Volunteering is a passion of mine, and I was fortunate enough to find an opportunity to use my user experience research and design skills with NoSchoolViolence.org, a Seattle-based nonprofit. Since the end of 2022, I have been working with the founder, Paul Privateer, on a project to develop a web-based behavioral analytics database that aims to prevent school violence. To achieve this goal, we have been conducting market, product, and user research and design.

Our aim is to provide parents and educators with easy-to-use web data tools that can help them identify behaviors that could lead to violence. By analyzing language patterns and behaviors, we want to empower parents to better understand their child's emotional needs and the statistical likelihood of them being victimized or engaging in violent behavior. Ultimately, our goal is to mitigate school violence by providing valuable insights that help parents and educators prevent it before it happens.

In my work, I conducted both primary and secondary research, which involved designing and leading a survey. Using the insights gathered from the survey, I created user personas, user journeys, and user flows. These tools and research were used to guide designers during a hackathon event at the Microsoft Reactor in 2023.

Secondary Research

After conducting a stakeholder interview, we decided to start with secondary research to gain insights into the need for the product and its potential user base. To do this, I categorized my research into four areas: prevalence of school violence, demographic information, parent attitudes toward school violence, and technology used to search for information.

To gather information, I began by using ChatGBT to search for relevant databases and sources. While I had a good idea of where to start, ChatGBT helped me confirm those ideas and provided me with additional leads. Using these leads, I found recent research studies and surveys that were relevant to the project.

After compiling the information, I developed user profiles and designed a survey to gather more data. By breaking down my research into specific categories and using various sources, I was able to gain valuable insights into the project and develop a clear understanding of the user base.

Some insights I gathered included:

Based on data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there were 250 school shootings in the United States between 2018 and 2021, resulting in 333 deaths and 1223 injuries. In addition, GVA has reported that as of February 27, 2023, there have been 94 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in 139 deaths and 366 injuries.

Furthermore, the average number of mass shootings per year has increased from 7.4 incidents per year between 2010 and 2013 to 19.8 incidents per year between 2017 and 2021. These numbers underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions that can help prevent such tragedies from occurring.

Primary Research:

Stakeholder Interview

The secondary research I conducted provided valuable insights into where I should focus my efforts for the primary research. To begin, I conducted another stakeholder interview with Paul to determine the goals and scope of the project, as well as the product's intended users and use cases. During the interview, we identified the need for the product and gathered information about its specific features, such as the structure of the database and the dependent behavioral, linguistic, and statistical applications. This information helped me develop a clearer understanding of the project and provided a solid foundation for moving forward with the research and design process.

Survey Design and Process

As part of my design process, I created and executed a survey to understand parents' perspectives on a product that could help prevent school violence. The survey's objective was to gauge parents' attitudes towards violence and determine their willingness to use such a product. I used Survey Monkey targeted parents, grandparents, and other relatives of grade school students as school shootings are more prevalent in primary and secondary schools. A total of 127 participants from across the United States completed the survey, which focused on a web-based database that measures a child's behaviors or changes in language patterns to predict their likelihood of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence.

The survey consisted of questions such as "Do parents worry about violence?" and "Would they use the product?". Additionally, responders were asked about how they search for information about violent behaviors, the usefulness of the time spent searching, and whether they would share the product's results with educators. Demographic information, including age, gender, and income level, was also collected.

The survey findings provide valuable insights into parents' attitudes towards a potential solution to school violence and their perception of the proposed product. I presented respondents with three different descriptions of the product's features, all of which focused on parents searching a database for strings of behaviors or language observed in their child. The application then presented statistically correlated patterns in the behaviors of those involved in school violence. On average, 72% of respondents reported that they would use the product. Overall, the survey's results helped inform my design decisions and ensured that the final product aligned with the target audience's needs and preferences.

