Introduction:
How might we reconsider the on-campus dining experience at UNL?
We were asked to propose how design might create new opportunities for a better dining experience. This proposal came through the insights gained from field empathy exercises where interviews with real users and first-hand observation offered inspiration for innovation.
Empathy:
Field Interviews:
Nolan, our TA:
Goes home to eat because he can eat much cheaper and healthier
At home, he can control the ingredients in his food
Goes home to feed/walk his dog
Said a lot of his off-campus friends bring their own food to campus
Currently goes home two-three times a day
If there was a place for you to eat on campus, how often would you go home a day? Twice - once to let dog out, once to come home at end of day
Takes 24 minutes to walk to and from campus
Brian Kelly:
Mentioned that faculty does not have one space to gather
Team Meal Observations:
Union Dining Area:
Mostly people eating
Still more people studying than in dining halls
More diverse clientele
Older clientele: more adults, professors, graduate students
Organized
Very few people talking to each other
A lot of people eating alone
Feels like a mall food court (except for the carpet)
Nothing is consistent in the design of the Union, including the dining area
Area feels very partitioned, separated
Inferences:
People eating here may not have meal plans
Maybe clientele want a wider variety of food options
Individual Meal Observations:
Melissa (Abel):
More people know how to move through serving space better than other dining halls
Lots of conversation
More people eating in groups, yet several eating alone
People value interaction with others
> One group still sitting after they are all done eating, talking, enjoying themselves
> One guy hurries through a burger, but slows down while on his phone (interested in a conversation)
> One guy looked bored sitting by himself, found a friend, talking, laughing, seemed happier
Comfortable booths, but designed for group of 6-8
Matt (Abel):
Difficult to walk around, get food and not feel like you’re in the way
Like how they have a fresh-made burger grill
Like the booth seating, but makes me feel awkward when by myself
Dish disposal is far away from the exit, breaks up traffic of new people entering dining hall to eat
Not as much variety as Selleck (pizza is not as good either)
Like the aesthetics, newly renovated
Chose to eat here because it was close to my friend's dorm
Adam (Starbucks):
Lots of single seats available (bar top, comfortable seating)
Outlets were located on the exterior for those areas with single seats
Mostly business professionals and a small amount of students were there
Students were studying, business professionals were meeting with others
Limited menu was offered but half had ordered food, almost everyone ordered a drink
Half of the patrons ordered to go
Taking pictures during lunch hour:
> Observed many students sitting in hallways between classes,
> Taking advantage of limited convenience-type food options and seating in academic buildings
Aaron (Selleck):
Usually is busy due to its central location on campus
Dish return is poorly done, people always go in the “wrong” way
There are a lot of individuals sitting at the tables which seat four
People in booths and on edges of Selleck are often on their laptops working
Food quality is not very good
I eat there since it is the closest to my hall
Paris (Harper):
Nice transition between spaces
The entrance and exit do not get congested
Only problem is the dish return is on one side of the seating area
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Define:
Analysis of Interviews + Research:
e noticed that all of our dining halls are on the east side of campus yet most of the academic buildlings are in the center or west side of campus. Since convenience is such a determining factor, we want to make it easier to get a meal on the west side of campus between classes or simply to utilize time better by reducing walking distances.
This is where finding and using conclusions from the UNL Master Plan of campus (published in 2012) became useful. We studied the west side of campus, realizing that most faculty and commuter parking is located on the west. The intersection of two heavy traffic walkways through campus also justified our location for our new dining option. Taking these factors into consideration the location we chose for Westside Market is a parking lot on the north side of The Sheldon Museum of Art.
Our group also began to look at under-served demographics - off-campus students, graduate students, and faculty (those who typically don't have a meal plan). Their options for dining on campus are very limited: The Union offers fast-food. The dining halls are quite expensive if you don't have a meal plan. If we bring a dining area to the west side of campus that offers fresh foods and to-go options, we can address both busy undergrads with meal plans and older students and faculty looking for an alternative. To empathize further we were inclined to incorporate this population who don't typically have meal plans and must walk to the Union to get a meal on campus.
Synthesis of POV Statement:
First: "We are marketing for the busy individual and want to provide an accessible and mobile eating experience with healthy options."
Our first statement was not satisfactory to us. For example, the qualifier "busy" is too subjective so we omitted that. By including "mobile" in our statement our final prototype would have to be focused around to-go options. Not wanting to limit ourselves too much, we went on to the ideation stage realizing that would bring out what we believed to be most crucial.
Second: "We aim to provide an accessible eating experience to accommodate the individual trying to utilize their time most efficiently within their ever-changing college lives."
Second: "We aim to provide an accessible eating experience to accommodate the individual trying to utilize their time most efficiently within their ever-changing college lives."
This got closer but felt too wordy, so we stepped back again to assess our target audience and the issues that absolutely needed to be addressed. The "academic core" part of the statement was essential to our direction so we added that and simply said "individuals" to avoid alienating any certain group of people (undergraduates, graduate students, off-campus students, faculty, the public, etc.).
Final: "We aim to accommodate individuals in the academic core of campus by providing an alternative to the traditional dining experience."
Final Statement:
"We aim to accommodate individuals in the academic core of campus by providing an alternative to the traditional dining experience."
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Ideation:
Prototype:
First Iteration: Take-out option attached to dining halls
> Separate lines for take-out and sit-in dining
> Take-out line offers:
-- A variety of pre-packaged options
* Healthy!
-- Tupperware exchange system to reduce waste
* Food is packed in Tupperware
* Students eat food
* Bring back Tupperware next time to be cleaned by staff
* Receive clean Tupperware with food packed inside
> Take-out line offers:
-- A variety of pre-packaged options
* Healthy!
-- Tupperware exchange system to reduce waste
* Food is packed in Tupperware
* Students eat food
* Bring back Tupperware next time to be cleaned by staff
* Receive clean Tupperware with food packed inside
Second Iteration: New concept drawing of dining halls
> Would accommodate high traffic more efficiently
> Would save time (justified by our focus on convenience)
Third Iteration: New building that would offer take-out food ____________________
> Located on west side of campus to accommodate students in academic core
> Permanent building takes up green space
-- Contrary to our love of environment and having open outdoor spaces
-- Use some sort of less permanent structure
> Could move to accommodate different events
-- Football games (closer to stadium in fall)
-- Jazz in June festival (closer to downtown during summer)
> How often could we move structure to remain cost-effective?
-- Use portable structure
* Metal shipping crates (similar to "Blackshirt Village")
* Put tracks in ground and be able to move structure on a track
> Able to be open to outside or closed and heated depending on season
> Located on west side of campus to accommodate students in academic core
> Permanent building takes up green space
-- Contrary to our love of environment and having open outdoor spaces
-- Use some sort of less permanent structure
> Could move to accommodate different events
-- Football games (closer to stadium in fall)
-- Jazz in June festival (closer to downtown during summer)
> How often could we move structure to remain cost-effective?
-- Use portable structure
* Metal shipping crates (similar to "Blackshirt Village")
* Put tracks in ground and be able to move structure on a track
> Able to be open to outside or closed and heated depending on season
