1) Find an opportunity. Students at the University of Florida are on campus for multiple hours every day of the week. Many of them bring their laptops and cell phones to campus to use for school work and communication, and having them turned on for multiple hours requires battery power. I think it would be useful to place solar-powered charging stations around campus, because not only does this use sustainable renewable energy, but also provides students with more places to charge their electronics.
2) Figure out who might have the unmet need. Students who bring their electronics to campus to use for doing school work are the main people who this could potentially benefit.
3) Come up with a list of questions.
- When you go to campus, do you always have either your cell phone or laptop?
- Do you often run out of battery or need somewhere to charge either device?
- How much do you enjoy studying or being outside when the weather is nice?
- Is sustainability important to you?
- How would you feel about there being solar-powered charging stations throughout campus, which would not only use renewable energy, but also provide you with a place to charge your phone or laptop on-the-go?
4) Go talk to customers!
Interview #1
Interview #2
Interview #3
Interview #4
Interview #5
5) Tell us what you learned about the opportunity. I learned that sustainability is important to a lot of students, and that they love the idea of using solar power for battery charging stations. All of my interviewees thought that putting these on campus would be a good idea.
6) Tell us what you learned about interviewing customers. I learned that at first it is intimidating, but after the first one I wasn't as nervous and the interviews became easier. People were very happy to help me with my assignment by allowing me to interview them.
Hey Jenny! Great job on the interviews. You’ve definitely spearheaded an issue that would help in the long run and go along with UF’s sustainability plan. I think the questions you asked were important, and I think you addressed every facet of the issue. You even got the opinions of the students, which is great! You never know when they might suggest something useful to help with your solution. Here’s my blog if you want to take a look: Hi Paul!
ReplyDeleteI think despite the lack of videos, you did a good job of getting across what your interviewees want and need in Gainesville. I think your tips, like using a camera, would definitely help other students in planning ahead before their interviews. Also, you’re right about not answering the question before the person does. You never want to accidentally give someone a talking point if they weren’t thinking about it themselves. Here’s my blog if you wanted to take a look: http://youreamuggle.blogspot.com/2016/02/interviewing-customers-no-2.html
Hi Jennie!
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job on your interviews. I think your plan to have solar powered charging stations throughout campus are a great idea. Did you know there are already a few outside of the HUB? The questions you asked were very specific to the topic and they covered every aspect of the opportunity you presented.
I think that your opportunity would benefit a lot of students who enjoy using their electronics outside. Another way to get more insight on building these solar powered charging stations would be to ask the advantages and disadvantages of having it. Your opportunity is also a good idea for creating a more sustainable environment.
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to see my blog post on the interviews, here's the link: http://thisisnotawkward.blogspot.com/2016/02/customer-interviews-no-2.html
My interviews were similar as I found my opportunity by unmet student needs, although you went the extra step and made it about sustainability too.
DeleteHi Jennie,
ReplyDeleteStudents spend a lot of their time on campus. Therefore, your idea is great because not only we are saving energy but also student can enjoy being outside without having to worry about having their electronics changed. I hate having to take my chargers. However with your opportunity does days would go to an end J. This is the link you my blog http://ndajbura.blogspot.com/2016/02/interviewing-customers-no-2.html
Hi Jennie!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I think this a great direction to go. Everybody, not just students, usually has either a cell phone, laptop, or tablet. Faculty, staff, and even visitors could use something like this on campus as well, so it reaches further than just the student body.
I know we are just coming up with ideas, but the one interviewee had a point when he asked the question "does it comes from the taxpayers?" It's a great concept but students on a tight budget may want to be assured it will not come out of their pocket.
I did not have a chance to interview anybody, but here is my class blog.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8973609705860193196#allposts
Hi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty clear from your interview that students would be interested in using a solar powered charging platform, although it's not entirely clear if they'd be willing to pay for it. Also worth considering: The average iPhone charge operates on 5volts and about 1 amp (minimum 0.5amp for USB charging). Charging 5 phones simultaneously will be 5 amps, 10 phones- 10 amps, etc. We also haven't figured the power cost of your payment processing platform. -- Long story short, this is going to require quite a few photovoltaic cells placed in a sunny spot. It's something to keep in mind while planning how to implement your idea.