Selecting a Problem

Senior Division Curriculum Selecting a Problem
  • Select a problem your team will solve
  • Learn what a problem statement is
  • Write a problem statement for your project

These are the activities for this lesson:

CHOOSING A PROBLEM

You’ve done a lot of brainstorming, researching, and thinking about problems in your community that are worth solving. Now it’s time to focus on just one problem to solve! If you still have not decided on a problem, it might help to have team members advocate for a particular problem and explain why they want to work on it.

girls working together

Best practices: You want your teams to understand the importance of problem selection and its impact on their projects. Have the team think about choosing a problem for Technovation like choosing a problem to work on for a science fair project. You might choose a topic you’re interested in or one that has a big impact. Selecting a problem involves finding something you care about and figuring out how to address it effectively.

If the team is struggling to pick one problem from their list, here are a couple options to try:

  • Give each team member one vote and them to vote on the shortlist of problems. The problem with the most votes is the one they should go with. 
  • Get the team to start brainstorming a solution for their top 2 problems. Whichever solution they seem the more invested in is likely the solution they should work on. They can keep the other conversations about the solution documented, because in case they get to a point where they want to switch they will have a starting place.
These videos will help students understand the process of selecting a problem to solve by providing practical examples and advice.

Always remind them that they can select one problem this year and work on another problem next year.

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

What are some factors you consider when choosing a problem to work on for a project or assignment?

How do you decide if a problem is worth solving or if it is too difficult?

Why is it important to choose a problem that interests you or is relevant to your goals?

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

ACTIVITY 1: CHOOSING A PROBLEM

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Decide on which problem to solve

List your top 2 or 3 problems on the worksheet with your team, and make a case for the problem you want to work on. Once everyone has expressed their thoughts, the team should come to a consensus on which problem they wish to solve.

Note: you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Girls working together on laptops

Now that you have an idea for your project, you can start working on your problem statement. A problem statement is a brief piece of writing that explains the problem that your team is addressing. 

Later, you will add your solution, but let’s stick to stating the problem for now.

It’s important to write the problem statement together as a team so that you all agree and remain focused on the problem as you move through the rest of the curriculum together.

Your problem statement should answer 4 key questions:

    1. What is the problem?

    2. Who does the problem affect?

    3. How does the problem affect them?

    4. Why is it important to solve?

Your problem statement will be a key part of your project description in your submission. It will also be useful when you outline and create your pitch video.

EXAMPLE: DISCARDIOUS BY TEAM CHARIS

Here is an example of a problem statement from a past Technovation Girls finalist team. Like their statement, your problem statement will become polished as you do research and build upon your idea (note that this is the original team’s statement -it has not been edited).

Calabar is densely populated and results show that 70% of individuals and businesses there store refuse (trash), 95% use open dumps and 65% dump their refuse into gutters. This effect has led to inefficient waste disposal and an unhygienic business and home environment. Business and homeowners have a tight schedule that prevents them from disposing their waste regularly and there are no frequent visit from waste disposal agencies. 

ACTIVITY 2: PROBLEM STATEMENT

Estimated time: 15 minutes

Write your problem statement

Answer the 4 questions on the worksheet to create a problem statement.

Note: you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

REFLECTION

Now that you’ve written your problem statement, you can refer back to it throughout your project.

It will be helpful as you create your business plan, code your app, and write the script for your pitch video.

You can also use it in your project description.

forest and lake reflection

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

  • Problem Statement –  a brief piece of writing that explains the problem that your team is addressing

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Here are more examples of problem statements from past Technovation teams. You will add your proposed solution once you come up with one!

Hover over the problem statement to view their pitch video.

ACE (AI Care for Elders) Problem Statement

In China, “left-behind elderlies” is a common phenomenon where elderlies in rural areas live alone, with their children working in urban cities. These elders are unable to connect with their families daily, especially in difficult times such as COVID, which exacerbates the feeling of isolation.

ACE (AI Care for Elders) Pitch

Aboat Time Problem Statement

Bengaluru’s lakes have been exponentially decreasing in quality since the 1980s, leading to lakes being reduced to mere dumping grounds for domestic and industrial wastes or open sewage.
This is a direct consequence of lack of sufficient information about lake health and real time monitoring of water quality.
Lake health can be especially hard to track over a period of time, since measuring water quality and testing chemical levels of the water is tedious and equipment is expensive.

Aboat Time Pitch

Mahila Problem Statement

There is an immense amount of stigma surrounding sexual and menstrual healthcare. This is especially prevalent in India because our ancient religious texts associate periods and intercourse with evil spirits and impurity. This belief has been internalized into Indian society, creating a taboo on conversations about menstrual care. This taboo causes a lot of mental distress for adolescents as they feel isolated while they are going through these changes.

Mahila Pitch

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girls with thumbs up

Identifying Solutions

Senior Division Curriculum Identifying Solutions
  • Brainstorm solutions to your problem with your team

These are the activities for this lesson:

SOLUTIONS

While you might come up with a completely new solution or technology for your Technovation project, you do not have to start from scratch! You can also:

  • Improve something that already exists
  • Reduce the cost of something that already exists
  • Apply an existing approach to a new situation
person climbing stairs to light bulb

Don’t forget that your Technovation project needs to be a mobile or web app.

