RESEARCHABLE QUESTION

How can a long term goal management system embedded within a calendar help twenty-somethings entering the workforce reflect on the quality of their time commitments?Sub Question 1:

How do young professionals use

timekeepers to foster feelings, thoughts,

or behaviors to aid long term goal

management?

Addressed through the following

studies: Interviews & Audience

Also relating to:

• Time management behaviors & habits

• Long & short term goal management

behaviors & habits

• Use of timekeepers

• Needs and Pressures of twenty

something entering the workforce

Sub Question 2:

How do current management tools allow for

reflection on the quality of time commitments

and their relationship to long term goals?

Addressed through the following

studies: Taxonomy & Audit

Sub Question 3:

How can the functions of the system aid

the identification of past commitments,

utilization of current commitments, and

planning of future commitments to support

an individual’s long term goals?

Addressed through the following

study: Functions

Sub Question 4:

How can a series of provocations create

continuous inquiry, clarification, and

adjustment of long term goals?

Addressed through the following

study: Scenarios

Also relating to:

• Digital and Analog Provocations

• Participatory Games

• Direct Reminders

• Indirect Reminders

Kinds of Timekeepers

TAxONOmy

TAxONOmy

Qualities of Timekeepers

TAxONOmy

Form/Media/Portal

Digital Devices

• Electronic Devices

• Computers

Analog Devices

• Simple Machine

• Apparatus with 2-3 physical

parts

Paper Based

• Blank Paper

• Structured Paper

Environmental

• Celestial

• Man-made

Experiential

• Internal

• Biological

• Societal

Structure

Arranged according to clusters of

related material

• List

• List Ordered by Priority

• List Ordered by time

• List with Sub-lists

• Narratives

Arranged according to

societal agreements

• Hours in One Day View

• Days in Week View

• Month View

• Year View

Arranged according to rhythms

• Linear sequences

• Repeated Cycles

Content

Domains

• Personal time

• Work time

• Community time

Items

• Images

• Icons/Symbols

• Text

• Color

• Numbers

• Notes

• Handwritten Notes

Events

• Stopping Points

• Milestones/Goals

• Past Events

• Future Events

• Holidays

Actions

• Sharing

• Reminding/Alerting

• Synchronizing

• Archiving

• Progressing (in out up down

deeper shallower etc)

• Changing/Transforming

• Importing/Inputting/Exporting

• Tagging/Marking/Recording

• Clustering/Chunking/

Sequencing

• Presenting/Performing

• Emphasizing/ Creating

Hierarchy

• Separating

• Layering/Embedding

• Duplicating

States

• Mobile/In Situ

• Temporary/Permanent

• Sensorial/Cognitive

• Micro/Macro

• Single/Dual/Many

• Intimate/Public

• Active/Static

• Complex/Simple

Variables of Timekeepers & Time Managers

PICKING BRAINS & PLAyING GAmES

Interview Process workbookS

gAMeS

order oF Meeting CAll For PArtiCiPAntS

Intro (2 min)

Begin audio recording

Card Sorting (7 min)

Take Photo

Questions: Rely, Bother, Enjoy,

etc. (8 min)

(Optional: Video Matrix)

Four Principles (10 min)

(Optional: Mad Libs)

Timekeeper Log (3 min)

PICKING BRAINS & PLAyING GAmES

Interview Highlights

Accountability & Sharing

(04) Reminders and accountability plays an important role in

organization

(05) Principle: “I wish I didn’t push off tasks, like cleaning the apt,

until the last minute when people come visit” (Wish)

(06) Created system for long term goals which used scheduled

and unscheduled/sequential benchmarks and rewards such as

attending concert, going on date with friend

(06) Shared calendars with coworkers can motivate and suggest to

act or relax

(07) Used to rely on others to meet deadlines, enjoyed working in

team environment

(04) Added “Other People” to card sorting items

as a “time organizer”

