Gather Inspiration and Interpretation

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1-3 Gather Inspiration

Zeynep ŞükürerZeynep OktarLeyla Feray

+Inspiration Notes

Ozan Çaglargil

Observations and Quotes:

Ozan is the Creative Partner in Creasoup.

“Whatever you do, make it more fun”

Students and their parents would like to come physically to Koç University for registration, because Koç University is a great school and parents are proud of their kids enrolling to the school.

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Creating a tool that can be carried with. A tool that can be sent to houses of new comers in packages.

Gamification can be a good idea.

Mainly two big ideas, Idea 1

Every student can receive a tablet-like electronic tool before coming to the registration.

This tool can be a map, a gps through the school buildings. There can be a starting point, transition points and end point, which

are the place that student should go and deliver some documents. Students can receive points or can win a price after completing the

missions. Like a treasure hunt registration experience.

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Idea 2 Every student can receive a little booklet before coming to

the registration This booklet can be consisting of tracing paper (aydınger), or

copy sheets (see though). This booklet can also be like a folder, where students should

put their documents in a specific order to see some pop up fun images.

When student puts for example his/her picture, his/her face with a body wearing Koç T-shirt can appear.

By this way they experience some fun, which is unexpected. You can hand in the whole folder/booklet to the registrar at

once. This is again an example of gamification.

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The design of the tool should be simple and easy to understand.

“Do not try to create something too futuristic, keep it simple and understandable”. Yapikredi’s website is a bad example. A bank’s website cannot be too minimalistic, because people coming

from different backgrounds can have hard time in understanding their needs.

Pastel colors and flat images are the new trends in design.

“In your group give the designing to only one person”. If different people interfere with designing process, meaning the drawing, the styles of the pages will be different and confusing for the user.

“Don’t get confused with design rules, try to keep it simple and fun”

+Interpretations

First of all we erased the question “HMV create a tool that students can do registration without coming to school?” Because especially parents love to see their child’s new school.

We can exploit this thrill of the students and their parents by creating a tool, which is more fun.

The tool doesn’t necessarily have to be a website, or online. It can be anything. It can be an app, it can be a booklet…

In terms of easiness to use, an interactive application can be considered.

There are some sensor devices, which sends notifications to smart phones or tablets within a certain distance range. They are called estimote. They can be used.

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Since the students want to come to registration, we can make the process more fun. A gamification is a good idea. Treasure hunt, gps etc.

Some reward can be given to the newcomers then they complete the game.

In terms of design, there are no rules. But keeping it simple and easy to use is the key.

We shouldn’t make it too minimalistic. It can confuse students.

If they do not want to attend the gamification experience, they simply can skip the games and follow the map and do their registration.

+Explanation of Newcomers’ Interviews

Newcomers interviews are divided into two parts.

First part is in SOS 180 computer lab. We invited three newcomers to form a focus group in a computer lab. Two of them came to the lab. We conducted the study with the third newcomer at SOS Planet Cafe.We gave them online tasks to complete on my.ku, F drive, KUAIS and KU’s website. We measured the time of completing the tasks. After observing their interaction, we asked their opinions about the tools that they have recently used.We asked specific questions such as their color preference etc. for their user experience.

In the second part, we interviewed them about their registration day experience. The interview was at Cafe Nero, in a more sincere, casual environment.

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Instructions for the focus group study were;

Finding the academic calendar

Finding your advisor and send an e mail to him/her

Finding library’s website and reserve a private room

Finding the Koç University’s campus map

Finding the list of students clubs

Finding an e mail adress for your questions related to orientation

Finding statuses of printers on campus and checking your printer quota

+Finding… Özge Tatar İlkay Karaca Ayse Sukurer

the academic calendar

32 sec 11 sec 20 sec

your advisor and send an e mail to him/her


library’s website and reserve a private room

10 sec- 16 sec 10 sec- 10 sec 37 sec- 20 sec

Koç University’s campus map


the list of students clubs

2 min 25 sec 1 min 30 sec 1 min 16 sec

e-mail adress for your questions related to orientation

couldn’t find 46 sec 1 min 3 sec

statuses of printers on campus and checking your printer quota

couldn’t find 23 sec- 31 sec couldn’ t find

+***The Important Note:

We want to underline that 3 people aren’t enough for making a clear scientific conclusion out of this study, however, these findings gave us some kind of a brief idea about the problems of the university’s online tools. The newcomers’ interviews were much more enlighting to understand the things that we should focus on.

