1-Pager
Plan
By Phase By Day Calendar
Launch
Students will launch the yearlong pathway project by building background knowledge about shelter adoption work, community outreach, and animal safety; connecting with mentors and community partners; surfacing assumptions; and producing the first evidence-based concept materials that will guide deeper research in the next phase.
Days 1 - 11
45 min over capacity (495 min available across 11 days)
🐾 Shelter Stories Kickoff Panel
Launch 45m
📘 Animal Safety and Adoption Text Study
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🗺️ Shelter Visit Observation Log
Community Experience 90m
🎯 Criteria and Constraints Mini Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
💬 Interview Questions and Contact Roles
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🧠 Adoption Event Idea Sprint
Project Work 45m
📝 Problem Statement Draft Board
Deliverable 45m
🎨 Outreach Prototype Thumbnails
Project Work 45m
🔁 Mentor Feedback on Thumbnails
Deliverable 45m
📄 Launch Research Brief Checkpoint
Assessment 45m
📈 Progress Report and Next Steps
Assessment 45m
Research & Listen
Students will investigate shelter needs, adoption barriers, and safety considerations through direct contact with community partners and local residents, then organize evidence into research artifacts that prepare them to define a focused, evidence-based design challenge.
Days 12 - 29
🎙️ Shelter Interview Protocol Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🦺 Animal Safety Field Notes Clinic
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📋 Community Listening Logistics Plan
Project Work 45m
🐾 Shelter Staff Listening Visit
Community Experience 90m
🗣️ Resident Adoption Barrier Interviews
Community Experience 90m
📚 Research Synthesis on Adoption Outreach
Research 45m
🧩 Evidence Clustering With Affinity Notes
Project Work 45m
⚖️ Event Constraints Analysis Board
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📝 User Research Brief Draft
Deliverable 45m
🔁 Brief Feedback Round
Project Work 45m
👥 Mentor and Partner Research Critique
Community Experience 45m
✅ Research Brief Milestone Conference
Assessment 45m
Make Empathy Map
Students will synthesize interview notes, observation records, and partner input into empathy maps, journey patterns, and assumption-check documents that clarify stakeholder needs, barriers, and safety risks. They will test their interpretations through critique, mentor feedback, and a community partner touchpoint, then revise toward a clear evidence-based problem direction for the next phase.
Days 30 - 46
🧭 Shelter Stakeholder Pattern Sort
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📝 Empathy Map Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🐾 Adopter Journey Risk Map
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🗂️ Individual Empathy Map Draft
Deliverable 90m
💬 Two-Peer Critique on Maps
Project Work 45m
⚖️ Event Constraint Evidence Grid
Research 45m
🔍 Assumption Check Tracker
Project Work 45m
🎙️ Shelter Staff Sense Check
Community Experience 45m
🔁 Revised Map and Evidence Notes
Deliverable 90m
📌 Problem Framing Conference
Assessment 45m
Define Design Brief
Students will turn empathy findings, interview evidence, and shelter partner input into a focused design brief for a community adoption awareness effort. They will define a clear problem statement, analyze criteria and constraints, draft measurable outreach goals, and refine their brief through mentor, peer, and partner critique before a milestone approval for the next phase.
Days 47 - 63
🧭 How Might We Studio
Launch 45m
📚 Shelter Messaging Mentor Texts
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
⚖️ Animal Safety Constraints Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🗂️ Insight Clusters to Problem Statements
Project Work 45m
🎯 Design Brief Metrics Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📝 Design Brief Draft
Deliverable 90m
🤝 Mentor Check-In Conference
Community Experience 45m
💬 Brief Feedback Carousel
Project Work 45m
📞 Shelter Staff Design Review
Community Experience 45m
🔁 Revision Sprint and Change Log
Deliverable 90m
🧪 Outreach Directions Sketch Set
Project Work 45m
✅ Design Brief Milestone Review
Assessment 45m
Prototype & Test
Students will generate and compare multiple outreach and event concepts, build low-fidelity prototypes grounded in prior research, test those prototypes with peers and community partners, and use evidence from critique to revise their adoption-awareness solutions.
Days 64 - 80
🚀 Adoption Event Prototype Sprint
Launch 45m
🧭 Outreach Concepts and Tradeoffs
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🎨 Messaging Models for Adoption Campaigns
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
💡 Three Event Directions
Project Work 45m
🛠️ Flyer and Booth Mockups
Project Work 90m
🗣️ Peer Critique on Safety Messaging
Deliverable 45m
🔁 Revised Outreach Prototype Draft
Deliverable 45m
📋 User Testing Interview Protocols
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🏠 Shelter Partner Feedback Round
Community Experience 90m
📊 Feedback Pattern Sort
Research 45m
✍️ Problem Statement and Test Plan
Deliverable 45m
🔍 Mentor Check-In Revisions
Project Work 45m
✅ Prototype Evidence Review
Assessment 45m
Refine & Present
Students will refine their outreach and event-planning solutions through documented revision cycles, validate changes with peers and community stakeholders, and prepare a professional presentation that explains how research, feedback, and tradeoff decisions shaped the proposed community adoption event.
Days 81 - 97
🧭 Feedback-to-Revision Decision Matrix
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🛡️ Animal Safety Message Check
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📊 Tradeoff Evidence Storyboard
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🛠️ Revision Sprint One
Project Work 90m
🗣️ Two-Peer Critique Protocol
Deliverable 45m
🤝 Shelter Stakeholder Validation
Community Experience 45m
🔁 Revision Sprint Two
Project Work 90m
📁 Iteration Portfolio Checkpoint
Deliverable 45m
🎤 Showcase Deck Build
Project Work 90m
🎯 Evidence-Based Presentation Rehearsal
Assessment 45m
📝 Activism Growth Progress Report
Deliverable 45m
Showcase
Students will finalize and present their adoption awareness work to authentic audiences, document community impact from the event, and curate evidence of how research, feedback, and revision shaped their final decisions. They will use peer critique, mentor input, and audience responses to strengthen exhibition materials, then complete a final performance assessment and year-end reflection on collaboration, activism, and self-direction.
Days 98 - 108
🎤 Shelter Event Storyboard Run
Launch 45m
📊 Adoption Impact Data Wall
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🖼️ Outreach Portfolio Curation
Project Work 45m
🗣️ Peer Critique on Event Displays
Deliverable 45m
🧭 Mentor Notes Revision Sprint
Project Work 45m
🎙️ Family Showcase Rehearsal
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🤝 Community Adoption Showcase
Community Experience 90m
📝 Audience Feedback Synthesis Memo
Research 45m
📁 Final Pathway Project Defense
Assessment 45m
🌱 Activism Growth Reflection
Assessment 45m