(02) Meals become a time stamp, allow collective behavior

reflective Practices

(05) Uses sketchbook for everyday to do’s (place to reflect and

prepare, makes timeline and benchmarks through drawings)

(04) Long term and personal goals have bearing on everyday

activity (transcend all organizers)

(01) Diary’s offer reminders we don’t expect

(08) Used vision board to allow subtle visual cues of long term

goals, purpose was around daily transformations

(08) Being reminded of long term goals could be overwhelming

(09) Uses personal narrative to organize main (theme) or motivation

of year and now week in digital to-do’s

Crazy Combo/Science

Everyone has their own unique combo of methods & flow

Skills/habits seem to develop/refine as there is a need

Interview 01 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: DesignerIndustry: Computer SystemsAge: 21-24

Interview 02 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Student, Customer ServiceIndustry: Textiles, Entertainment EventsAge: 25-28

Interview 03 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Administration, Cashier Industry: Consignment, Novelty FoodAge: 21-24

Interview 04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Landscape Architect, University AssistantIndustry: Urban Planning, AcademiaAge: 25-28

Interview 05 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: DesignerIndustry: Computer SoftwareAge: 25-28

Interview 06 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Community OrganizerIndustry: Non-profit, Communications, EducationAge: 29-32

Interview 07 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Bartender, Freelance Designer/ArtistIndustry: Novelty Beverage, DesignAge: 25-28

Interview 08 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Occupation: Student, Cofounder Multimedia CommunicationsIndustry: Documentary Studies, Communications & Production Age: 25-28

Interview 09 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Occupation: Cofounder Design CompanyIndustry: DesignAge: 29-32

PICKING BRAINS & PLAyING GAmES

Interview ResultsInterview 08 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Occupation: Student, Cofounder Multimedia Communications CompanyIndustry: Documentary Studies, Communications & ProductionAge: 25-28

Rely:Smart PhoneDigital CalEmailComposition Book (to-dos, scripts etc)

Enjoy:(blank)

Bother:Smart Phone, Email (convenient but constant)Tablet (Phone has everything)

Principle:Respond to voicemail the same day (Actual)Find more social space to work and not play (Wish)

Interview 09 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Occupation: Cofounder Design CompanyIndustry: DesignAge: 29-32

Rely:Digital To-Do ToolDigital CalI phone

Enjoy:SeasonsMealtimesDigital To-Do Tool (Everything captured)

Bother:Paper (loose information)E-mail, I phone (Interruptions)

Principle:Focus on momentum, perfection will take care of itself (Actual)Every year has a slow period where I can explore for 30 days (Wish)

Interview 06 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Occupation: Community OrganizerIndustry: Non-profit, Communications, EducationAge: 29-32

Rely:Smart Phone I phone Digital cal (Encouraged by seeing coworkers schedules)

Enjoy:Seasons (wants to be more connected to seasons)

Bother:Sticky Notes (looses information)

Principle:Identify your priorities so that when someone comes with their own, you can say “hmm, that matches/doesn’t match with mine” (Actual)Leave work at 5 pm or earlier everyday! (Wish)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewers Notes:• Seasons dictate job activity• Personal e-mail and work e-mail kept separate• Created system for long term goals which

used scheduled and unscheduled/sequential benchmarks and rewards

• Shared calendars can motivate and suggest to act or relax

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewers Notes:• Conversations help to determine long term goals

to see if words are matching with thoughts• Used vision board to allow subtle visual cues

of long term goals, purpose was around daily transformations

• Being reminded of long term goals could be overwhelming

• Long term goals don’t have deadlines• Vision board acted as ongoing personal inquiry

and reminder

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interviewers Notes:• Paper creates an extra step• Personal narrative to organize motivation of year,

of week • Manage long term goals by the following:

1. What do you want to spend your time doing? 2. Know yourself, what conditions will make that work? ie: food, music, interruptions 3. Design the conditions, and put them in place

• Pacing in long term goals is important like training for a marathon, you build up to it

NEW IDEAS

what is a long term goal?