As you generate ideas, keep that in the back of your mind.

POSSIBLE APP FEATURES

Collect data and raise awareness

by gathering data from sensors, people, AI, or websites. Sharing data educates users about the problem.

Motivate behavior change

through a reward system, games, or community sharing. Ultimately helps to solve the problem.

Build empathy

to cause your users to have a deeper understanding of the problem and want to take action.

Implement and track

so users take action on the problem and track their actions.

Logical Framework Methodology, 2011, Bellagio Principles on Valuing Water, 2017

IS TECHNOLOGY THE ANSWER?

Consider the problem: elderly people in the community are lonely and isolated.

Below are some examples of solutions – some with technology, but also some without. Hover over each box to see how technology can (or maybe cannot) help.

Solution

Help connect people in the community who want to volunteer to visit.

How to make it better with technology

Create an app where volunteers can sign up and schedule time with needy seniors in their community for visits.

Solution

Organize outings for seniors.
This can probably be done without technology

Solution

Help seniors keep in touch with family members.

How to make it better with technology

Organize weekly zoom chats with family members so they can talk and stay connected.

Solution

Start a community center for seniors in town.
No real way technology can improve this solution.

Solution

Create an online social group for the elderly.

How to make it better with technology

This could be a Facebook group or an app where seniors could make new friends and chat online with each other.

Solution

Organize a class to teach elderly how to use technology.

How to make it better with technology

The class can help seniors learn how to stay connected with family and others in the community if they know how to use their phone or computer to do so.

Solution

Start a club for young people to visit elderly people.
This can be done without the need for technology.

Solution

Detect mood of seniors to determine if they need a visit.

How to make it better with technology

Build an AI model that detects mood from what they are writing in a diary app. Detecting a sad or down mood could trigger a notification to a volunteer to visit.

As you can see, not all of the solutions you think of will be made better by creating a mobile app or using AI. Talking to elderly people in your community could lead you to a solution that works. For example, some technical solutions may not work if the target users aren’t comfortable using mobile apps or computer programs.

Are you ready to start brainstorming solutions?

elderly woman using smartphone

BRAINSTORMING

Just as you did to identify a problem to solve, you will now brainstorm possible solutions to your problem. You might already have some ideas in mind, but be open to all ideas at this point. 

Don’t forget these tips for good brainstorming:

  • Be sure to capture all ideas, even wild ones!
  • Defer all judgement on other people’s ideas, and on your own!
  • Build off each other’s ideas.
  • Be visual – you can draw instead of writing words.
  • One conversation at a time – don’t cut each other off.
  • Go for as many ideas as you can.
  • Stay focused.

Best practices: When your team is identifying solutions, use examples that show how solutions are found in real-world scenarios. For example, “Think about how you might solve a problem in your daily life, like fixing a leaky faucet. Identifying solutions involves brainstorming, evaluating options, and choosing the best one to address the issue.” Relating problem-solving to everyday activities helps students understand the practical steps involved.

The videos below should give you a better understanding of the steps to move your team through the ideation phase.

 

This video to the right covers 6 different ways that your team can brainstorm solutions. You can pick one of them or use another method that you know of.

Ensure teams are meaningfully thinking about to integrate technology to their solutions. They should think about when a person would use their solution in their day, whether it is an accessible way to address the problem, and if it will reduce or make more work for the user.

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

What steps do you take when you need to solve a problem, like fixing something or planning an event?

How do you decide which solution is the best when you have multiple options?

Why is it important to consider different solutions before making a decision?

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

ACTIVITY 1: BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Brainstorm ideas as a team

  1. Use paper, a wall with post-it notes, a chalkboard, or an online whiteboard like Jamboard, Ideaboardz.
  2. Write down the problem you are solving so everyone on the team can see it.
  3. Then, write down as many solutions as you can to the problem.
  4. After 10 minutes, review the ideas as a team. Group similar ideas together, or draw lines to link ideas. Talk as a team about the ideas, and choose the top solutions you like.
  5. If necessary, do a second round of brainstorming to generate more ideas. Stop when you have 2-3 good solutions.

ACTIVITY 2: CHOOSING A SOLUTION

Estimated time: 15 minutes

Choose the solution you want to build

Take your top solution ideas and use the worksheet checklist to determine if each solution is innovative, relevant, and uses technology. This can help you to decide which solution to build
Download worksheet

REFLECTION

Hopefully you have 1 or 2 potential solutions you can build for your Technovation project. If not, you can keep generating ideas with your team.

Your idea will probably change and improve as you go through this program. You might end up with an app that looks completely different from what you are envisioning now. Don’t worry, this is all a part of the ideation process!

Here are some things to reflect on

tree reflecting in lake
Which solution are you most excited by?
How is your solution innovative?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

App Gallery

You might want to check out what Technovation Girls teams have done in the past. Here are to the steps to find pitch videos from past Technovation Girls teams:

  • Visit the Technovation App Gallery
  • Choose a topic from the dropdown that matches the category your problem falls in
  • Filter by location, year, and division
  • Click Apply Filters

ChatGPT

Another exciting tool that can help you identify a problem is ChatpGPT, from OpenAI.

