degree project research and strategy

7/29/2019 degree project research and strategy

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it's a very commonly held and often repeated belief that long distance relationships don't work, and aren't sustainable or worththe trouble.



jessi wilson | degree project | background

i think these numbers help to provide the background of how common ldrs are. keep in mind these are 8 years old and predateeasy webcam access.



marriages experience a period of distance in their rst 3 years

1 in 10

of marriages are considered to be long distance

~3%

long distance marriages in the united states3.5 million

please note: these stats are old! we know how much better technology is since 2005.

unmarried relationships maintained in college

4.5 million


i think these numbers help to provide the background of how common ldrs are. keep in mind these are 8 years old and predateeasy webcam access.




what these numbers can't address, though, and what the apps often don't get into, is how people spend the time they can'tspend on their webcam, and how that "gameplan" (or relationship model) that makes successful ldrs work gets formulated. it'snot something we're explicitly taught how to negotiate, but can be learned through our own experiences and the sharedexperiences of others in similar circumstances.



average distance between partners i surveyed in 2012

615 mi

average distance between partners surveyed in 2005

125 mi

average visits in both 2005 survey & my research

visit ~1 me a month

southeastern university students currently were or had been in a LDR

almost 40%

(excluding deployment distances)


what these numbers can't address, though, and what the apps often don't get into, is how people spend the time they can'tspend on their webcam, and how that "gameplan" (or relationship model) that makes successful ldrs work gets formulated. it'snot something we're explicitly taught how to negotiate, but can be learned through our own experiences and the sharedexperiences of others in similar circumstances.



what’s out there already to help?

jessi wilson | degree project | audit

but nobody’s saying it isn’t difcult. what kinds of support already exists?*this app connects people, whether short or long distance.



what’s out there already to help?


but nobody’s saying it isn’t difcult. what kinds of support already exists?*this app connects people, whether short or long distance.




these experiential pillows connect distanced lovers through their heartbeats. but what about advice?



audit of similar


websites like we are in it together and loving from a distance seem helpful, * but they’re both the work of one person or onecouple, writing articles that imply what worked for them will work for everyone. the deficit i find here is the lack of simultaneousequal voices and personal interconnectivity that a social media platform allows for. which leads me to my big question andproposal of artifact:



how can social media help provide

reassurance and external support to an

individual in a long distance rela onship?

jessi wilson | degree project | big question



audience

jessi wilson | degree project | audience



jessi wilson | degree project | audience

the audience is people in long-distance relationships, people who are about to attempt or begin long-distance relationships, anpeople who have recently ended long distance relationships. these can be further divided into: those who begin together, andthen separate due to outside circumstances; those who meet in person, but are from a distance, and begin long distance; andthose who enter a relationship with someone they meet a way that isn't in person (ie: online). these can be people of any age, bumay more likely be young adults, college- aged and older, given the uncertainty of location in their education and early career.another specific group are military couples whose partners may be unable to even talk for extended periods, let alone see oneanother in erson.



context

jessi wilson | degree project | context

i would expect this to provide a web-based social media experience not unlike facebook, twitter, or the new myspace. i imagineit not as something a user visits and checks every day, but as something they return to once their partner leaves town, whenthey’re feeling low, or when they have a fun story they want to share with people who can relate.



jessi wilson | degree project | artifact

i want the experience to be very tailorable to how di erent people want to use it, so i mapped out di erent experiences that theplatform could provide. this led me to four subquestions to live under the big umbrella of the first, answerable with userscenarios.



how can "mentorship" be used to encourage those who are frightenedabout the beginning of an LDR?

scenario: someone nding and contacting a mentor

jessi wilson | degree project | subquestions



how can this platform allow for both online and ofine friendship andcompanionship?

scenario: nding/setting up a live meet-up





i created this map of ways to search for users to answer the first two subquestions.



how can the online community help someone navigate a "rough patch" intheir LDR?

scenario: seeking advice on a topic, e.g. cheating




how can interactive information design help a separated partner connectwith others' experiences?

scenario: sorting the overall stream of content by mood/tag





this map explores some of content that would be expressed into the “stream,” whether it’s a happy story or a cry for help.



jessi wilson | degree project | inspiration

i’m excited about how the new myspace handles and balances its “stream” of di erent kinds of content that with beautifulmoments and filters.



goals

jessi wilson | degree project | goals

through i hope to strengthen my understanding of the ideas we’ve learned in user experience, info architecture, and multimediaexperience by targeting a group and working to define and address their needs. i also hope to envision a useful and handsomeuser interface, and produce emotionally moving promotional material for this system.



jessi wilson | degree project | proposed schedule

here is an outline of how i (probably naïvely) intend to use my time on this project, not unlike a schedule for mx.



how can social media help provide

reassurance and external support to an

individual in a long distance rela onship?

jessi wilson | degree project | big question | thanks for any feedback!

and here’s my big question again. thank you for listening!



jessi wilson | degree project | subquestions | thanks for any feedback!

how can "mentorship" be used to encourage those who are frightenedabout the beginning of an LDR?

scenario: someone nding and contacting a mentor

how can this platform allow for both online and ofine friendshipand companionship?

scenario: nding/setting up a live meet-up

how can the online community help someone navigate a "rough patch" intheir LDR?

scenario: seeking advice on a topic, e.g. cheating

how can interactive information design help a separated partner connectwith others' experiences?

scenario: sorting the overall stream of content by mood/tag

degree project research and strategy

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