Limitations

While the survey provided valuable insights into parents' attitudes toward a potential solution to school violence, there are some limitations to the survey. One limitation is the number of responders, as only 127 participants completed the survey. A good sample size for a survey of this nature, based on a 90% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error, would be 273. Therefore, the small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Another limitation of the survey is its focus on closed-ended questions. While the survey did ask about attitudes towards the product and the willingness to use it, more open-ended questions pertaining to attitudes toward the product use and privacy issues should be gathered. These types of questions can provide deeper insights into the mindset of the participants and their concerns regarding the product's implementation. Therefore, future surveys should include more open-ended questions to gather more comprehensive data.

Ongoing Research

As a dedicated volunteer with NoSchoolViolence.org, I am excited to continue our efforts by conducting 5-8 interviews with parents, teachers, school administrators, and counselors. These interviews will provide valuable feedback on the usage and need for our product. To ensure unbiased responses, I will begin with 5-10 preliminary questions, carefully avoiding leading the responders. During the interview, I will take time to ask follow-up questions, delving deeper into their underlying beliefs. To maintain impartiality, I will limit my facial expressions while actively listening and repeating their responses to encourage more in-depth conversations. With my background as a journalist, I have honed my interviewing skills, which are now translating into a successful career in UX research.

Potential questions:

How important is it to you to be able to identify potential violent behaviors in your child before they happen?

What types of behaviors do you consider to be signs of potential violence in your child?

How confident are you in your ability to recognize potential violent behaviors in your child?

What sources of information do you typically rely on to monitor your child's behavior?

How often do you communicate with your child's school about their behavior?

How receptive would you be to receiving automated alerts about potential violent behaviors from a database product?

Would you be willing to share your child's behavior data with a database product in order to receive alerts about potential violent behaviors?

How concerned are you about the privacy and security of your child's behavior data?

How would you prefer to receive alerts about potential violent behaviors via email, text message, or an app notification?

How accurate do you expect a database product to be in predicting potential violent behaviors in your child?

Would you be willing to pay for a database product that can accurately predict potential violent behaviors in your child?

How often would you want to receive updates about your child's behavior from a database product?

How easy or difficult do you find it to track your child's behavior on a daily basis?

Do you feel that your child's school adequately addresses issues related to potential violent behaviors?

How involved are you in your child's school and extracurricular activities?

How would you feel if your child's school required all parents to use a database product that can predict potential violent behaviors?

Would you be willing to provide feedback or suggestions to the developers of a database product that can predict potential violent behaviors in children?

User Personas

To guide the project and keep the users at the forefront, the next step in the research and design process was to create user personas. To create these personas, I used the information gathered from the survey to develop three profiles that represented different users in varying life situations and professions. By developing these personas, designers will have a better understanding of user needs during the design phase, ultimately guiding the direction of the project. I included a wide range of information in the personas, such as demographic information, familial situations, interests, goals, pain points/frustrations, motivations, challenges, needs, technology, content-type, brands and influences. All of these elements come together to develop a comprehensive context for our target users, allowing designers to create a more effective product. As a result, our design decisions will be more informed and aligned with user needs, ultimately leading to a more successful outcome.

User Journey Map

I created a user journey map that focuses on Maria Hernandez, a teacher and parent, to illustrate the process she may go through when she notices problematic behavior from one of her students. This journey map shows the challenges she would encounter if she were to search for information about behavioral risks without using the NoSchoolViolence product. Additionally, it highlights the moments where the product can help alleviate those challenges.

User journey maps like this one are useful in the design process because they allow designers to visualize the user's experience in detail. This helps them to identify pain points and areas where the product can improve the user's experience. By examining the user's journey, designers can gain a better understanding of how the product fits into the user's life and how it can be optimized to meet their needs. Ultimately, this leads to a more effective and user-friendly product.

User Flow Diagram

I created a user flow diagram that illustrates Maria's complete journey when using our product. The diagram outlines two scenarios: one where she uses a basic internet search browser, and the other where she uses our product. Through this diagram, I identify the difficulties and challenges Maria would face when using the browser. I also demonstrate the ease of use and benefits that our NoSchoolViolence product provides. By showcasing the benefits of the NoSchoolViolence product, designers can highlight the unique value proposition that sets it apart from other products and services in the market.