MINOR PROJECT
Minor Project
INSTRUCTION
This week, we were introduced to the Minor Project (MIB) and formed our team of six members. The members of my group are:
Begimbaeva Aidina (Me)
Celine Christabelle Patricia – Group Leader
Aquela Zefanya Soares
Zhyldybekova Aidai
Meng Zi Hui
Nitish A/L Naveen Kumar
Our team quickly established a collaborative workflow, assigning roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth coordination throughout the project. Each member contributed their unique skills and perspectives, which allowed us to approach the project efficiently and effectively from the very beginning.
Week 2
This week, we had an online class where Dr. Wong briefed us on the Minor Project and introduced the client. After discussing the project options as a team, we decided to proceed with “Cooling the Heat, Healing the Mind”, which focuses on designing solutions to support kitchen workers who face extreme heat and challenging working conditions. This topic allowed us to explore both physical comfort and mental wellness, ensuring that our design ideas would have a meaningful impact on users’ health and daily experience.
Week 3
This week, we had a meeting with our client to discuss the project in more detail. Due to class schedules, not all team members were able to attend. However, those who were present took detailed notes and shared them with the rest of the group. After reviewing the notes, the entire team came together to brainstorm and reflect on the project, discussing ideas and potential approaches to address the needs of kitchen workers exposed to extreme heat. This collaborative session helped us align our understanding and plan the next steps effectively.
Week 4
During this week’s lecture, Dr. Wong provided guidance on how to organise and effectively use our FigJam board for the project. She also conducted a demonstration on conducting user interviews, showing the proper approach to engaging participants and collecting meaningful insights. Following the demonstration, each group presented their prepared interview questions. Dr. Wong reviewed our questions and gave constructive feedback, helping us refine them to be clearer and more focused on capturing the users’ actual experiences. This session was valuable in ensuring that our research would yield relevant and actionable data.
Week 6
This week, Dr. Wong checked in on our project progress via Teams. During the session, we provided updates on our research, discussions, and initial ideas. The feedback helped us identify areas for improvement and guided us in planning the next steps for our project. This checkpoint ensured that our team stayed on track and aligned with the project objectives.
Week 7
This week, Dr. Wong guided us in writing a clear and concise problem statement for our project, ensuring that it accurately reflected the users’ needs and challenges. After finalising the problem statement, we participated in a “Crazy 8s” activity, where each team member individually sketched eight ideas for the project within a limited time. We then came together to share and discuss our sketches, exploring different approaches and identifying the most promising concepts to develop further. This activity encouraged creativity and helped the team think beyond conventional solutions.
Week 9
This week, we presented our project ideas to our client. She provided constructive feedback, highlighting areas that could be improved and pointing out concepts that were less suitable. Her insights helped us refine our ideas, ensuring that our proposed solutions would better address the users’ needs and align with the project objectives. This session was valuable in guiding the team towards more practical and effective design directions.
Week 10
This week, Dr. Wong introduced us to the topic of Testing in Design Thinking, explaining various methods such as usability testing, feedback sessions, A/B testing, eye-tracking, heatmap analysis, card sorting, tree testing, and the Wizard of Oz technique. Following the lecture, we had a group consultation with her, during which she provided tailored feedback to each team. This session helped us understand how to evaluate our design ideas effectively and incorporate user insights into the development of our project.
Week 12
This week, we had an online class that included a group consultation with Dr. Wong. During the session, we discussed our progress, shared challenges, and received feedback on our project development. The consultation provided guidance on refining our prototype and preparing for the final stages of the project, helping us stay aligned with the project objectives and ensuring our solutions effectively address the users’ needs.
Week 13
This week, we had an online class with a group consultation with Dr. Wong. During the session, we updated her on our project progress and received guidance on refining our work. Additionally, we prepared and documented the prototype testing task for our project, outlining how we would evaluate the usability and effectiveness of our proposed solutions. This helped us plan the final stages of our project in a structured and systematic way.
The empathy stage of the project began with an initial meeting attended by one of our team members to gain a deeper understanding of the project’s objectives and context. During this session, Dr. Praveena, the Director of Clean Technology Impact Lab, shared valuable insights related to sustainability, environmental challenges, and human well-being. She introduced the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), which serves as a framework for evaluating how organisations and initiatives perform in terms of sustainability, ethical responsibility, and social impact.
