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MOLLY OBERHOLTZERBFA Integrated DesignFocus: Service DesignGraduation: January 2013

Credit: Sagrada Família, Gaudi, Molly Oberholtzer

SERVICE DESIGN

Credit: Molly Oberholtzer

My design philosophy, animated quote (watch)

https://vimeo.com/42902038

Photo Credit: Molly Oberholtzer

Retirement Home Research

RESEARCH

Is the first stage of any project. Without sufficient research, design is futile. It must be grounded in understanding. Here it helps that I am naturally curious and empathetic. I gather a foundation of understanding using human-centered ethnographic methodology,

with interviews, shadowing, poems, and servqual, to name a few. It is asking the right questions and knowing when not to ask questions. It is excavating the cause and effects of a context, always looking for connections and deeper significance. You see an object - I see where it is going. How it got there. How it is delivered, and how it is received. I see what it MEANS. This is where the insight gathering begins. Stakeholder participation is crucial, but research can be digital and second hand as well. I love analyzing comment boards, forums, and other digital platforms to forage for user-input and relevant comment threads. Social media is a great tool for research. It helps to develop a

well-rounded understanding of the community you are designing for.

Photo Credit: Research, Molly Oberholtzer

Y-Bank Wallet Mugshot

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ATTENTION

REALITYMISCONCEPTION

You are aware of only a small amount of the total information your eyes take in, and even less is processed by your conscious mind and remembered.

You see everything going on before your eyes, taking in all the information like a camera.

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CONFABULATION


You are often ignorant of your motivations and create fictional narratives to explain your decisions, emotions, and history without realizing it.

You know when you are lying to yourself.

LUXURY TRANSPORTATION SERVICE: This project was completed for an advanced level brand experience class. The assignment was open-ended with a focus was on luxury transportation. I choose to take current events research regarding electronic vehicles and design a service system aimed at the 1% CEO commuting class. The E-Way is a membership based service initiative with government backing to pioneer development of an electronic expressway. Charging stations, route development, branded touchpoints and user experience were all explored in this project.

THE E-WAY

Photo Credit: Molly Oberholtzer, Monocle Magazine

Photo Credit: Logo, Molly Oberholtzer

BRAND IDENTITY: Evoking elegant energy efficiency, the logo design shown here was inspired by atomic aesthetics. It is representative of the merging of science and nature and calls to mind man harnessing the atom. It was designed with animation in mind, and the ovals oscillate while the “E” angled trajectory points to the distance and new frontiers. The advertising is subtle, using art direction to bring to mind new technology that understands time is money. These advertisements would be part of the initial “curiosity-building” phase in marketing.

Photo Credit: ADV, Molly Oberholtzer

Photo Credit: ADV, Molly Oberholtzer

ADV

ONLINE PRESENCE: The splash page of the website is shown at left, with the animated logos masking imagery for four categories. The simple imagery is unabashedly elitist.”EV” tech would allow the visitor to learn more about the back-end technology and innovation. “Natural” would describe the initiative to construct with nature with the new ability to construct higher track ways. “Pioneering” describes how one can become a member and design their custom track with the specialists at E-Way HQ. “Excitement” describes current events at HQ and new electric vehicles on the market. Each page has its own animation transition, screen shots shown below.

Photo Credit: Website, Molly Oberholtzer


Photo Credit:

Integrative Options

ENVIRONMENTS: Electronic vehicles need charges to cover long distances, which presented the opportunity to reconceive the charging station as a high-end retreat where one’s time is not wasted. The architecture is elevated like the E-Way itself, biomorphic, and aimed at both relaxation and business needs of its members. Some elements of the HQ are shown below as well as aesthetic references.

membeship card technology

Near Field Communication (NFC)

key to network:acess facilitiesmember data

connects to cloud serverconnects to other keys

Security:Data Thumb Print

Thumb-button control


TOUCHPOINT MEMBERSHIP CARD: With such a luxurious experience there is a need to develop equally high-tech and elegant touchpoints, like the membership card featured above. Where the E-Way logo is, the card technology reads your thumbprint and uses NFC to seamlessly admit the member into charging stations and HQ.

CULTURE

1/03

Richard Mosse | Eastern Congo

book.indd 8-9 10/10/12 12:17 AM

1/03

book.indd 2-3 10/10/12 12:17 AM

Morbi nec velit risus, accumsan facilisis urna. Pellentesque tor-tor diam, convallis in varius et, pharetra quis erat. Proin ultricies odio vitae diam inter-dum a fringilla velit fringilla. Sed biben-dum, odio non adipi-scing pretium, lorem lectus pellentesque felis, quis faucibus ante magna eget nisl. Praesent vitae lacus in ante suscipit lobortis. Proin rhoncus gravida lectus sit amet mattis. Donec at metus odio, id elementum ipsum. Maecenas dictum tel-lus nec purus con-dimentum vel adipi-scing sem gravida.

