Write about your experience with your midterm presentation and be honest. Did you prepare adequately? What do you need to focus on for the next 5 weeks?

Here is a link to my midterm presentation. 

Honestly, the midterm presentation and expectations felt off target for where we were in the journey and what we had been prepared for and building towards in class and our 1:1s. Having 10 things to talk about in 5 minutes (with different guidance from different instructors and an outline that didn’t match the slides) felt premature, and I understand practicing what we are talking about and why. However, with how confusing some of the previous weeks have been (no one showed up with something to user test last week because expectation wasn’t clear, misalignment between what we think we need to be doing and what we are expected to do, etc), it felt confusing to be critiqued on a formal presentation when it feels like most of us need something like a check-in for where we are at in our journey. There’s a discrepancy between what is framed as really chill and in progress vs. what is expected as an output, and I think some course-correction feels necessary.

Personally, my subject matter is also not something I can just jump into given how nuanced and specific some of it is to my context. Trying to provide the explanation and also trying to then get through my metaphors and what I want to create felt really watered down + rushed. I do think that different students have different entry-points to this based on familiarity of topic, and I felt very discouraged from my research question/topic because of the baseline to explain taking up 60% of my time.

Create a production timeline that encompasses the remainder of the Spring semester and the Summer session. Break this down into the following categories and post to thesis journal:

    • Continued research (references, experts, conversations, reflections on previous research) – In progress and will be in progress throughout, particularly conversations with Ali Olomi, Marianne Petit, YG, and Craig Protzel
    • Design & development – In progress
    • User testing – April 15-30
    • Iteration & continued production – May
    • Documentation & presentation – June