+Inspiration Notes

Özge Tatar/ SOS 180 Computer Lab


Özge Tatar is a newcomer whose major is Business Administration but studies her current year at ELC.

“Sometimes it is hard to find what you are looking for in Koç University’s website. However, I will do my best.”

She came on time and carefully listened to the instructions. She seemed excited about particapiting the study. She didn’t hesitate to ask for help while she was completing the tasks.

She was very confident and seemed she has adapted to the university environment very quickly.

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“In orentation, we were supposed to get familiar with the online tools of the university but practically I had to learn it by myself.”

During the study, she couldn’t finish few tasks. When we saw her struggle, we allowed her to continue with other tasks.

“I don’t like the interface of Kuais and its design. I don’t know how to put it in words but it is like, not modern looking at all.”

She told us that she would prefer the university’s online tools to have brighter colors and and to be easier to use.

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İlkay Karaca/ SOS 180 Computer Lab

İlkay Karaca is a newcomer whose major is Economics but studies her current year at ELC.

She was also punctual. She paid attention to the instructions that we told. She was willing to be a part of the study. She was more quiet and shy than other newcomers. However, she was the fastest and the most successful one.

“ I haven’t met my advisor yet because he was in the United States during the orientation. I know that I won’t be comfortable with sending an e mail to him.”

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Ayse Sukurer/ SOS Planet Cafe

Ayse Sukurer is a newcomer freshman whose major is International Relations.

“My dormitory at the West Campus, therefore I don’t go to library to study. It is far away. That’s why, I don’t use library’s website too frequently.”

She told us that she has learned about the online tools of the university in the orientation but she didn’t use some of them until this study, so she had difficulties.

“Once I needed to find some of my professors, friends e-mails whom I didn’t know their last names. I had hard times finding the the search button for this purpose.”

She thinks that search buttons must be more visible and the design of these online tools should be easier to use.”

+Interpretations

Newcomers had especially difficulties with following tasks; finding; library’s website and reserve a private room, the list of students clubs, e-mail adress for your questions related to orientation and statuses of printers on campus and checking your printer quota.

They all think that the university’s online tools must be more user friendly.

They don’t find the design of these tools good enough, they find them old fashioned, didn’t like the color choices.

The education that is given in the orientation wasn’t enough students to learn them perfectly. Education process must be revised.

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Özge Tatar/ Cafe Nero:


The interview with her and the others weren’t formal at all. It was very sincere and friendly.

“ I actually liked the idea of coming to the school for registration. It was nice to meet new people that day.”

“ In the end of the registration day, they gave us delights from Divan as a gift, I was really thankful and happy when I received the gift.”

“ Using games to complete the process of registration would be fun, I would also want school related prizes at the end of the game, a school sweatshirt maybe!”

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Ilkay Karaca/ Cafe Nero:

“ Coming to the university for registration is almost a necessity for my parents, I wouldn’t imagine them trying to complete registration without seeing the campus. Coming to the school is their demand.”

“Think about it, coming to the school for registration is preferable only because we actually want to be in the school but apart from that the process can be made more enjoyable.”

She told us that during the orientation, she couldn’t have a chance to meet her advisor.

“ People were getting to know their advisors. I heard advisors were asking students about their future goals. We were there standing alone, it was really sad and funny at the same time.”

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Ayse Sukurer/ SOS Planet Cafe:

She told us that she is from İzmir, so when the things to be done were over for her, she felt idle in the school.

“ A cocktail may be a great idea for people who finished what is supposed to be done, with this way we can get to know the places and people more, and use our idle time more effectively.”

“It took a little time for me to learn the places in the campus, it would be very cool if the first day we came to the campus is the day we got the campus perfectly.”

+Interpretations

Students agree on the fact that they would prefer to come to the campus for the registration day. So, the actual part we need to focus on is the quality of time that is spent during the registration.

Parents also are very important actors who we shouldn’t miss, they want to come to the campus.

The quality of time can be improved by using gamification, people who don’t prefer this way can have the regular way. Prizes related to school would be good motivators to finish the tasks.

There is idle time for students outside İstanbul, this time can be used for increasing the quality of time and learning amount.

Sometimes the advisors can’t come to the orientation, advisors can be chosen from suitable candidates.

