How might we improve college students' emotional well-being?
Scotland’s capital Edinburgh has long been a center of education. However, studying here can have two frustrations--the busy schedule and the unpleasant weather, recognised as potential reasons for students’ emotional issues and anxiety. According to an article in Frontiers in Psychology, spending time in nature can provide tangible benefits to mental health and well-being.
In this context, the group and I conducted user research aimed at investigating how to break the weather constraints to encourage college students more access to green spaces for better emotional well-being.
Frame
University of Edinburgh
October 2022 - January 2023
The Team
Jenny Hu
Jiaqi Liu
Jiaze Zhao
Longyan Weng
Shirui Zhao
Stakeholder Understanding
To get in-depth insights within a limited time, we narrowed down the group to focus on international students. Because they may more easily get loneliness and emotional issues from studying far away from home and family.
The initial research wants to answer two questions:
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What factors can influence emotions (both positively and negatively) in daily life?
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How do our users view their current life on daily life experiences, important things, frustrations and happiness?
Methods
Design Probes
Interview
Based on the ethos of the design probes, the mood probe is tailored for our users. It is a small package including 4 artefacts (postcards, a mood box, an insole and a camera) and evocative tasks, aiming to gather inspirational responses to explore research and design opportunities. The mood probe is designed to investigate users' values, feelings, and emotional changes both in the big picture and in daily life. Instead of directly asking questions, it pursues honest records and reactions of feelings by letting people make things instead of saying.
Considering the probe result can be personal and objective in interpretation, selected individual interviews were followed up to further explore participants' reactions to specific questions.
Execution
Mood Probe
The mood probs were handed to 9 participants to finish in a week.
Postcards x5
Understanding participants' views on daily life with inspirational questions.
The Mood Box
Investigating the trigger of positive and negative daily emotions by recording them instantly on notes.
Free-drawing Shoe pad
Investigating what element makes an environment happy for people to stay.
The Camera
Collecting random photos which incentives a particular feeling in daily life.
Interview
After collecting and reviewing answers from the mood probes, 5 participants were selected to have one-to-one semi-structured interviews. A framework was prepared in advance. Although following the interview questions, participants were not limited in interpreting their answers in the probes and talking about related experiences or thoughts.
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Selected notes from the interview
Result
According to the data collected from the mood probe and interview, the three highest factors resulting in positive and negative emotions are summarised separately:
The Cause of Positive Emotions
Fitness & Excercise 5/9
Spend time with friends and families 5/9
Access to natural scenery 4/9
The Cause of Negative Emotions
Academic 8/9
Housework & Commute 7/9
Lack of relaxation 5/9
Data collected from the mood probes
Crucial Insights
The result of the Probe and interview gave us a valuable understanding of college students’ routines. One special characteristic is, they usually have fragmented break time throughout the day. Instead of working from 9-5 and having a whole free evening, college students work on homework at night, so they usually have free time between lectures and meetings, after class and dinner, lasting from half to three hours. Therefore, they cannot travel long distances or spend a long time on one relaxing activity. In this case, they need an instant relaxing method to release both physically and mentally.
Pain Points
Needs
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An instant relaxing method
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Motivation to go out
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Little 'surprise' in daily life
Research Impact
Based on the research results and insights, the following suggestions and opportunities are summarised in terms of the final product design:
Needs
An instant relaxing method
Product Suggestions
easy and quick access, entertainment which can be applied in school, at home, or during commutes
Motivation to go out
an incentive trigger (maybe a reward system, gamification……)
Little 'surprise' in daily life
social function to make new friends and/or invite friends to do together