You can sign up for a free account that will give you enough free credit to work on your Technovation project.

Click the toggles below to see some examples prompts using ChatGPT for Technovation ideation.

Note that responses are AI-generated, so not necessarily factual or complete. Use of ChatGPT is recommended as another resource of many in the ideation process. It may help generate some some ideas your team can expand on and use as a launchpad for other ideas.

biodiversity chatgpt chat

biodiversity chatgpt chat

safe cities chatgpt chat

gender equality chatgpt chat

gender equality chatgpt chat

plastic pollution chatgpt chat

Another brainstorming technique is called problem mapping or mind mapping. You write the problem in the middle of a large sheet of paper and write down solution ideas around the problem. Connect similar or related solutions to combine them or spark new ideas.

problem mapping example with diabetes
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Market Research

Senior Division Curriculum Market Research
  • Learn who your target market is
  • Interview your target market to learn more about them
  • Use target market research findings to improve your idea
  • Research your competitors to learn how to stand out from them
  • Improve your idea based on competitor research

These are the activities for this lesson:

TALK TO YOUR USERS

Now that you have an idea for your project, you probably want to get started building it right away. But wait! Before you get started you have a little more work to do. Just because you think something is a great idea, it doesn’t necessarily mean that other people will think it is or that they will want to use it. 

Before you spend a lot of time and effort building your app, you should make sure that people will actually use it once it is ready

people in meeting

GATHER INFORMATION

About what or whom?

  1. your target market, also known as your users
  2. your competitors, the people or companies making similar apps
girls around computer

Why?

  • to help adjust your final solution
  • so more people will use it
  • make it more successful

Here are some questions you should be able to answer positively:

  • Will people use my product if I build it?
  • Are there enough people who will use my product to justify building it?
  • Will my product solve the problem I think it will?
  • What can I change about my idea to better meet my target market’s needs?

TARGET MARKET

target with arrow

So how do you figure out who your target market is? Start by thinking about who is affected by the problem you are solving.

Maybe you are solving a problem for teenage girls, elderly people, parents or someone else in your community.

If you get stuck, review your work from Week 1, Understanding your Community to recall who your users will be.

Can you identify the target market for these products? Click on the ? to reveal.

Barbie doll

Target Market

Children aged 3-12

meow mix cat food bag

Target Market

People who own cats

whatsapp chat window

Target Market

People who own smartphones

START YOUR USER RESEARCH

One excellent method for user research is to interview people who you think will use your product.

Best option – in person. It helps to hear their voice and see their reaction to your questions.

Better option – by phone or video call

Good option – email

To perform an interview, ask a series of questions.

 

two women talking

There are 2 different types of questions that you should ask: 

  1. About the problem you want to solve
    – does the target market have the problem you think they have?

     

  2. About the product you want to build
    – will they use your product?
    – does your product solve the problem you are trying to address?

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

Questions about the problem

  • Do you currently have this problem?
  • What do you do now to alleviate the problem?
  • Are you looking for a better or easier solution?

Questions about the product

  • Would you use this product if I made it?
  • Which features are the most important?
  • Would you pay for this product? How much? Or if “No”, why?
  • Does this remind you of something else that already exists?

INTERVIEW EXPERTS

In addition to your target market, you should also reach out to experts on the problem to help you understand the problem better. For example, if your project is about clean water, you could interview a local environment official or a non-governmental organization (NGO) who studies this issue. 

female scientist
Gathering answers to your questions will help you make sure that you are creating the best product possible. 

After each interview you should ask yourself, “How can I change my ideas based on what I just learned?”

SURVEYS

Surveys are a way to get answers from a lot of people quickly. In addition to your user interviews, you should also use surveys to get information.

There are 2 types of surveys you can use:

So, what do you ask in a survey? 

Just like your interviews, you should ask questions about both the problem and the solution.

But, you want to make the results easy to interpret. Instead of open-ended questions, use multiple-choice or scale questions. 

 

This saves time for the people taking the survey and will be easier for you to analyze.

 

 

Try to get AT LEAST 15 responses to your survey.

 

Here are some examples for each type of question.

Best practices: Use examples that illustrate the process of gathering and analyzing information about a market. For example, “Think about how companies research their target audience before launching a new product. Market research involves understanding customer needs, preferences, and trends to make informed decisions.” Relating market research to familiar scenarios makes the concept more accessible.

 

Analogy for students: Alright, imagine you’re organizing a huge school dance. You want to make sure it’s great, right? So, you start by doing some market research. This is like asking your classmates what kind of music they like, what snacks they prefer, and what themes they’re excited about. You might even survey different groups to get a broad perspective.

Once you gather this information, you analyze it to see common trends. Maybe you discover that everyone loves pop music and wants a glow-in-the-dark theme. Based on this research, you decide to hire a DJ who plays pop music, get some glow sticks, and decorate the venue with neon colors. This way, you’re making decisions that cater to what your classmates actually want, making the dance more enjoyable and successful.

