Client + Challenge
Marnita's Table hosts events that foster connection across race, class, culture and other means of self-identity using a thoughtful and strategic process called Intentional Social Interaction, or IZI. The IZI model is based on 5 roots and 20 touch points.
Marnita’s Table is making an effort to increase IZI events by training more people across the nation in order to create rapid response teams that drop on the ground in conflict-ridden areas and bring together people across difference to peacefully problem solve. Currently, however, people who go through IZI training still have difficulty answering questions while planning events because IZI is complex and the material currently exists in several different places making it difficult to navigate. This results in IZI trainees reaching out to the Marnita's Table team for help, which distracts the team from their already full workload.
Methods
User Research, Competitive Analysis, Journey Map, Site Map
Tools
Sketch, InVision
Solution
To solve this problem, I prototyped a centralized step-by-step planning tool that ties in IZI resources at relevant points in the planning process. Additionally, the tool allows trainers to connect with the greater IZI network to share resources and answer each other’s questions.
Process
Deep Dive
To understand what people go through in an IZI training session, I learned IZI’s foundational roots and touch points and how they are taught and shared.
I also looked at various event planning and educational content delivery websites and tools, which gave me a better idea of how to organize IZI material in a way that is most intuitive for planning events.
User Interviews
Post deep dive, I interviewed three different stakeholder groups:
The Marnita's Table team
Individuals trained in IZI and who now lead IZI events
Two Master trainers (trainees who are qualified to train others in IZI).
The interviews uncovered three main findings:
Event planning is especially tricky for individuals planning their first event
Master Trainers do not mind answering questions from Trainers
Trainers have questions on all aspects of the planning process, but especially around food planning
Someone who went through IZI training
A Master Trainer
Marntia's Table Team
Journey Map
The journey map walked through the experience of a user being trained in IZI and then planning her own IZI event.
Prototyping
My findings led me to create a flexible tool that can be utilized by both people newly trained in IZI as well as individuals who have been hosting IZI events for a longer period of time.
The tool is comprised of three components:
Resources: which are managed by Marnita’s Table and include information on the 5 roots and 20 touch points as well as other tools and resources
Connect: managed and contributed by Trainers as a place to ask and answer questions, give and receive recommendations and connect with volunteers.
The Planning Tool: which pulls from both resources and connect to guide Trainers in their IZI planning process.
I focused on the Planning tool, and more specifically the feast planning component because familiar and appropriate food is key to bringing people together and having a successful IZI. However, finding and ordering culturally appropriate food for many people is challenging, especially food that meets all dietary restrictions from vegan to carnivore, include gluten, dairy and soy sensitivities. A video walk-though of my InVision prototype can be viewed below.
Next Steps
Moving forward, I will continue to design key features, such as the Before-During-After states of the planning tool as well as build out Resources and Connect. I will then iteratively test the features on essential users to make sure they work as desired.
From left to right: Aswar, Sam, Carina (me), Marnita, Elijah, Elexis, and Lauren at the Marnita's Table office.