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Esra Edin Aykut/ Registration Office


Her office's table is full of coffee cups.

When she was listening she leaned forward and sat properly.

Her wall was full of photos and drawings.

“ The office seems quite right now but the busiest time of the year for this office is the registration process for sure.”

+Interpretations

I think she was on a meeting before.

I think when she sit properly she understands/concentrates much better.

I think she feels better and more efficient while she working in a workspace that she likes.

+Interviewer Name: Registration Office

What are your exact duties in registration process?

As a registration office we create an individual file for each student. We offered an order in registration process. We keep standing the five day registration process.I am the responsible for all.

What documents do you need from the newcomer and in what order do you need them?

High school diploma is the most important document for registration. Other documents that we need ; identity booklet, lung scan, photos and bank receipt. There is no any order for documents.

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What is your opinion about using an online tool for the registration process ? Would it be easier or harder to use a online tool for registration process?

That's a great idea. I am so happy to hear an Idea like that. That would be very easy for us. We wouldn't have to handle with thousands of papers. As a registration office that "tool" benefits us the most.

How would this tool affect the reg. office employees? (number of employees and their working hours)

Offcourse that would change the number of employees. We don't have to take assistance. However, it would not change our working our it's stabile.

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Are there any documents that students need to hand over personally with their signature?

There is no any specific document that newcomer students need to hand over personally. ( For now, we have to but if we create an online tool, documents can uploaded online there is no problem) However, newcomer students have come to school anyway because of the OSYM rule.

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2 Interpretation

+2-1 Tell Stories

Ozan Çağlargil, Creative Partner in Creasoup.

What was the most memorable and surprising story?

He told me once they were creating iddaa.com. They were looking from the users perspective and designing the website according to the users’ needs. When they presented the project to the company, the managers wanted the agency to change some features and some things about the design of the page. They changed it and the end product was a disaster in terms of design. It was really bad that the agency didn’t even put the project to their portfolio. He told me how important it is to look in the users’ perspectives but sometimes companies just do not let you to do your job properly.

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What was interesting about the way he interacted with his environment?

Wherever he goes, he brings his computer with him. The messaging and e-mailing never stopped. He was very busy with his work and everyone was asking urgent questions to him. Even though he was very busy, he answered my questions sincerely and gave really good advices and examples. His sense of humor made the interview cozy and fun.

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What did this participant care about the most? What motivates him?

He always cares about the user. I think this is what makes him good at his job. He knows the needs of people and understands them. It is also very important for him to be respected and trusted by the companies he works with. Good humor motivates him a lot. He doesn’t like serious environment but of course the works should be done in time.

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What frustrtated him?

The clients usually frustrate him, because they always want to change things in the end product. However the changes that the agency had to do usually are not the best product. The team works in a great harmony. He doesn’t have any frustrations about them.

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What questions would you like to explore in your next conversation?

I would like to investigate more about his daily life and how they structure their projects. I would like to investigate more about their ideas and brainstorming about a project, because being creative all the time is a really tough job

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Özge Tatar- İlkay Karaca- Ayse Sukurer, newcomers of year 2013

What was the most memorable and surprising story?

Özge told us, when she learned that she is a student of Koç University, she immediately tried to find newcomers just like her via facebook groups. Using technology for meeting students of Koç University and reading what people said about the university in eksi sozluk helped her a lot. She even found her roommate from one of these facebook groups.

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What was interesting about the way she interacted with her environment?

At first İlkay wasn’t contributing to the conversation that much but as time passed, I guess she was relieved and eventually started to talk more. She was full of original ideas.

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What did this participant care about the most? What motivates her?

Ayse says that she loves being a Koc student. Her major is international relations, however she told us that she didn’t want to pursue a carrier in international relations. So, she wants to change her major as soon as possible. She cares about her classes. Moreover, she wants be actively involved in clubs. She says she is a member of Choir Club and Dance Club.

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What frustrtated her?

İlkay is frustrated by her parents. She says she loves them ofcourse but likes the idea of acting more independently. She says she would prefer to come to the registration alonne if she could. She is also furstrated with the fact that the university’s online tools aren’t very user friendly.

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What questions would you like to explore in your next conversation?

They are easy to talk to and fun. I guess, I would like to explore more about their personal stories. They can be really interesting to listen to and their newcomer experiences may help other areas that need to be improved in the university life.