Project Reflections

            One main concept that I was introduced to for the first time through working on this group project was persona building. Working in an advertising agency I had always seen displays in conference rooms where the creative teams would pin magazine cut outs and phrases often used by different target segments (for instance Generation X’ers and what they like, say, do, etc.) but I didn’t know exactly what they were doing and that this was a formal technique. Also, I was unaware of just how specific a persona could be, as narrow as one person that can be representative of an entire segment. The project definitely helped me gain a better understanding of the persona tool because we worked very closely with ours and did all of our research based on our persona. By using a persona for the Nordstrom project we were really able to delve deeper into the lifestyle and pain points of a particular segment of women (in our case women 30-35 with 1-2 kids and a substantial household income). I feel like this tool will be extremely helpful for my career in the future and I’m almost positive I will be using it often to gain insights into the different target segments I will be working with.

            Another main idea I had never been exposed to was the Business Canvas Model. Like we discussed in class, I think this is a really useful tool because it brings validity to an idea or prototype. Often times marketers are stereotyped as coming up with “fluffy” ideas that aren’t backed by hard evidence that can prove to be really beneficial, effective, or profitable. As a wise professor of mine once stated: “ Business canvas models illustrate a real business idea that makes real money.” When developing this model for our prototype it was helpful to consider all aspects of the model and how our prototype wouldn’t affect just one aspect of Nordstrom (i.e. who would the key players be? What key resources are required? What is the cost structure? Etc.). Again, I think this model will be very useful in my future internship/career and be able to help me illustrate a better picture of my ideas without missing any integral steps in the process. It was also fun, in terms of the project, to really play out portions of the model such as acting out being a Nordstrom associate and how such a prototype really requires everybody in the company to be on board. For instance, the sales associates and stylists need to be fully behind the idea and support it in order to ensure enthusiasm with the new idea and make sure that it succeeds to the fullest extent. Although we didn’t go very deep into the cost structure and revenue aspects of the business canvas model, it would be very interesting to see how our prototype would actually play out in terms of being a profitable idea that really brings value to Nordstrom and its customers. Also, to see how measurable this value is and if it’s something that can be assessed in the short vs. long term.

            The only thing that I can think of that might not have been of value when working on this project were some of the research techniques that we utilized. This is not to say that these tools aren’t useful tools, however, I feel that we didn’t have the best understanding in terms of how to go about gathering our research and decided to try a few techniques that might help us tap into some key insights. For instance, we gave the interviewees a list of comparisons such as: If you could compare Nordstrom’s to a college, which college would you choose? Thinking back on it I’m not sure if that added any value. We also had them do some word associations with Nordstrom vs. their favorite department stores. I don’t know how much we actually used that data vs. the information we gained from actually just having conversations with our interviewees. I believe our strategy was to get creative with our research without really knowing what we were doing and what would work. But maybe that is a step in learning this whole process? …And there isn’t a write or wrong answer to this? Ultimately I would really like to learn more about different research methods that can be used and if there are ways to even create your own and how one would go about doing that.  I believe the entire physical process of gaining insights is very fascinating and there could probably be an entire course on just this one aspect of research and what to depict from the information you gather. I think this was one of the most challenging aspects of this project, and one that will obviously take a great deal of practice in order to improve upon. It’s sometimes difficult to not just ask a question like: Hey, what bothers you? Get the answer and then think…well there is my “insight.” As we’ve seen through the course of this project, there is MUCH more that goes into it.

            Overall I really enjoyed working on this project for several reasons. One reason was that we were working for a company we were all very familiar with and one that really prides itself on excellent customer service and high standards. Secondly, I love that the class was structured in a way where we were given certain tools that were explained to us but then we were really able to run with it and be as creative as possible (plus have in-class time to really work on our ideas/project). Also, Professor Walls wouldn’t just give us a tool or a concept and explain what it was. He would also tell us to ask ourselves various questions and think through things that pushed us to go deeper into developing our prototype and personas. This class really helped me to think outside the box in a way I hadn’t thought about doing before. It also helped that I loved going to this class because it was entertaining and I never dreaded it once. The first time I thought about our prototype and toyed with a number of ideas was in the middle of class. I remember frantically writing down notes and showing my teammate and thinking that it really goes to show that you can be creative at any point in time, not just when you are sitting down to think about it. Lastly, what made working on this project even more enjoyable was that I had a really great team. We were very respectful of each other’s ideas and had a lot of fun and laughs along the way. I definitely think that working in a group contributed to my learning because I will most definitely be working in teams throughout my career, especially in the marketing world.