One of the key ideas discussed was that design always begins in the mind. Before any solution can be created, there must be clarity of thought and intention. Without a conscious and responsible mindset, innovation can fail. Plastic was highlighted as an example of such failure — once seen as a breakthrough material, it later became one of the biggest environmental issues due to its non-degradable nature. This reflects how innovation without sustainability at its core can lead to long-term harm.  |
| Figure 3.1.1 Client Meeting, About the project / Week 3 (06/10/2025) |
Heat emerged as a major factor affecting both physical and mental well-being, especially in challenging working conditions. Excessive heat can lead to chronic stress, dehydration, heatstroke, and mental fatigue. When individuals are forced to work in unfavourable environments for prolonged periods, these conditions can contribute to emotional distress and declining mental health. Currently, there are very limited solutions that address heat stress while also considering mental wellness.
The discussion also highlighted how environmental stressors can have serious social consequences. In some professions, such as public service sectors, prolonged exposure to stress and harsh working environments has been linked to severe mental health issues. This reinforced the importance of approaching sustainability not only from an environmental perspective but also from a human-centred and ethical standpoint.
Based on the proposal review and group discussions, our team identified kitchen workers as the primary target users for this project. This group includes street food vendors and café or restaurant chefs, many of whom work long hours in high-temperature environments with limited access to cooling systems or adequate rest. These conditions make them particularly vulnerable to heat-related physical strain and mental exhaustion.
 |
| Figure 3.1.2 Client Meeting, About the project / Week 3 (06/10/2025) |
Throughout the empathy stage, we reflected on several key questions:
What truly matters to individuals working under extreme environmental conditions?
How might someone redesign their surroundings if they were required to work under the scorching sun every day?
What does “healing the mind” mean within the context of climate resilience and sustainable design?
Ultimately, this stage helped us realise that purpose is not something that is simply discovered — it is created through meaningful action. Even small, empathetic design decisions, when aligned with sustainability and social impact, have the potential to contribute to broader systemic change.
As part of the empathy stage, our team conducted interviews with six kitchen workers to gain first-hand insights into their daily working conditions and challenges. The participants included street food vendors and café or restaurant kitchen staff who regularly work in high-temperature environments.
 | |
|
The interviews focused on understanding how prolonged heat exposure affects their physical comfort, mental well-being, and overall work performance. Many participants shared experiences of exhaustion, dehydration, difficulty concentrating, and increased stress during long working hours, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. These insights helped us better understand the human impact of heat stress and reinforced the importance of designing solutions that address both environmental conditions and mental wellness.
After interviewing six targeted users, we identified recurring keywords and patterns in their responses. Based on these similarities, we synthesised the data and derived the following key findings.
 | |
|
In addition, we conducted secondary research to deepen our understanding of the pain points experienced by kitchen workers operating under scorching heat. This research helped validate our interview findings and provided broader context on the physical and mental challenges associated with prolonged heat exposure in kitchen environments.
3.2 Define Stage
 | |
|
After completing the empathy stage, we were able to clearly define the key pain points faced by kitchen workers. These insights allowed us to develop a user persona that reflects their needs, challenges, and goals, providing a strong foundation for the next stages of the design process.
 |
| Figure 3.2.2 User Journey Map / Week 6 (02/11/2025) |
After developing the user persona, we proceeded to create a user journey map to better understand the daily experiences of our target users. The journey map captures their routine from the moment they wake up, commute to work, and carry out their tasks, until the end of the day. Through this process, we identified key emotional states and pain points encountered at different stages of their workday, allowing us to gain deeper insight into how heat and working conditions affect their overall well-being.