 

In the business world, market research works the same way. Companies collect data about what customers want, what they like, and what they need. This helps them make informed decisions about their products, services, and marketing strategies. Just like your dance is more likely to be a hit when you cater to your friends’ preferences, businesses succeed when they align their offerings with customer desires.

pie chart with 6 sections all different colours outlining the market research process
Market Research Process. Source: In The Vine

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

 

What methods do you think companies use to gather information about their customers and competitors?

 

How can understanding customer needs and preferences help a business succeed?

 

What kind of information from your users do you think will help in the building of your app?

 

Why is it important to analyze market trends before making business decisions?

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

TECHNOVATION EXAMPLES

Below are examples of survey questions from past Technovation teams. Click the blue triangles on the left to read them.

Nutrie is a mobile app focusing on the health of Brazilian children, ages 6-12.
nutrie logo
  • My child is overweight or obese. (Yes, No)
  • I know families whose children are overweight or obese. (Yes, No)
  • I have talked to my children about childhood obesity. (Yes, No)
  • To your family, what is more difficult when it comes to healthy habits?
    • Avoiding candies, fried foods and canned foods
    • Having a selective taste for fruits and vegetables
    • Understanding the nutritional table of products
  • What importance would each of these features have for you and your child within our app? (1 – a little, 5 – a lot)
    • Quizzes about nutrition
    • A healthy habits checklist
    • An exclusive section for parents to check their child’s progress
    • Suggestions for parents to encourage their children’s healthy habits

MajiMaji is an app that links water suppliers to customers.


MajiMajji logo, water droplets
  • How often per week don’t you have access to piped water?
    • Unpredictable
    • 3-4 times a week
    • 1-2 times a week
    • Daily
  • When there is a water shortage in your area, what other means do you use to acquire the water?
    • Buy water from carts/wheelbarrows
    • Go to store water-access points (e.g. tank) and buy water physically
    • Water delivery service
    • Borehole
    • Use stored water
    • Stay with a friend who has water
  • Would you pay for the services our app provides? (Yes, No)
  • If a water delivery service existed, would you use it? (Yes, No, Maybe)

cultivAte raises user awareness about nutrition and environmental impact of ingredients in foods they buy.


cultivate logo
  • Do you read food labels when you shop?
    • Yes, often
    • No, never
    • Yes, sometimes
    • I don’t know
  • I read food labels when I shop because:
    • Allergies
    • Trying to lose weight
    • Young family members
    • On a specific diet
    • Religious restrictions
    • Sustainability choices
  • Do you think about how your diet affects the environment? (Yes, No)
  • I am concerned about what goes into my body and daily nutrition. (0 – not at all, 10 – very much)

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Once you get your survey results, you need to analyze them.

 

Did a majority of respondents say they would use your product?

 

What was the most common answer to each question?

 

Below are examples of what each team found from their surveys. Click the blue triangles on the left to read what they found.

Nutrie is a mobile app focusing on the health of Brazilian children, ages 6-12.


nutrie logo
  • 43 of 110 respondents said the hardest part of maintaining a healthy diet for children was convincing them to avoid candy, fried food, and canned food. 
  • Another 25 of 100 said their kids have a selective taste for fruits and vegetables.
  • 97.2% of respondents said they would download the app.
  • The most popular feature was suggestions for parents to encourage their children to develop health habits, followed by a healthy habits checklist.

MajiMaji is an app that links water suppliers to customers.


MajiMajji logo, water droplets
  • 54.9% of respondents are without access to piped water daily.
  • 21.4% of respondents have unpredictable access to piped water.
  • 82.5% of respondents would pay for the services the app provides.
  • 61.9% of respondents would use a water delivery app.
  • 26.9% would maybe use a water delivery app.
  • So, a majority of people surveyed need the app and would use and pay for the app.

cultivAte raises user awareness about nutrition and environmental impact of ingredients in foods they buy.


cultivate logo
  • 92% of respondents reported they read food ingredients when shopping, for various reasons, with the top being weight loss, allergies, and sustainability concerns. 
  • More than 60% of respondents said their concern about what goes into their bodies was 5 or higher.
  • 57.9% of respondents noted they think about how their diet affects the environment.

ACTIVITY 1: USER RESEARCH

Estimated time: 90 minutes
(including interviews)

Learn about your target market

Follow the worksheet instructions to:
  • Develop interview questions and then interview at least 2 people about your idea.
  • Develop survey questions and a plan to distribute the surveys.
Note: you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

Thinking ahead to your business plan or user adoption plan, you can turn your survey information into an infographic (a visual representation of data). 

Some online tools to explore:

COMPETITOR RESEARCH

two female basketball players on court

Competitor research will help you understand what type of companies already exist that are solving the same problem as you. You want your target market to use your product instead of using something else. In order to get them to use your app, you will have to  offer a unique, cheaper, or better alternative to what already exists.

 

Remember – your competitor might not be an app or it might not even use technology!

Can you guess the competitors for these products? Hover over each flip card to reveal some competitors.

instagram logo

Instagram

Competitors

Facebook, Snapchat
amazon kindle device

Kindle

Competitors

Books, libraries,
magazines
uber app

Uber

Competitors

Taxis, buses,
public transport,
bike sharing

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Here are some questions that you can answer with your competitor analysis. 

How does their solution work?

What problem does it solve?

Who is their target market?

What is special about their solution?

