Progress Reports

A close review of locational/building data continues, to ensure that building entrance details are accurate and that any changes made in Albert are reflected in other systems of record at NYU. Goal is to go live with changes in Albert in time for the start of Fall classes. 

Members of the Implementation and Technology team meet with the Strategic Assessment, Planning & Design (SAPD) team to review the locational/building data that is currently in the SIS (Albert) and the SMS. 

Members of the Core team work with IT leadership on a Student 360 project to support students through enhanced process/data foundations and to explore CRM strategies to connect student-related services.  The team will help with discovery research over the summer to document current processes and data needs to support coordination across NYU.

The Core team refines the project charter and short/long scope of work based on the Gap analysis findings. The group discusses next steps to prototype a shared administrative dates calendar in Livewhale. 

The Implementation and Technology group approves the plan to replace shortened building codes with full building locations in Albert, which will help first year students navigate the campus with more ease after registering for courses.  Goal is to implement in time for incoming fall students who being registering in the summer

The results of the gap analysis report are shared with the core team, and the group discusses the 4 options presented to move the project forward, along with scoping, resourcing, and timeline considerations  

Data is compiled about key non-academic dates and deadlines for students, to inform a future calendar prototype using the NYU Events calendar tool (LiveWhale). An update is shared with Student Affairs' Navigation and Access team 

A subscription link is added to the NYU Academic Calendar to allow students (and faculty and staff) to see dates and deadlines on their personal google calendars.  A demo of the NYU events calendar is scheduled for key staff who oversee administrative dates and deadlines. 

Subgroups of the Implementation and Tech ALG meet to learn more about the NYU events calendar and building location details in Albert. 

The team discusses ideas and venues for disseminating and encouraging adoption of design principles.

The Stakeholder and Communications Action Learning group surveys schools and key departments about important, need-to-know calendar dates.   A pilot group of students tries subscribing to the Academic Calendar, individualized course schedules, and Brightspace (LMS) feeds and provides feedback on their experience.

The Student Research Action Learning Group coordinates and conducts interviews with students about campus map functions. Synthesized takeaways and recommendations are shared with the Core team.

The Implementation and Technology Action Learning Group continues looking at campus map functions. Planning begins for student usability testing sessions for later in the month. A brief project overview is shared with university Chiefs of Staff. 

The team discusses opportunities to: add full building information (and links where possible) in Albert, better understand locational source data, and provide clearer instructions for students on how to access/use existing map tools 

IDEO and representatives from IT, Digicomm, Student Affairs, MarComm, Enrollment Management, and Usability Lab come together to align on pilot ideas and conduct an impact effort exercise 

Gap analysis interviews continue   

Project updates and learnings are shared with the broader NYU community in various venues including the annual Storytelling Summit. 

Work begins on a gap analysis to inform a roadmap for the prioritized features (which may look different than the NYU Backpack prototype) and other future tech needs.

Core team meets to review stakeholder engagement opportunities, discuss opportunities for student feedback, and prep for the next implementation workshop

The core team prioritizes work on three key features of the prototype, based on the research and direct student feedback:

-- building a more dynamic, filterable map of NYU locations 

-- sharing key administrative calendar events on students’ calendars, and

-- sending selective push reminders of key administrative deadlines for students.

Key stakeholders and systems leads come together to define the scope of the beacon project, confirm the most desirable features (for students) to prioritize, and discuss assumptions about viability and feasibility. A follow up survey is circulated to help inform the project roadmap and resource needs.

IDEO shares designs for "NYU Backpack": a more streamlined NYU mobile experience that brings organization, navigation, and task management together in one place. Building off of this momentum and new mindsets from this new way of working, the next phase will be focused on gathering additional feedback from key stakeholders and senior leaders, executing on “quick wins” and advancing the beacon project.  Week 7 snapshot. 

IDEO synthesizes feedback to identify the essential features and functionality that were most desirable for students. The team holds a ‘quick wins’ workshop that can be used to identify smaller changes to existing products and processes based on our design principles. Week 6 snapshot. 

IDEO is back on campus! Activities include in-person and virtual user-testing sessions with students, a ways of working blueprint session with key stakeholders, a feedback meeting for staff, and a meeting with Stern's Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship students. Week 5 snapshot.

Based on prioritized design opportunities from week 3, the IDEO team further defines key features to produce 3 prototypes for testing.  IDEO also engages members of the Implementation team to have a more holistic picture of technical opportunities and feasibility, which will inform our prototypes.  Week 4 snapshot.