Tesla Collaborative

leisure

1/03

book.indd 6-7 10/10/12 12:17 AM

contents:

2.5.8.12.

tech

leisure

culture

work

Solar Boat

Tesla’s New Baby

Congo Color

Test Track Trials

TECHNE

1/03

Morbi nec velit risus, accumsan faci-lisis urna. Pellentesque tortor diam, convallis in varius et, pharetra quis erat. Proin ultricies odio vitae diam interdum a fringilla velit fringilla..

Solar Boat

book.indd 4-5 10/10/12 12:17 AM

Photo Credit: Biweekly reader, Molly Oberholtzer

TOUCHPOINT MEMBER READER: This biweekly reader serves two purposes. It upholds the branding of the member as a connoisseur of fine things, and provides short articles with vivid imagery of luxury culture. It would serve to increase brand awareness as touchpoints that would collect in the members home, and ideally be seen by other potential members.

Photo Credit: Blueprinting, Molly Oberholtzer

COLLABORATION

From team collaboration to codesign, this is the second half of the research stage. This is where the data visualization, communication, and negotiation all come into play. By holding workshops with

stakeholders of the service, I am able to share insights, provoke design thinking and act as mediator. Teamwork is vital here, and it helps to have a balance of stakeholders and designers participating. Methods including role-playing, swot analysis, maps, clustering, and

tools pre-made for prototyping - are useful here. Viability, feasibility,

and desirability are determined and parsed out, and this step is crucial to the next stages. Often from here, research and ideation are revisited. It is a back and forth process of negotiation to determine and optimize the needs of both service user and the service provider. By listening here, you can get good ideas for story-telling narratives. While workshops benefit from games, body-storming and caffeine, “lunch” break workshops are not a good idea!


Patient Ed. Workshop at MSKCC

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GROUP THINK


The group’s desire to reach a consensus and avoid confrontation hinders progress.

Problems are easier to solve when a group of people get together to discuss solutions.

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LEARNED HELPLESSNESS


If you feel like you aren’t in control of your destiny, you will give up and accept whatever situation you are in.

If you are in a bad situation, you will do whatever you can do it to escape.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION


Book Cover: C.S. Lewis

Sometimes language alone doesn’t cut it. This is where visual communication comes into play - it is used during all stages of the

design process. It can mean everything from a logo to an interaction to a sequence of events. In early stages it is a useful way of distilling the research into evocative visual presentations for stakeholder

input. I favor tools such as blueprinting, and journey mapping because they illustrate the holistic nature of service systems and help in ideation. Looking closer at certain aspects of the service map, it helps to use bucketing, (or in Italian, icastico – a succinct, memorable image rich in meaning) to translate abstract ideas to stakeholders

before prototyping. This communication for increased understanding is crux for further insight gathering, and in development of service assets like touchpoints and brand identity.


Animation Screen shot: The General

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THE AFFECT HEURISTIC


You depend on emotions to tell you if something is good or bad, greatly overestimate rewards, and tend to stick to your first impressions.

You calculate what is risky or rewarding and always choose to maximize gains while minimizing losses.

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BRAND LOYALTY


You prefer the things you own because you rationalize your past choices to protect your sense of self.

You prefer the things you own over the things you don’t because you made rational choices when you bought them.

Photo Credit: Style Guide, Cover Prototype, Molly Oberholtzer

STYLE GUIDE FOR PUBLIC & POLICY MAKERS: A Parsons collaboration with the United Nations and International Strategies for Disaster Risk Reduction on their biennial publication: the Global Assessment Report. The GAR covers international progress and is used by policy makers and scientists alike, but the publication design itself was holding it back from being more functional as a tool to realize issues and incite change.

CHALLENGE: How to improve the information assimilation presented by crucial Global Assessment Report on disaster risk reduction for professional and public users.

METHODS: - Iconography- Information design- Branding and strategy- Data visualization - Layout design-Codesign-Prototyping-User/Client feedback

UN ISDR GAR

Photo Credit: Icons Page, Style Guide, Molly Oberholtzer Color Page, Style Guide

Type page, Style GuideLayout page, Style Guide

SOLUTION: The report broken down into digestible sections and marked by a global visual language of icons to signify different types of issues and provide an easy navigation system.