What can you learn from their solution?

What is missing from their solution that you can include in yours?

What isn’t working?

ACTIVITY 2: Competitor Research

Estimated time: 60 minutes

Follow the instructions in the worksheet

  • Find at least 3 other companies or organizations who are solving your problem.
  • Find out more information and compare their features to your solution.
Download worksheet

REFLECTION

Congratulations on doing your competitor and user research!

 

It is okay to change your idea based on what you’ve learned. As you develop your product, continue researching to ensure you are making the best product possible! Here are some questions to ask yourselves:

reflection on beach
How will you change your idea based on what you learned from your users?
How will you stand out from your competitors?

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

  • Target market – the people who will use your product
  • Competitor Research – gathering information about the people or companies making things similar to your product
  • Survey – asking a group of people questions either with paper or an online form

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn how other Technovation Girls did user research for their projects!

Technovation alumnae discuss how they connected with end users in this video clip(5:30 min).

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Minimum Viable Product

Senior Division Curriculum Minimum Viable Product
  • Learn what a minimum viable product is and why it is important
  • Choose the most important features of your project to build first

These are the activities for this lesson:

MVP

Now that you have an idea for your project and a problem statement, you might want to start building right away. But hold on! You can save a lot of time by planning.

Your project should be a minimum viable product. A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product, in this case your app, that has just enough features to get the job done and can be tested with users so that improvements can be made later.

It is better to create a prototype that does one or two things really well, than to try to create something that can do everything. 

prototype example

Here is an example. Imagine your friend tells you that she always wakes up late and is late to school. You create an app for her that has a bunch of cool features.

Start simple! You don’t need to build everything right away!

PRIORITIZE

Creating a solution that does just one or two things really well will help you solve your problem and create something that your users like.

You only have a few weeks to make your project for Technovation Girls, so it is important to use that time wisely. You need to prioritize different features of your project, which means to order them from most important to least important.

Then, work on the most important features first. Get them working really well, and, if you have time, add more features. These will be your future features.

priorities list

WHICH FEATURES ARE MOST IMPORTANT?

You might have a long list of features you want your app to do. 

Start by listing all the features you want in your app.

Which of these features really solves the problem?

Which features were requested by our users?

  • Review your problem statement from Unit 2.
  • Review your user research from Unit 3.
  • Ask your target audience to weigh in.

Best practices: The best way to think about Minimum Viable Product: imagine you want to build a new type of toy. Instead of making the whole toy with all its features, you first make a basic version to test if kids like it. This basic version is called the Minimum Viable Product. It helps you see if your idea is good before you spend a lot of time and money making a lot of toys.

Your teams should pick 1-2 defining features of their solution plus the basic components that make it a functional app. Those things together make up their MVP. Here is another video explaining the concept of MVP.

Tip for coding: the first feature they build should be one of the features from their MVP!

2 flowchart style diagrams where one starts with a pair of wheels and the other with a bicycle both end in a truck
Source: Medium

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

What is the Minimum Viable Product, and why do you think it’s important to create one before making a complete product?

Can you think of a product that started with just a basic version? How did that help the creators?

How would making a simple version of your project first help you learn more about what people want?

What features make your solution stand out from competitors and will make people want to use your project?

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

ACTIVITY: PLAN YOUR MVP

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Prioritize your app features

Follow the instructions in the workhseet to:
  1. Brainstorm a list of features for your project.
  2. Break down big ideas to smaller features.
  3. Prioritize those features to focus on first 2-3 for your project.
Note: You can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

REFLECTION

Your MVP is just your first prototype.

You can always iterate on it to make it better, even after the Technovation Girls season is over!

ball with reflection of houses in it
Did you and your team struggle to prioritize the best features for your project? Why or why not?
How did you compromise on your favorite features versus the best features to solve your problem?
Don't forget to get user feedback on your priority list!

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

  • Prioritizing – figuring out what the most important parts of your product are, and working on those first
  • Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – a product that has just enough features to get the job done and test with users so that improvements can be made later
  • Future Features – features that may be added once the first prototype of your product is finished

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Want more information about MVPs? Check out this great article from adc Calculator!

And learn how past Technovation participants Meghana and Saanvi decided on their MVP for their project in the video below. (3 minute clip of longer video)

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Paper Prototypes

Senior Division Curriculum Paper Prototypes
  • Learn about standard user interface practices
  • Create a paper prototype of your app
  • Get user feedback using your prototype

These are the activities for this lesson:

PROTOTYPING

Now that you have an idea for your minimum viable product, it’s time to think about what your project will look like and sketch out some ideas.

A prototype is an early model of something.

App developers generally make a paper prototype of their app before they start coding. 

A paper prototype is a hand-drawn representation of what the user interface of your app will look like. It typically includes drawings of each screen in your app, depicting different states.

paper prototype of app screens

WHY PROTOTYPE?

  • You can quickly communicate your ideas visually.
  • It's collaborative!
  • When you work on paper, it’s more casual and conversations spring out of experimentation.
  • It's inexpensive!
  • You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money
  • You don’t need access to a computer or the Internet.
  • You don’t have to be a technical expert for this part of the process.
  • You can see how your users react to your prototype to quickly learn what may or may not work in your design.
  • Design decisions can be confirmed before you spend time developing and coding your app.