3.3 Ideation Stage
After understanding user personas and user goals, we finally manage to think of several ideas to make a prototype that may be helpful for these workers. During class, Dr. Wong let us to make several to make ideas using the Crazy 8 Ideas Method.
 |
| Figure 3.3.1 Crazy 8 Ideas / Week 7 (03/11/2025) |
We compiled all of our ideas in FigJam and conducted a voting session to identify the concepts that were most feasible and impactful. Based on collective agreement, we selected three main ideas to propose to our client, Dr. Praveena. The shortlisted concepts were:
 |
| Figure 3.3.2 Crazy 8 Ideas / Week 7 (03/11/2025) |
Solar-powered cap with a built-in fan
Cooling T-shirt
Cooling spray
Figure 3.3.3 Presentation Day
3.4 Prototype Stage
For the prototype stage, we purchased the necessary materials to develop our proposed solution. The team then conducted several face-to-face group meetings to collaboratively build the prototype. Through hands-on experimentation and iteration, we were able to translate our concept into a tangible outcome. Below are selected documentations capturing our prototyping process.
 |
| Figure 3.4.1 Cap making |
 |
| Figure 3.4.2 User test #1 |
 |
| Figure 3.4.3 User test #2 |
 |
| Figure 3.4.4 Cap making |
3.5 Testing Stage
 |
| Figure 3.5.1 User Testing with Cap |
After finish the prototype, we did user testing towards 4 street vendors around us. These are the task they will do:
Task 1 clip the fan to cap
Task 2 turn on the fan
Task 3wear the cap
Task 4 adjust the fan
Task 5 take off the cap
Task 6 take off the cooling gel
3.6 Final Presentation
After completing user testing, we compiled the results into an Excel sheet, recording all feedback received from participants. We then presented the final outcomes to our client, highlighting how the prototype addressed the users’ pain points and needs. Below are some documentations captured during the final presentation.
 |
| Figure 3.6.1 Final Presentation |
 |
| Figure 3.6.2 Final Presentation |
 |
| Figure 3.6.3 Final Presentation |
 |
| Figure 3.6.4 Final Presentation |
 |
| Figure 3.6.5 Final Presentation |
Final Presentation Slides:
FEEDBACK
Week 2
During this week, we made corrections to our targeted users and refined the interview questions to ensure they were relevant and clear. We were also reminded to conduct site visits to gain a better understanding of the users’ working environments.
Week 3
We added inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting targeted users. For instance, while our initial list included construction workers, police officers, street vendors, and safety guards, we decided to include only outdoor workers and exclude indoor workers, ensuring that our study focused on those most exposed to heat-related challenges.
Week 9
During the presentation, the solar-powered cap concept received positive feedback. It was highlighted as an interesting idea suitable for further development into a prototype.
Week 10
Feedback focused on the design of the fan. It was suggested that the fan should not obstruct the user’s view. Most users preferred the airflow to be directed toward the neck rather than directly onto the face.
Week 11
Task 1 was refined to use a questionnaire that concentrated on relevant measures rather than first impressions. The questions explored features through a clear use-case, mapping a simple step-by-step journey of a new street vendor using the Aeroshade — from wearing it, turning on the fan, adjusting the brim if necessary, continuing work, to turning it off.
Week 14
In the final presentation, the concept was well received, though the prototype required refinement. Feedback indicated that the fan was slightly too large and the cap material too flimsy, which added extra weight and could make it uncomfortable for extended use.
REFLECTIONS
Experience
Working on this project as a team was an extremely valuable and rewarding experience. Each member brought unique skills, perspectives, and ideas, which allowed us to approach challenges creatively and collaboratively. From the early stages of empathy research and user interviews to ideation, prototyping, and final presentation, our teamwork enabled us to progress efficiently while maintaining high-quality outcomes. Through this process, I personally gained a deeper understanding of user-centered design, practical problem-solving, and the importance of clear communication within a team.
Observations
Throughout the project, I observed how crucial teamwork is for both motivation and productivity. Regular group meetings, open brainstorming sessions, and collaborative decision-making allowed us to share responsibilities and ensure that every stage of the project was completed thoroughly. By actively listening to one another and providing constructive feedback, we were able to refine ideas, address potential issues early, and maintain alignment with the project goals.
Findings
A key finding from this experience is that diverse perspectives and skills significantly enhance creativity and the practicality of solutions. Working as a team allowed us to accurately identify user pain points, explore multiple ideas, and select the most effective solutions for prototyping. Together, we were able to turn abstract concepts into tangible outcomes, including a working prototype and a well-received final presentation. This project demonstrated that collaboration is not just about sharing tasks, but about combining insights, supporting each other, and achieving results that would be difficult to accomplish individually.
.gif)
Comments
Post a Comment