See in use by clicking here

http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/2011/en/home/index.html

INSIGHTS & IDEATION

SENSING

ETHNOGRAPHY

INTERACTION

NEGOTIATION

RESEARCH VISUAL COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE

STORYBOARDING

BLUEPRINTING

JOURNEY MAP

WIREFRAMES

IDENTITY

STRATEGY

SYNTHESIZING

PROTOTYPEING

SkillsANALOG DIGITAL


Observations at the MoMA

Insight gathering is the floater of the stages, but it is grounded in an ideation session with the design team. It is the “ah-ha” moment that comes from extensive research and listening with all of your senses. It is most often found during interviews, the workshop or with diagramming. When I am so invested in a project, I begin to see it everywhere, and draw insights from a more conceptual understanding. Can a platform like yelp help victims of negligent landlords? Why yes it can. Now it is a matter of synthesizing insights from research with design thinking and creative problem solving. This kind of conceptual

thinking and connection making, is a personal strength. Working in teams to bounce ideas, we can target areas for improvement and propose, poke-holes, and negotiate feasible strategies of integration and implementation. After brainstorming, it helps to create a visual

narrative that illustrates and convinces stakeholders where innovation

can occur.


POS for jewelry line Vishwakarma

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PRIMING


You are unaware of the constant nudging you receive from ideas formed in your unconscious mind.

You know when you are being influenced and how it is affecting your behavior.

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CONFORMITY


It takes little more than an authority figure or social pressure to get you to obey, because conformity is a survival instinct.

You are a strong individual who doesn’t conform unless forced to.

Touchpoints

Customer Actions

Provider Actions

Support Systems

Website Questionaire Local Expert/ Ambassador

Intro Video Live Chat& Hire

Itinerary then final Guide Book

Locations Final Personalized Photo Memories

Book

Reviews infomation, chooses to join

Fills out lifestyle questions and how

important they are to them

Matches generated by questions presented

on matches page,can see more detailed info & guide’s review

Interested in a pro-file, they can watch a video the guide

created to introduce themselves more

dynamically

They can use the chat window to see if the guide is online and discuss their travels or to talk to them

after accepting them

Customer sees list of optional places to go and makes sure they are all well suited to

their goals

Customer arrives and self-directs to desti-

nations

Customer has mem-ory-rich book with photos of their time and notes they made

on their journey, there to revisit and

share

Host memberships, information, digi-

tal guide books and photos

Match up users and locals

Be on a separate # hotline for emergen-

cy user assistance

Provide insight into their lives, interests, and show their ap-

proachability

Get texted by the Live Chat to better con-nect with the Users

Review, research, go in field, take photos and present back to

user for consultation

Make sure that loca-tions match unique circumstance of day and all are up to date

Introduce user’s pho-tos and comments

and create a seamless story of their experi-

ence

HTML Java CSS

AlgorithmHire like street spot-

ted start with core group and keep eyes open for proud NYC

personalities

Software package PDF Local-run business in community

LuLu mail within 1 week

BLUEPRINT

PROJECT: 2012 Global Service Design Jam was a weekend-long event hosted by Sigel + Gale with teams designing services around the theme “treasure”. My team developed a travel-service, Local Gold. Local Gold provides users with a one on one connection with neighborhood ambassadors that recommend local places and happenings based upon your interests. The service provides true local experience and customized travel-oriented solutions.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:Time restraints and unfamiliarity while traveling prevent a tourist from connecting to the heart of the city. Travelers need a service to receive trust-worthy reviews from users that have shared interests and lifestyles.

LOCAL GOLD

Touchpoints

Customer Actions

Provider Actions

Support Systems

Website Questionaire Local Expert/ Ambassador

Intro Video Live Chat& Hire

Itinerary then final Guide Book

Locations Final Personalized Photo Memories

Book

Reviews infomation, chooses to join

Fills out lifestyle questions and how

important they are to them

Matches generated by questions presented

on matches page,can see more detailed info & guide’s review

Interested in a pro-file, they can watch a video the guide

created to introduce themselves more

dynamically

They can use the chat window to see if the guide is online and discuss their travels or to talk to them

after accepting them

Customer sees list of optional places to go and makes sure they are all well suited to

their goals

Customer arrives and self-directs to desti-

nations

Customer has mem-ory-rich book with photos of their time and notes they made

on their journey, there to revisit and

share

Host memberships, information, digi-

tal guide books and photos

Match up users and locals

Be on a separate # hotline for emergen-

cy user assistance

Provide insight into their lives, interests, and show their ap-

proachability

Get texted by the Live Chat to better con-nect with the Users

Review, research, go in field, take photos and present back to

user for consultation

Make sure that loca-tions match unique circumstance of day and all are up to date

Introduce user’s pho-tos and comments

and create a seamless story of their experi-

ence

HTML Java CSS

AlgorithmHire like street spot-

ted start with core group and keep eyes open for proud NYC

personalities

Software package PDF Local-run business in community

LuLu mail within 1 week

BLUEPRINT

Photo Credit: Wireframe, Molly Oberholtzer

Photo Credit: Wireframes, Molly Oberholtzer

Photo Credit: Adam Brodowski

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COMMENTS

comments

Best latte of my life! The cafe was bright and sunny and played my favorite Modest Mouse song.