Learn how other Technovation Girls teams created paper and digital prototypes in this video!

Best practices: When introducing students to paper and cardboard prototypes, emphasize the importance of starting with simple, low-cost models to test ideas. For instance, “Paper and cardboard prototypes are like rough drafts for your design. They help you see how your idea looks and works before you make a final version. These simple models let you quickly make changes and figure out what works best.”

The paper prototype can be used to get feedback from potential users (ie. family members, other Mentors, friends, community members, etc.). This feedback can part of the feedback included in the final submission materials.

The following videos will show an example of prototyping project with accompanying hardware (on the left) and the process of testing with a paper prototype (on the right).

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

Why is it useful to create a simple prototype with paper or cardboard before making a final product?

How can making a paper or cardboard model help you improve your design?

What are some things you might learn from testing a paper prototype that you wouldn’t know otherwise? 

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

PROTOTYPE ELEMENTS

Keep these things in mind as you start your paper prototype. Hover over each card to learn more.

Users

Users

Keep the user at the forefront of your design! The app should be simple, and easy to use.

Device Types

Device Types

How will your app look on an iPhone vs Android?
Phone vs tablet?

Accessibility

Accessibility

Keep accessibility in mind for the 15% of the world's population who have some sort of disability. Click here to learn more.

Consistency

Consistency

Make your screen layouts the same so your user knows what to expect between screens.

USER INTERFACE

Making your prototype is all about how the user interacts with your app. The term for this is the User Interface or UI. It includes all the elements like buttons, textboxes, and sliders that allow the user to use your app.

Another term for designing digital products is User Experience or UX.  Each one is explained below.

User Interface

How users interact with your app. It includes all the elements like buttons, text boxes, and sliders that allow the user to use your app.

UI design focuses on making your app visually appealing, intuitive, and easy to use.

User Experience

How users experience your app. It includes UI, but is more about the emotions, attitudes and behavior of users.

UX design is all about the user's needs and goals, and enhancing their overall experience.

USER INTERFACE FEATURES

Below are some of the key parts of a user interface for a mobile app

NAVIGATION

Navigation is how users find what they are looking for in an app. Here are a few examples of navigation options.

Full screen menu
Full screen menu
top menu in app
Tabs at top of this music app
Icons displayed at bottom of screen
Icons displayed at bottom of screen
Hamburger menu (3 lines top left), pops menu out
Hamburger menu (3 lines top left), pops menu out
Action buttons, like the + button in this list app
Action buttons, like the + button in this list app

CONTAINER

These components allow you to group content together. It helps when laying out parts of the screen, and hiding and showing parts.

Tabs show different content depending on selection
Tabs show different content depending on selection
Accordions stack information and hide/show content too
Accordions stack information and hide/show content too
Add content together in one box, like this video and label
Add content together in one box, like this video and label

INPUT

Input components allow the user to input information into the app. Below are a few examples.

Tabs show different content depending on selection
Tabs show different content depending on selection
Accordions stack information and hide/show content too
Accordions stack information and hide/show content too
Add content together in one box, like this video and label
Add content together in one box, like this video and label

INFORMATION

These components allow the app to share information with users.

Labels and images convey information
Labels and images convey information
Dialog boxes
Dialog boxes
Messaging and chat boxes
Messaging and chat boxes
Text to speech talks to the user
Text to speech talks to the user

USE STANDARD ELEMENTS

You might want your app to look different to stand out from your competitors. However, using the standard elements can actually help your users understand how to use your app more quickly.

For instance, most users are familiar with a dropdown menu. You could design a new type of menu, but it might be confusing to users. Stick with familiar components to make it easy for your users.

STOP & TRY

  1. Download a new app from the app store right now. 
  2. If you need inspiration, try AllTrails (iOS or Android) or Blinkist (iOS or Android) 
  3. Which components mentioned above does it use? 
  4. Try using the app for around 5 minutes. 
  5. How long did it take you to figure out how to use it?

Check out this short video with Melissa Powel and Mariam Shaikh from Google on sketching and paper prototyping

ACTIVITY 1: PAPER PROTOTYPE

Estimated time: 60 minutes

Sketch out the screens for your app

Design the features from your MVP worksheet from Unit 4. Remember to consider:
  • How will users navigate from screen to screen?
  • How will they input information needed for the app?
  • How will information be displayed?
  • How will it be laid out in an aesthetically pleasing way?
  • Think about color scheme, font, logo
Note you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

GET FEEDBACK

Now that you have something physical to represent your solution, it’s time to get some user feedback!

Potential users need to try it out and give you some honest feedback.

What do you want to learn from testing with users? 

One method:

  • Give the users a set of tasks to do with your app and see if they can do it without your intervention. 
  • One team member can act as the “computer” 
    • changes screens or parts of screens based on the user interactions
  • Another team member is the note taker
    • writes down what the user does and their comments and reactions.
  • With permission, you could also record the testing session. 
prototype example

Remember, your testers are there to help you! Do not judge or intervene in their interactions (other than the “computer” responding/updating the prototype based on actions).

Just receive their feedback with appreciation.