Does a long term goal exist or is it only a series of significant moments?

How do we “collect” our long term goals?

How do those goals get clarified, processed, and acted upon?

How can what i design help people with their long term goals?

How can a system help a person collect, process, organize, review, and make

decisions based on options (Getting Things Done Framework)

How can a system help people who are willing and ready to reflect how they

want to spend their time develop or construct the conditions by which that is

possible? (Matt Munoz)

NEW IDEAS

NEW IDEAS

How can i design a series of provocations which keep a long term

goal relevant?

How can the engagement in games, reminders, and conversations cause a

person to continuously clarify a long term goal?

How can a series of provocations keep the record of long term goal relevant to

the person’s actual desires?

How might digital and analog provocations produce different types of reflection

and consideration of long term goals?

what would it look like for provocations incorporate conversation and

accountability with others?

How can a conversation change the way we understand our long term goals?

How can my provocations involve other people in order to monitor and aid the

progression or clarification of a long term goal?

NEW IDEAS

How can a long term goal influence a calendar?

How can organizing a calendar according to a long term goal provide a

different reading of a calendar?

If a long term goal is thought of as a theme, how can the idea of a theme

influence the story we read when we see our calendar?

How might events in a calendar help clarify, negate or affirm a long term goal?

NEW IDEAS

PLAN OF ACTION

AuditSub Question 2:

How do current management tools allow for reflection on the quality of time

commitments and their relationship to long term goals?

1. develop criteria by which precedent will be assessed.

Framework?

1. Audit of existing long term goal sites & task manager tools

What tools are relevant? Form of presentation?

1. write 2 paragraph conclusion statement outlining areas

for improvement

long terM goAl MAnAgeMent toolS

eVerYdAY tASk MAnAgeMent toolS

PLAN OF ACTION

AudienceSub Question 1:

How do young professionals use timekeepers to foster feelings, thoughts, or

behaviors to aid long term goal management?

1. Assess & add to bibliography to support description of audience

What in my current bibliography describes this audience?

What do I need to support what I am doing

2. Createprofile/outlineofaudience

Could this be partly compiled through interview findings?

Presented by... Concept map?

CHAnging workPlACe SHiFt in VAlUeS

YoUng ProFeSSionAlS PreSSUre oF knowledge MAnAgeMent

Deloitte, Mass Career Customization

TIME Magazine, Business Review, 2007

GTD The Workflow Map, David Allen

“ Now along come the 76 million members of Generation Y. For these new 20-something workers, the line between work and home doesn’t really exist. They just want to spend their time in meaningful and useful ways, no matter where they are.”

FunctionsSub Question 3:

How can the functions of the system aid the identification of past

commitments, utilization of current commitments, and planning of future

commitments to support an individual’s long term goals?

1. Compile list of functions/affordances

Create function list response to criteria from audit, areas of improvement

from audit, as well as feedback from first round of interviews.

2. identify most important functions through affinity diagramming

Affinity exercises should be done individually and along side of audience

interviewees

3. narrow the list of functions to three sets of functions

Each of the three sets should vary in their approach or purpose

PLAN OF ACTION

ScenariosSub Question 4:

How can a series of provocations create continuous inquiry, clarification, and

adjustment of long term goals?

1. Storyboard 3 scenarios from the 3 sets of functions, hand drawn

2. Present & Receive Critique from advisors

3. Combine best parts of 3 scenarios into one. Redraw

4. Present & Receive Critique from 5-7 audience interviewees and peers

through conversational meetings

5. Produce a 5-7 min. time based narrative displaying combined scenario

6. Publish online and ask for feedback from advisors and peers

7. Refine & Adjust Scenario

8. Create introduction which describes context of use and a pitch to appeal

to audience,

9. Compile the new parts, produce the final video, present and receive any last

critiques

10. Make Changes and publish online

PLAN OF ACTION