Design Thinking-Kepler Community

After learning what design thinking is and its process, it will be applied in Kepler community using the insecurity issue in student housing

Problem identified

The identified management problem in community is theft issue. Kepler staff in charge of safety received many complains of theft from students in the student housing. A lot of students have faced theft issues where they lost their properties, such as laptops, cables, clothes, money, etc., in the student housing. Addition, students have doubts and worries of leaving their properties as they expected to lost them anytime. This is causing insecurities in Kepler Student housing. It will be better if Kepler insecurities is addressed for Kepler growth and students’ development. With the identified problem, the following is the identified POV statement:

Point of View (POV) statement

“As Kepler management need to ensure safety and security among Kepler students, they need a strict security to ensure a safe and progressive learning environment for students”

Proposed solutions

From the generate ideas from end users, there are various possible solutions.

Solution 1: scanning device on each room such as passport, fingerprint, or bar code. This is an electronic device where a person will be using his/her fingerprint, unique password, or bar code on the badge to enter in a room at the student housing. This will help ensure security and safety as only authorized people will enter student housing.

Solution 2: increasing CCTV camera. In the student housing, there are cameras in hallways. They need to increase number of camera like putting them in classroom and near the gate. Mostly, it will be helpful if those cameras hidden to prevent those students who steal others as they will fear them.

Solution 3: electronic barbed wire. The electronic barbed wires are put on the fence. When a person jumps over the fence, s/he got burned by the electricity. This will help to avoid outside thieves who jump fence. Also, it will help in protecting student’s properties like clothes. The possible challenge is that the method of protection is illegal in Rwanda.

Solution 4: Strict rule by security guards. Security guards should put tough rules in order to prevent unauthorized people. These rules include preventing a card before entering, living the housing with one machine, etc. Each machine should have a unique code where security guard will be checking that it belongs to that person.

From these generated ideas from end user with their advantages and challenge, there are those which are delightful, sensible, and unexpected

Most delightful: electric barbed wires

Most sensible: scanning device

Unexpected: strict rule by security guards

Best solution to be tested

The best solution is scanning device on the door (Finger print, Pass word, Bar code on student badges). The solution will be tested as it is viable and desirable.

Final prototype

We collected feedback from end users twice. End user complained about bar code on badges where a student may lose it unexpectedly. This can lead to unauthorized person to open the door/room. For the second time, they mentioned people who can jump over the fence as scanning device control doors only.

From two tests and the collected feedback, our scanning device will contain fingerprint and encrypted password to avoid unauthorized people. Also, there will be alarms on each fence in order to avoid thieves who jump over the fence. The following are the steps to our solution. First, there will be acquisition of required materials (scanning machine and alarms). Second, there will be hiring of an It to install the scanning device. Third, there will be hiring of a technician to program alarms. Addition, there will be an information session for security guard to teach them how to use alarm and scanning device. Last, there will be registration of all students in the system.