Here is a great example of user testing for a bike repair shop app.

ACTIVITY 2: GET FEEDBACK

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Test your paper prototype with 2-3 users

  1. Show the prototype to the users.
  2. Ask the users to perform a task with the prototype.
  3. Let them try to do the task without help.
  4. A team member can act as the "computer" and react to their actions.
  5. Another team member (or two) takes notes of what the users do, their comments and reactions.

REFLECTION

We recommend that you save your paper prototype. You will need to refer back to it as you work through building your project. You should also take pictures of your prototype.

prototype on phone and on paper
Did you uncover any features that are not necessary for the minimum viable product?
Did you receive any useful feedback from users?
Do you need to change anything in your app as a result of the feedback?

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

  • Prototype – an early model of a product
  • Paper Prototype –  a hand-drawn representation of what your app will look like
  • User Interface (UI) –  how the user physically interacts with a mobile app
  • User Experience (UX) – how the user feels about a mobile app, before, during, and after they use it

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

While paper is the preferred method for prototyping, especially as a first step, you can also use digital tools to prototype your app.

Many tools exist at a price, but there usually is a free version you can use with limited features or projects. Here are a few possibilities.

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Planning your Project

Senior Division Curriculum Planning your Project
  • Create a project canvas
  • Set a timeline and a plan for your project

These are the activities for this lesson:

PLANNING TIPS

It’s time to outline your plan for the remainder of the project. It will help you stay organized and be successful in completing your project. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you make your plan.

calendar
  • Assign tasks to team members
  • Set deadlines and goal reminders on your calendars
  • If you are following the 12-week curriculum, leave at least 5 weeks to code your app

team icon

  • Divide the tasks among team members
  • Have everyone on the team work together in pairs and tackle different tasks at the same time. This will move the project along faster.

priorities list

  • Get your MVP working first
  • Focus on the aesthetics later
  • You can always add more features if you have time.
  • Ask your mentor if you need help with prioritizing
magnifying glass
  • Finish one task before you move on to the next. Multitasking doesn’t usually save time.
  • Turn off all devices you are not actively using during your team meeting and your coding time
  • Mute notifications while working
file and pencil
  • Document your process
  • Save everything (back up)
    • Save each version of your app as you build it and add more features
    • If something stops working, you can always go back to the last working version
All your documentation will be useful when putting together the final materials for submission.

Best practices: Emphasize the importance of organizing and setting goals. For example, “Planning your project is like making a map before a trip. You need to decide where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll need along the way. By making a plan, you can stay on track and make sure you reach your goal.”

In addition to the tips listed above, look at the submission guidelines with your team to help determine what is left to accomplish. Work backwards from the submission materials, making a list of the tasks that need to be completed for each submission requirement.

Pro tip: In your plan, include when you can plan to submit different submission materials. Your team can submit parts of your submission one piece at a time, they do not need to wait to upload it all at once.

Guiding Questions to ask students: 

What are the main steps you need to take when planning a project?

How can making a detailed plan help you avoid problems during your project?

What are some tools or methods you can use to organize your project tasks and goals?

Mentor tips are provided by support from AmeriCorps.

stylized A, AmeriCorps logo in navy

PROJECT CANVAS

A project canvas is a tool that will help you and your team organize your work and get ready to submit to Technovation Girls. Here are the parts of the canvas.

project canvas worksheet

Restate your problem statement and proposed solution here. You completed those in units 2 and 3. Keep this short and to the point.

List all your team members here. You can include your mentor too.

Milestones are the significant events in the project. They help to divide the project into smaller, manageable chunks. Technovation has a list of suggested milestones to help you. For example, one milestone is your paper  prototype, so congratulations, you've got that done! You can use the suggested milestones or use your own.

This provides a timeline, or schedule, to keep the team on track.

  • List out the activities or tasks for each milestone. There will likely be multiple actions to complete for each milestone.  
  • Assign team members to each task.
  • Define due dates for each task . 

Stakeholders are people or organizations who are affected by your project.  Your target users are stakeholders, but there might be other people or organizations  affected by your project. Consider who else is interested in the problem you are solving, and how they may be helpful to you, or you helpful to them.

This box follows on Stakeholders, and there can be some overlap. 

  • What other groups, organizations, or companies are working on your problem? 
  • Do they have particular skills or knowledge about the issue that can help you? 
  • Can you work together to solve the problem? They might have some work in progress that your project can push forward. 

Hint: Use your partner list from the previous lesson here.

What will your team need to accomplish its goals? This can be knowledge, skills, or materials, like laptops and wifi. List out everything you will need to complete your project.

ACTIVITY: PROJECT CANVAS

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Make a Project Plan

Follow the instructions in the worksheet to:

  1. Fill in each of the boxes to define the major parts of your project.
  2. Generate a list of actions your team must complete for your project.


Note you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

REFLECTION

Now that you have your Project Canvas, do your best to stick to it.

You can always change parts of your project idea or the problem you are solving, but don’t completely start over.

check list
As you made your project canvas, what was easy to plan?
What parts were difficult to plan?
Why do you think certain parts were harder to plan than others?

