Given the nature of Northwestern University's COVID-19 protocols, primary research and development was limited due to the team meeting remotely and having limited access to Winnetka's portion of the GBT. The team was able to conduct two in-person visits to the trail, however user testing was limited out of respect for users of the trail's health and safety. Additionally, development of the mockup was limited to virtual methods due to the online modality. Finally, time was a substantial limiting factor, which required the team to research and develop a comprehensive solution in only ten weeks. As such, the design is broad and the solution is a plan for restoring Winnetka's portion of the trail, outlining the researched suggestions of the team.

Future development of the final design solution, as outlined in the Concept & Rationale section, will benefit the implementation of the GBT Beautification project. The following steps should be considered before presenting the design solution to stakeholders, including the Friends of the GBT, Village Council of Winnetka, the Environmental and Forestry Commission of Winnetka, and the Winnetka Park District, and proposing the restoration to the authors of the 2040 Winnetka Comprehensive Plan.

First, a formalized budget should be voted on among stakeholders in the GBT Beautification project in order to gain a better idea of the cost and magnitude of the project. Team 3 used Glencoe's GBT restoration cost of $100,000 as a model and determined that Winnetka's would be much larger due to the additional challenges posed by much of the trail being below-grade.

Second, although the team has met with a Civil Engineering expert in order to glean professional advice regarding the drainage problems posed by the location of the GBT, we are not certified Civil or Structural Engineers and our advice should not be used exclusively in implementing the solutions. Civil and Structural Engineering firms should be hired and consulted regarding any official changes to the trail.

After speaking with the project partners regarding the final design solution, a few key design components may be pursued. A contest may be used to select the muralist for the underpass murals, thus giving more input to the Winnetka community and garnering more publicity for the trail itself.

Additionally, the Friends of the GBT website will need to be restructured to be more user-friendly, include more information on native plants, animals, and other wildlife, and be capable of hosting higher web-traffic.