Design Thinking– Action Lab –

Empathize and Define

EMPATHY MAP – STAKEHOLDER

• Helen (23 years) from Transylvania• Editor/desktop publisher at a small

publishing company for 8 months• BA degree in communication & PR

• Interviewed trough Facebook• Interview approx. length: 30 mins.• Interview language: Hungarian

EMPATHY MAP – HELEN - SAY• I would switch with pleasure after this half year• It's my first summer with an 8 hour job• most of the students don't realize how many opportunities and how much free

time they have during university years, only after it's over, than it's almost too late

• only a few are trying to think about how their life will be after university years, we think that we will be students at until the end of our lives, it's a big slap in the face when you have to work 8 hours a day

• I wanted to play it safe, I wanted to offer quality [...] in fields where I already wave experience [...] desktop publishing and journalism […] where after all I win

• I saw higher chances in preparing well for interviews, then sending everywhere custom CVs

• I applied to positions which had a description in Hungarian (her mother tongue), because it's easier for me to speak my mother tongue, other languages would be strenuous to speak

• (about the usefulness of university) there were subjects which if could offer me deeper knowledge, then I could use it, but even so , I knew where to find certain settings (referring to Adobe InDesign) […] so briefly: it was only marginally useful

• I would be able to do fully my job (even without an university degree), as I learned everything at work

• the university has only the role to spark my interest in design• If there was no university, I could have gone in a totally different direction• I had a month probation period, while they paid me with a small amount

EMPATHY MAP – HELEN - DO

• I have no do’s because this interview was made online, without field observation

HELEN – SAY (continued):

• They offered me a minimal training […] he showed me the basic things, the rest I had to ask during the 8 hours […] then I had an extra month when I could ask about anything (from the older colleague, who was in duty to train her) [...] but since that I find out, that the didn't show me always the best practice

• I edited my CV, not in a traditional, but in a way to reflect my capabilities, which were required

• I wrote a cover letter, even if they didn't asked for• I'm working for 9 months at a publishing company as an editor/desktop publisher• I was looking for a job for 4 months• I applied at around 5-6 positions […] on company websites I already knew,

recruitingwebsitename.tld, [...] by sending my resume in a PDF file on the e-mail address of the company, [...] by applying on URLs sent by friends

• I participated at 2 interviews (the one full time job I finally accepted, and another one, where they offered a half-time position

• I tried to prepare myself as much as I could • My financial expectation was that do now have to borrow money for anything

from my parents, and to be able to save a little

EMPATHY MAP – HELEN - THINK

• I'm thinking about P university (design BA) or B university ethnography, but I didn't decided yet

• while somebody is striving to ensure her everyday living, she can even think about master studies

• She is thinking about changing her job, if a better offer would be available• By getting hired, her expectation was to become a financially independent

person• She is convinced, that it's easier to thrive at a company, where employees talk

the same language as her mother tongue• University doesn't prepared her for the career, but helped to decide which path

to follow• She was aware of the success of the “less is more” strategy while she was

looking for a job• She admits that she was naive when she was a student => she's become a

mature adult

EMPATHY MAP – HELEN - FEEL

• It seems brutal to work during summertime• I miss the student life• I know that I will be able to cope (at work)• I'm persistent, I like to do my job well• I found a job in my field – I'm lucky from this perspective• It wasn't hard to find a job [...] but the time when I was looking for it seemed an

eternity• I don't have to ask for money, but I can't save either [...] I'm not satisfied with

this• She regrets that she didn't pursued as many opportunities she could during

university years• She’s afraid of speaking other language then her mother tongue on a daily basis

PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Helen, a persistent, hard working, BA degree holding desktop publisher, who is considering herself lucky to have a job and able to cope, needs a way to earn a more money because she wants to continue her studies with an MA degree, while she continue to work.

INSIGHTS

• She wants to continue her studies with an MA degree, while she continue to work

• She wants to take advantage of opportunities which occurs, while she’s having a full-time job

• She wants to keep her financial independence and to be paid according to her efforts she invests.