Cafe Champignon Cross Bar Flavaboom

The vibe and scene of the place was cool but the frozen yogurt was not. I found it too tart and

expensive for my liking.

This place is awesome. I had a great glass of Merlot at the bar, the ambience was amazing. My

bartender was quick and attentive so I gave him a my

number along with a tip.

Photo Credit: Adam BrodowskiPhoto Credit: Homepage, Izac Ross

HOW TO MAKE IT REAL:Users log on and answer questionnaires to uncover their travel style and preferences. LocalGold pairs these preferences with neighborhood ambassadors who share the same interests. Users then customize their itineraries with suggested city happenings and rate them accordingly improving LocalGold’s rating intelligence.

OUTCOMES: Please click the “why do you travel” media above to see the full service presentation. The Global Service Jam was an eye-opening experience in creating a service in just a weekend’s time. I was able to work on a collaborative team that helped me hone my rapid-prototyping and service development skills. It was also nice to get to know the SDN community in NYC, and since then I have participated in the 2013 GSJ and as a contributing member to the SDN New York Chapter.

WATCH Service Video Presentation, Molly Oberholtzer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0pJme7RFzU

Photo Credit: Cold War & The Feminine Mystique Exhibit, Molly Oberholtzer

Game Design: Power Mine

INTERACTION PROTOTYPING

Interaction is crucial, and means taking the project to the next stage by creating the touchpoints of the customer experience. In developing these touchpoints, designing workable prototypes that can be tested and iterated upon. It is built upon an awareness of the service provider’s mission and motives, and is designed to meet the targeted

improvement area by replicating the context as closely as possible. Stakeholder testing and feedback mechanisms are important here, but in lieu of any stakeholders one can role play or use empathy tools to evaluate the success of the prototype. The senses must be activated here, the context and circumstance must be felt, and opinions fed into the cyclical process of innovation. It is about the reaching the best possible solution for NOW, and leaving room for continuous growth and improvement.

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THE DUNNING-KRUGER

EFFECT


You are generally pretty bad at estimating your competence and the difficulty of complex tasks.

You can predict how well you would perform in any situation.

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FUNDAMENTALATTRIBUTION

ERROR


Other people’s behavior is more the result of the situation than their disposition.

Other people’s behavior is the reflection of their personality.

PUBLIC HOUSING SERVICES: Over a semester of feedback sessions and ideation with staff members, my team of four designed this service to target non-native residents of NYC. Healthy Homes combats negligent landlords, and housing code violations in New York City by increasing tenants understanding and awareness. The Pilot program involves a design competition for infographics on the housing codes for each month of the year. The calender would then be distributed to a target area high in violations, and would identify what is the tenants’ rights and responsibilities. The post cards attached to the calender creates an additional feedback channel from tenants to HPD.

HEALTHY HOMES

Photo Credit: Service Map, Molly Oberholtzer

Sponsorship

Design com-petition

Selected designers

Delivery

problematic buildings

local delis

HPD

The System

AMPLIFYING AWARENESS: Once we had developed the service system, blueprint, and identified our user group, it was the narrative story (above top) that really compelled the stakeholders at HPD to consider the service and understand how it could be used. By using a narrative familiar to many in the city (“why is my alarm beeping!?”) it was able to evoke an empathy from the service providers. Healthy Homes was a part of the “Kit of Ideas” presented to HPD in collaboration with Parsons and Public Policy Lab - a part of the winning submission for the Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Funding 2012.

Photo Credit: Prototype, Molly Oberholtzer

(WATCH) Animated user journey, Molly Oberholtzer

Photo Credit: Animation, Molly Oberholtzer

https://vimeo.com/42052216


Type Tulips: Temporal Urban Intervention

IMPLEMENTATION OR INCUBATION


This is the final stage whereby concluding the testing stages, one delivers the finished product, service model, or kit of ideas. Developing

guidelines, tool-kits, and suggestions for further development or feedback are helpful here. This means packaging all assets and understandings into a useful format for those who will carry it further. Many ideas don’t make it this far, so its necessary to render them within reach- incubated. In the end, nothing is more satisfying than seeing your work benefit the intended stakeholders.

Poe’s Prose Resurrected: Installation

Credit: Andrea Zittel, MoMA, Molly Oberholtzer

MOLLY [email protected](814)441-4475

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