Generating support in a low-trust scenario
Graduate Investigation
Interaction Design, Design Research
North Carolina State University
2014
This investigation started with a basic question: how can design mediate relationships among people in a shared task?
The shared task in this investigation is supporting college students after the termination of a romantic relationship. Early research into the context of concerning student behaviors in University settings, we discovered that break-ups were often the source of mental and physical health issues. University counselors, students, housing directors, faculty, and behavioral case managers were all interviewed to gain insight into the network.
Through user and scenario research, it became clear that trust, self-identification, and varying points of direct and indirect communications affected interactions within the support network. If a student did not trust his/her network, the student would not reach out and therefore not receive necessary support. I concluded that a student’s trust and self-identification was dependent on past experiences and other external factors that a design intervention could not control. I decided to invert the system to engage University staff and faculty, with the goal to "catch" those students that did not seek support on their own accord.
My solution was a digital information portal and feedback space where faculty and staff could seek support if and when they noticed a concerning student behavior. By supporting staff and faculty, the system supports students who lack the trust and self-identification necessary to reach out for help.
Research methods:
Concept mapping
Mental model diagramming
Persona development
Scenario mapping
User experience mapping
User interviews of students, campus counselors, and behavioral student specialist, student housing director
Instructor: Meredith Davis
User research in collaboration with Jeri-lynn Gehr and Dennis Calloway
An early iteration of a student's journey through the system revealed the complexity of the network and the high frequency of indirection communication.
An early mapping of a student's journey who has low-trust and low self-identification. This scenario depends on indirect communication.
"It actually can be frustrating for a therapist when you see that clients maybe don’t have the best friends and they don’t have the healthiest support system, because as a therapist, that’s something you kind of rely on pretty heavily."
Kathleen, Pre-Doctoral Intern and Counselor, NCSU Counseling Services
A student's level of trust in his/her network and the degree to which he/she self-identifies with the situation can be visualized on an XY plane.
After conducting interviews with students, the Director of University Housing, and with licensed counselors in the student health center, a scenario map depicts touchpoints, the nature of the interaction and parties involved, as well as if technology is involved in the interaction.
Mental model diagramming helped align behaviors, beliefs, and emotions to better understand what was actually accomplished or not accomplished in the task.
The final iteration of the user journey illustrates the frequency of indirect communication between the student that is experiencing a break-up and his/her network, such as verbal cues, change in routine behavior, or social withdrawal.