Reflection + lessons learned from the course

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This course has been significantly interesting, demanding and transformative for me. The individual project  allowed me to understand behaviors, interactions and needs of young religious girls and critically speculate on a service/product for them. It enabled me to design an experience that is holistic and that manifests itself across diverse platforms and mediums. Thinking of UX through a more emotional/textural process as well as in a logical and rational manner changed my perspective on how to approach a project of that nature. Additionally, the structure of the class (specific short-term goals + phases) and the weekly synthesized stand-up presentations helped improve my communication skills.

As for the team project, the virtual relationship with the dutch members was at times very demanding because the dedication and coordination of efforts was not consistent. It was difficult to establish a professional and critical, yet casual connection with the rest of the team. The different expectations and contexts of the schools generated a significant challenge. I think being the communication lead on the Pratt side was more interesting for me than the collaboration itself, which did not go as well as it could have. On the other hand, the second part of the project was really unique and engaging. We had the opportunity to speak and understand people’s personal lifestyle and behaviors in hair salons. It was unusual to have the feeling that you enter someone’s intimacy, and not stay on the surface of what truly is the relationship between a hairdresser and a customer.