The core team meets, in small groups and also as a full team, to share back emerging insights from the prior week and start narrowing the focus to top needs and features for prototyping.  IDEO prepares a testing plan and begins to map out the design and prototyping process for the week of October 24.  Week 3 snapshot.  

IDEO is on campus this week!  The team hosts an in-person kickoff meeting, co-design sessions with students, and pop-up installations in Bobst and Tandon to brainstorm early ideas for how to communicate the most critical, need-to-know information to first year students during their first semester.  Week 2 snapshot   

NYU and IDEO finalize the research plan and prepare for in-person sessions during the week of October 10.  IDEO designers conduct 1:1 interviews with students for inspiration.  Week 1 snapshot (PDF) 

The team continues finalizing participants for co-design sessions and begins identifying and calendaring other key touchpoints for the design and prototyping phase in October.  

Team members organize into Action Learning Groups (pdf: 729 KB) focused on Communications, Student Research, Stakeholder Engagement, Senior Strategy Liaison, and Implementation.  Student recruitment for the co-design sessions begins.  

Time to hone in on what our Beacon Project may be! The Core+ team is asked consider this question as the launching point: “How might we work cross-functionally to design a way for students to get the information they need, when they need it?,” along with survey results and key criteria for success. An cross-functional alignment workshop results in a refined project brief for October's sprint. 

A sub-group meets to discuss student recruitment strategies for the design sprint in October, including ways to ensure a diverse and representative group is engaged. 

Stakeholders from across campus meet for a Ways of Working Workshop, focused on (re)thinking how we can break the silos and work horizontally and vertically on projects for the greatest impact for our students. 

The survey results are in, and some shared themes are emerging! Survey respondents share their priorities and current/past efforts of getting students just-in-time information. In addition, the team workshops how the ways in which we work together will impact the work itself. 

A wide range of stakeholders (including the Extended Core team members) are invited to participate in a short technology, data, and communication survey, which will help to inform the brief for the design phase as well as future cross-functional collaborations. 

Representatives from EM, IT, Student Affairs, StudentLink, URPA, and Usability Lab come together for an interactive workshop on technology, data, and communications. Participants share existing roadmaps, priorities, and identify key considerations, requirements, and opportunities for the work ahead. 

Research deliverables from IDEO are presented to an extended group of campus partners, project participants, and Student Success Standing committee members for feedback and discussion of next steps.  

Senior Strategy and Extended Core teams meet with IDEO to discuss the research summary and in-progress journey map and playbook. Both groups engage in talks about how to translate the insights from the project into change. 

This week, IDEO hosts co-design sessions with the NYU team to generate and refine opportunity areas based on research insights and key moments that matter for students.  Analogous inspiration activities continue, with interviews from the health sector.

This week marks the transition from input to output, building sacrificial concepts and rough prototypes of ideas for the student journey map.  Week 5 snapshot (PNG) 

IDEO's in-person research wraps up, and the team shares early insights (PDF: 53KB) with Senior Strategy and Extended Core stakeholders. More than 200 community members provide input through various co-design sessions, classroom visits, interviews, and other touchpoints.

IDEO's on-campus immersion commences, with student-led campus tours, classroom workshops, student:designer matchups, and co-design workshops planned throughout the week.

Intensive research continues, through conversations with students, faculty, and staff. Week 2 highlights include discussions about belonging and inclusion, different school cultures, and one-on-one interviews with first-year students. Week 2 snapshot (PNG)

Workshops with Extended Core and Senior Strategy teams to share process, methodology, and align objectives. Interviews with reps from Student Affairs, Student Success, Financial Aid, and IT lay the groundwork for research with students/experts to come. Week 1 snapshot (PNG)

The core project team refines the research plan (PDF: 2MB) and participant recruitment strategy.  A short student survey is designed to facilitate participation, and circulated to campus partners.  

IDEO meets with the core project team to develop a research plan for March 14 - April 29 that includes observation and interviews with students, faculty, and staff; classroom activities; and co-design workshops with students. 

The core project team rolls out a draft timeline (Google Slide) with key interactions during the project Sprint with IDEO. Official kick-off with stakeholders is scheduled for mid-March.

Strategy and Extended Core groups met (separately) to review context for the project, and to discuss key deliverables, interactions, and desired outcomes.

In partnership with campus stakeholders, project team begins to compile existing research, relevant data, and analyses to create context for journey-mapping.

Rationale and journey-mapping goals presented at monthly Standing Committee committee, and members generated a number of ideas and insights that will serve the project. Group is also invited to share additional feedback via an online questionnaire.

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