenges:

  • The progress as be so far limited
  • Cleaner streets
  • Recycling issues
  • Physically looking after the street scape
  • Energy saving
  • Improving the area and how that reflects and improves self-image and pride of a community

Why are you doing this project?

  • Being youth ourselves we can engage on a better level and understand why those involved want to be heard with their concerns
  • Environment is an element in this council that is currently lacking but a major issue both locally, nationally and globally

What Stakeholders are in the brief?

  • North Tyneside Council
  • Mayor
  • Youth Council
  • Youth Mayor
  • The community

What collaborative exchanges are challenging for them currently?

  • Youth council is only presenting their ideas and concerns in basics forms such as hand drawn images therefore hard to convey this seriousness to the council

What do they want to solve together?

  • Yet to know will follow up directly after a meeting with the youth council directly

Short Term Goals (week 5)

  • Meet the youth council
  • Talk to Julia (direct contact for project)
  • Outline what digital method would be most effective
  • Find out the main issues that the youth council wants to the change. Find out if these changes would have to go to a planning process?
  • Address if we are aiming to provide a solution to one main issue or multiple

Long Term Goals (week 12)

  • Provide a digital method that allows young people to present their ideas or concerns in a way that adults will take the information seriously (eg. statistical evidence)
  • Ensure the youth council feels the method we design will be useful long term
  • Allow the digital method to be used to engage people in multiple issues that directly affect them within their council