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

  • Project Canvas – a tool that will help you and your team organize your  work
  • Timeline – a schedule that will help you finish your project
  • Milestone – a significant event in a project, dividing the project into manageable parts
  • Stakeholders – a person or organization with an interest or concern in something, often a business

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you want more detail on Project Canvas, which inspired this lesson, check out their Manual.

Learn how past Technovation participants prioritized features and planned their projects in this 3 minute clip from a longer video.

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Positive Impact

Senior Division Curriculum Positive Impact
  • Consider the ethics of technology and AI
  • Make sure your app will have a positive impact on its stakeholders

These are the activities for this lesson:

ETHICS AND ACTIONS

What is Ethics?

 
  • Moral principles about what is right and wrong
  • Important in the world of technology and AI
  • You do not want to cause harm, even if by accident
  • Your project must help people and society

What is Algorithmic Bias?

  • Where programmer causes their program to treat some users better than others
  • or the AI model is trained without using diverse samples
  • Creating unfair outcomes for some users
  • It may not be intentional but can still affect users negatively

Check out this video to learn more about algorithmic bias.

TECHNOLOGY'S NEGATIVE IMPACT

We all use technology every day and are often unaware of what that technology is actually doing – how we are reacting to it, what it is doing to our psyche.

In October, 2021, it was revealed that Facebook (now Meta), through its own research, was aware of the harm it was causing to some of its users, yet did nothing to fix the situation.

“Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram (owned by Facebook) made them feel worse,” the researchers reportedly wrote. Facebook also reportedly found that 14% of boys in the U.S. said Instagram made them feel worse about themselves.

Wall Street Journal - the Facebook Files

DO NO HARM

Following the Wall Street Journal article, Facebook whistleblowers have provided further information that:

  • Facebook promoted disinformation
  • ignored hate speech and illegal activity from certain users. 

Software companies such as Facebook are so influential around the world and have a responsibility to make sure their software does no harm.

While you are just starting out and do not have the reach of Facebook or Instagram, you still need to think carefully about who will use your product and how they might be affected by it.

Pledge to make sure your project has only a positive impact!

girl pledging
Pledge icons created by Leremy - Flaticon

STAKEHOLDERS

As you develop your project, you need to consider your stakeholders. 

Stakeholders are people or entities that are affected by decisions or actions taken by your project. 

Direct Stakeholders

  • your users

Indirect Stakeholders

  • people or organizations that may be affected by your technology, but not necessarily directly. 
tik tok logo

For example, TikTok’s users are its direct stakeholders.

But it has some indirect stakeholders, such as:

  • music artists whose music is played on TikTok
  • Influencers who benefit from being on TikTok
  • Schools, because students are influenced by what they view on TikTok

This video explains stakeholders in more detail, as well as other key points for making ethical technology.

Here are some things to think about as you develop your app. 

  • Does your app collect user data? 
  • Do your users know it? 
  • Do you have permission to collect the data? 
  • What steps are you taking to keep their data private? 
  • Is the advice or information you provide in your app accurate? 
  • How do you know?
developing a mobile app for good infographic

APP EXAMPLE

Imagine a mobile app called the Weed Detector that predicts if a plant is a weed or not. Let’s step through what you would consider regarding ethics with the Weed Detector app.

Make sure the dataset is representative of the objects being classified.

Desert weed
Desert weed
water weed
Water weed

Data should reflect the population on which the app is being used. If your data has bias, the AI model used in the app might make mistakes.

What if the dataset only contains images of weeds found in the desert?

 If we use the app on plants found near water, it probably won’t work, because it wasn’t trained using images of those types of plants.

The app has a bias for desert plants!

Think about each decision you will code your app to make.

Are there any decisions it could make that you did not originally intend? 

What if the Weed Detector identifies a tomato plant as a weed? That could negatively impact people who were planning to eat it and insects in the garden.

Can you tell which of these plants is a weed? What would you do if you weren’t sure?

six different plants, some weeds

small cottage with gardenMaybe the app collects data about the locations of peoples’ homes when they use the app in their garden. It might share sensitive information about the location of peoples’ homes – that is a problem!

The information your app shares must be carefully considered.  Users should trust your project to respect their information and not misuse it. How would you feel if a stranger somehow knew your secrets?

As developers, we bear responsibility for how our technology interacts with people and we should always be mindful of the potential impact our inventions can have.

ACTIVITY: ETHICAL JOURNEY

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Ensure your app has only positive impact

Follow the instructions in the worksheet to:

  1. Identify who your stakeholders are, both direct and indirect.
  2. Follow the flowchart of questions, and check that you are doing everything you can to make your project have only positive impact.
Note you can make a copy of the worksheet and edit as needed.
Open worksheet

REFLECTION

Now that you have learned more about ethics and your part in making sure your project has only positive impact, consider these questions:

person standing near water and reflection
What have you learned about technology and ethics that has surprised you?
Do you look at any of the technologies you use every day differently now?
What part can you play in making technology more ethical?

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

    • Ethics –  set of moral principles that affect how people decide what’s right or wrong
    • Bias – preconceived ideas somebody has that are often unfair to some people or groups
    • Stakeholders – people or entities that will affect or be affected by decision or actions take by an organization or business

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Here are more videos on ethics and positive impact in technology.

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