thatIt’s astonishing to think of the three of us four months ago: unsure of how we would interact as a team and overwhelmed with the enormity of the wicked problem we were faced with. Four months later—four months of meetings with shelter staff, of coding and re-coding, of presentations, emails, publicizing, and of all the big and little tasks in between—we stood in front of 150 members of our community and proudly spoke about a project that we could credibly call our own.
The autonomy afforded to us, that in September was once a source of stress as we struggled to find our footing and determine which direction we would take, became, in December, the very reason that we have so much pride in our project. Nearly everything that we did this term was new to us, and it was up to us to learn it. It was a great challenge and a great opportunity, one that demanded that we branch out of our siloed degree programs. Lines blurred between roles as we all poured our hearts into making the project as successful as it could be, and each of us became designers, developers, publicists, and project managers along the way.
We’ve put so much work into this, but we’re also humbled to think of the entire network of people who gave us opportunities and support. This project and its impact would not be possible without the backing and expertise of Dr. Michelle Vanchu-Orosco and the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region, without the feedback and trust from Diego Enciso at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, and without the mentorship and guidance of Parker DeBruyne and the entire INSPIRE team.
One of the most important things we had to learn and that we will carry forward is that it’s a fruitless effort to dive into prototyping solutions without first understanding all the nuances of how a problem impacts the users you’re trying to help. It took many interviews and discussions directly with front desk staff before we could envision with any accuracy the pitfalls in their workflows, the reasons why they hadn’t been improved, and ways in which we could weasel our way past those obstacles toward a solution. The project has taught us a lot of things, but most of all, we’ve learned that understanding an issue and those at the front lines of it is paramount, and that takes work, takes time, takes empathy.
The project isn’t over. The positive feedback we’ve received directly from shelters has convinced us of its potential—at the conference, Diego told us that his shelter has fully transitioned to using our platform, and that staff and management alike are pleased with how it has provided useful tools to streamline their workflows and speed up intake. Alongside our wonderful partner and friend Dr. Michelle Vanchu-Orosco, we’re finding ways to carry it on, and to continue our learning and our impact in our community.