They say it takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Continue this for another 3 months and this habit becomes a part of your lifestyle.
The world stood still. It's now three months into the lockdown. Is this stillness going to remain?
It all started during my time at Think Design as a design research intern. It was three months since the lockdown began, and the world slowly seemed to be getting acquainted with being remote.
The internship lasted from June to July 2020 and was split into two modules. During the first module, we were exposed to the various design research methods to get an understanding of when and how to use them in an everyday context.
Check out my interpretation of some design research methods in the Pokémon universe.
Research Area
During the second module, multiple groups of interns chose the problem area they wanted to focus on and we were paired with a mentor. I was mentored by Mr. Alipta Ballav, Experience Design Head at Cerner India, where we explored the area “Relationships 2.0 - A New Normal of Relationships”. I chose to explore the impact the pandemic has had on everyday relationships, and consequently how technology and virtual spaces post-pandemic are shaping these.
Serendipity and Collaboration ✨
My teammate, Khushboo Agarwal, during her time at Think Design, created a similar research report surrounding the theme - Entertainment 2.0.
What started as a casual conversation surrounding the conclusion of our individual internships, quickly turned to discussing our insights and thinking about the question “What can we do with this information?”
We found that both the research topics were closely linked, specifically in the area of wanting to look for meaning and connection. But how does one navigate this desire in times of uncertainty and lack of safety to step out?
Introducing
Pigeon - A platform to connect, create and collaborate
Being physically distant during quarantine, people have resorted to the digital world to facilitate connections. Increased screen time, and being away from one's friends and peers have led to an increased feeling of loneliness and anxiety among people who cannot interact with their social circles in the way they used to.
Pigeon aims to explore ways of facilitating social interactions between people through DIY activities safely during quarantine and while fostering social connections.
The users can:
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Connect with pen pals based on shared interests
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After connecting, are provided an array of activity kits through which they can start their journey of expression, or choose to opt for these kits to re-connect with themselves.
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Minimize screen time while maintaining social connection.
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Share their creations, and letters back to their pals and keep this exchange going while garnering more rewards.
Methodologies
Brainstorming, In-depth interviews, Document Research, Survey, Audio analysis, Trend Analysis, Affinity Mapping, Empathy Mapping, Persona, User Journey, IA, Workflows and Visual Design
Tools Used
PGoogle Survey, Google Trends, Meet, Jamboard, Miro, Adobe Illustrator, Figma
Timeline
June-Dec 2020
This is an ongoing project. Reach out to us for more details regarding the next phases.