Storyboard

The Story behind our Storyboard

Our personas were central in the way we developed our scenario’s and subsequent storyboards. We chose to make them, in short, as three very involved users with their own sets of needs and challenges. The differently able yet highly active young man, the fast-moving and very involved mother, and the caring, perpetually busy yet ditzy assistant.

The reasoning behind this was two-fold that came to dictate a lot of our approach and development of the storyboards:

One, if our product could fit in and help fulfill these complicated people who possibly have more demanding needs than average, it could very well come to help resolve the issues of other people as well.

Secondly, it became more and more clear to us as we were working that it was very important to underline the human aspect. The personas had to be developed, with their own emotions, responses and needs. We wished to avoid falling in the trap where we treated the potential users for our product as just variables. The end purpose of the application is to better the lives of its users, so to that end we had to give life to the personas. 

As we were developing our scenarios (from which we also made accompanying storyboards) we started off with our user-stories that essentially boiled down to three different complications that we set out to resolve with our application. The increased independence and potential for more autonomy in the patient’s life. Facilitating a more effective line of communication and subsequent improvement in the mothers (and relatives) involvement in the patient’s life. Increased structure and improvement in the day to day chores and work of the assistant.
More so than these more individual needs, the application of our product could hopefully improve the relations between these users by lessening unnecessary friction, and by doing so removing some of the strain that could appear in theses relationships.

We mocked up a scenario were a complication would occur, where we could depict the needs of our personas. Keeping in mind our whish of showing our users as actual individuals, we tried to show their responses in accordance to the rich tapestry we had created as we were mapping out their personas. When the first scenario was finished, we essentially rewrote the premise of it, but from another user’s perspective (in this case the assistants).

Both our scenarios and accompanying storyboards are linked to the same conflict. The reasoning behind this was that our three users may have different needs, but they all engage in a three-way relationship, and each conflict affects them all but differently and with-it different consequences. Our solution is aimed at avoiding having these events occurring in the first place.  

Some of the conclusions drawn and insights gained from us working on these storyboards where some different functions we would potentially need and how big a part “user-friendliness” will play in the further development of our product. The impact an application such as this could have on the lives of the potential users also started to sink in. Somewhere in this process we, the participants in this project, became more than just students. We became Watermelon Security. 

Scenario 1

Caspians story

Caspian is enjoying a nice day at his assistant living facility. He is getting ready to go to is swim class.

But oh no! There is a knock at the door! But who could it be? He didn’t know about any visitor today?

Caspian opens the door and is surprised at seeing his mother standing there. She says that they need to hurry because they need to get over to his grandmothers 70-th birthday dinner.

Caspian feels both a little ashamed and very frustrated. He really wanted to go swimming today and he haven’t had a chance to by anything for his grandmother as this is the first thing he’s heard about a 70-th birthday dinner.

He asks his mother Lisa why she didn’t give him more notice, but she says in a surprised voice that she called his assistant last week!
Clearly there is an issue with communication here, so Caspian starts looking for a better solution to his scheduling needs.

So Caspian and his mother Lisa approaches the assistant Mercedes about this scheduling conflict and how best to avoid future mishaps.
Mercedes is horrified and apologizes profusely for the snafu. She had completely forgotten about it as the call came during her medical round but then it slipped her mind, again.

Mercedes says she has heard about this app called  “Watermelon”™ that is supposed to be very help full! They can all add activities to the schedule and have access to the changes and full daily plans in real time.
Caspian and his mother Lisa agrees to try it out so they all download the app.

****One week Later****
Caspian is at band practice and he gets a notification on his phone. His mother Lisa added a family picknick for the coming Saturday which is great because he has no plans for that day. His mother obviously knew that as she could se his schedule. 

Scenario 2

Mercedes story

Mercedes is doing her rounds at the facility, making sure all the patients get their medication on time and spreads as much cheer she can muster where-ever she goes.

She is dosing out some medication for a patient while she is trying to cheer her patient up, suddenly her phone rings! She answers the phone while juggling the medication, it is Lisa, her dear Caspians mother. Lisa asks Mercedes to notify Caspian that they are going to his grandmother next week for her 70-th birthday party. Distractedly Mercedes let’s Lisa know that she will let him know and that he is such a nice boy.

Mercedes carries on with her round, talking to everyone with good cheer and completely forgetting to tell Caspian about the birthday party.

****One Week Later****
As Mercedes is working she is approached by Caspian and his mother Lisa. Mercedes lights up and jauntily approaches the mother-son pair with a big smile. But oh no! They look so concerned!

They tell Mercedes about the little scheduling snafu and she can tell that they are upset. Mercedes is horrified as she realizes she forgot to tell Caspian about the party and feels very guilty to have caused her charge and his mother any heartache. She apologizes while her mind is working a mile a minute for any potential solution.
She remembers reading about this new scheduling app called melon-something? Watermelon! She mentions the app to them and they all agree to try out the app.

****One Week Later****
Mercedes is having a rare moment of quiet, well as quiet as she can be listening to her lifestyle podcast, having a cup of matcha tea (sweetened with all natural stevia). Her phone get’s a notification. Mercedes pauses the podcast and looks at her phone, it is a notification from the Watermelon app. Seems like Caspian is going on a picknick with his family next Saturday, oh how nice.