standstill

Fall 2016

The problem this project set out to address was the culture of busyness on campus. As part of a collaborative team, I took part in creating a combination of a planner and a reflective journal. This reflective journal has weekly writing prompts, check-ins, and space for doodles in order to decrease stress levels and enhance the user’s organization.

The Process

Problem Statement

Students need a new perspective on the reality of their busyness in order to accomplish their goals and establish clear priorities. Busyness can be skewed by time-wasters or emotional and external factors.

Objectives

Address the topic of busyness among university students
Create a space for weekly reflection
Provide encouragement with thought-provoking prompts
Establish an overall aesthetic of a calm environment

Planning

Our goal is to create a perspective shift: focus on mindfulness, recognize that being involved is not a competition, and have an opportunity for students to take a break amidst busy schedules.

Our approach is a reflective planner. We want a way to help students find time from their busyness to reflect on their stress and compose themselves.

Discovery

Survey
28 students
17 Questions

Interviews
15-20 in-depth questions
7 students
3 staff members

Situation Audit

100% of University of Minnesota (UMN) students that we interviewed believe that the university encourages busyness
Many UMN students believe busyness is a competition
76% of students interviewed struggle with fear of missing out
Many students have jobs on top of their schoolwork and other activities

Research Overview

Many think busyness has a negative connotation
Stress and busyness are directly linked, but they are not the same
Everyone has a different threshold
Often has more to do with perspective
Many students treat busyness as a competition
Distractions may contribute to the feeling of busyness
Time wasters cause us to think we have less time for things

Creative

Tone

Calm
Reflective
Universal

Approach & Implied Notions

Simple color scheme
Clean typeface
Minimal embellishments