1.3 - Design Thinking Padlet by

Waze - NAME

tcherner1 — 2019-07-17 20:27:26 UTC

Waze is an app that combines features of social media, traffic analytics, and GPS systems to assist drivers in maneuvering through and around traffic. (1) The original problem that Waze addressed was that though GPS systems were helping drivers find their way, they were still encountering traffic when alternative routes were available. In addition, real-time traffic data was available, but it was not being included in many GPS systems at the time Waze was released. (2) The population most impacted by this situation is drivers in general; however, that can be narrowed down to drivers who regularly encounter traffic on their commutes. (3) Waze has adequately addressed the problem because it provided real-time traffic analytics in its app along with using alternative routes, when possible, so drivers can avoid traffic. In addition, Waze includes a social media aspect that allows drivers to “honk” at friends who are using the app, connect to Facebook, and share roadway alerts (e.g., police, potholes, accidents, etc.). In its 11-year history, Waze now ranks #2 on the App Store in the Navigation category, and over 7.5 million people have downloaded it from Google Play.

Venmo - NAME

slasseter — 2019-08-26 22:24:13 UTC

Venmo is a US-based money-sharing app that allows users to transfer small and larger funds from their accounts to those of other users. (1) The problem Venmo addressed was the frustration many young people encountered when splitting bills, settling debts, or exchanging money with friends and family. At the time, no easy, mobile friendly option existed for this purpose. (2) The population most effected by the problem are smartphone using millennials. At the time of Venmo's origin in 2008, checks and ATMs were declining in availability for many millennials, and the app provided a solution for simple mobile-based cash transactions. (3) Venmo adequately addressed the problem by providing a simple, mostly free, and, convenient way to exchange money on the go. Now part of millennial language, ("I'll venmo you"), the app has seen years of success, and there are several competitors and imitators that have been arisen since its creation such as Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and SnapCash.

Nintendo Switch - NAME

jharrisonmusic — 2019-08-27 15:50:13 UTC

The Nintendo Switch is a gaming system that bridges the gap between at-home and mobile gaming. (1) The problem Nintendo addressed was the growing trough between systems that catered to very casual markets (iOS and android games) and games that catered to the “hardcore gamers” (XBox and Playstation) that left many middle-ground customers without good options. Previous mobile systems were aging poorly and were overdue for an update. (2) Impacted populations could be children without the resources to buy larger consoles, young adults and other casual gamers that enjoy games but don’t want to fully commit to the more expensive systems and people that spend a lot of time traveling and commuting but still value fuller functionality of a TV connected system. (3) The popularity of the Switch shows that it has struck a chord with customers that were previously feeling uninspired by other platforms. On specs alone, the Switch is vastly inferior to its competitors, but by having a clear design goal and population it wants to cater to, its managed to be a strong contender in the market, outselling the PS4 in Japan and it is currently the fastest selling console in the US.

Trello - NAME

2019-08-27 21:31:30 UTC

Trello is an organizational tool for dividing large projects into individual task items that can be tracked along a continuum of completion. The original problem the developers of Trello aimed to address was the need for a digital to-do list that puts items in categories beyond “to-do” and “done”. Trello was designed to meet the needs of developers and others who were working on large collaborative projects that had to be broken down into steps to be completed. Trello responds to the problem because it gives the user the freedom to customize the categories and easily transfer the items from one category to the next with a mouse drag. It is also helpful that Trello does not put a limit on the number of categories a user can create. For example, some people have "to-do", "doing", and "done" columns. Others will have columns for "follow-up needed" or "urgent items". Trello allows for group collaboration in that it is easy to invite someone to view, edit, and contribute to your board.

XingSe- NAME

chenweixuanwo19870925 — 2019-08-27 22:51:42 UTC

XingSe app is a Chinese free app designed for those who like the plants and fruits like much. The most powerful function of it is that it can recognize of the picture of the plants and fruits and identify the name of plants and fruits at any time at any place in one second just matching the abundant information stored in their database.

1) the original problem that the entity addressed is that for many plant-fruit fans, when they are walking or hiking they usually bump into plants and fruits especially for trees and flowers，they have the problem to know the name of them，needless to see further information about them. This app perfect solve their problem
and go beyond that a lot.

2 ) The population most effected by the problem are plants and fruits zealots who are eager to know all the names of plants they see but lack enough plants knowledge or information about them.

3) This app adequately solves that problem.
First it is easy to manipulate: the users just take picture of them.
Second it is very quick to find the name of the plants and fruits. after taking a picture of it, on the smartphone there will appear a scanning bar and the name will be shown up for just a second.

Third, beyonds the name, the app actually can provide some background information for those plants and fruits , the stories behind them, the poems in the history in which mentioned them, how to feed them.etc. For those who are true lover of plants and plants, this app will make them satisfied by emotional way and knowledgeable way.

Kindle - NAME

naimanovelist — 2019-08-28 03:47:27 UTC

Kindle is a small handheld electronic reading device that was created by Amazon in November 2017.

(1) It was not feasible to carry 100 books with you all the time and that is why Kindle was designed for a single job – reading whatever, wherever and whenever you want.

(2) A lot of avid readers was impacted with the invention of kindle. While you are travelling or on the go but need to have something in hand to skim or read through from a big list of book choices, kindle could be the only solution.

(3) The sale of kindle hit a record high when it was initially launched in Amazon. It saved a lot of space and readers could keep the eBooks in the kindle’s library. Kindle encouraged readers as well as people who read less to use it because it had a very ease of usage. Amazon has announced that it has sold tens of millions of Kindle since 2017.

When it was designed, the main aim was not to compete with other technologies like tablet, PC, laptops etc. Kindle was designed with the idea to bring all the books available digitally in the palm of your hands.

Sink Positive - NAME

2019-08-28 16:45:08 UTC

Sink Positive is a toilet lid sink combination that routes clean water through the faucet and drains the water into the tank of the toilet.
(1) The original problem was that traditional toilets can waste a lot of water, through daily usage.
(2) Essentially every person or business that does not use a water efficient toilet is impacted by this problem. Specifically, this problem would directly impact environmentalists who seek to reduce water waste.
(3) I believe that through clever engineering, this product has adequately responded to the problem. It reduces water waste by combining the function of a sink in a way that is complimentary to the function of a toilet. After a flush, the toilet begins to refill itself which provides a stream a clean water through the sink faucet. Once you have washed your hands, the water is drained directly into the tank of the toilet, to be used for flushing.

Seventh Generation (Diapers) - NAME

wright2joelf — 2019-08-30 19:55:30 UTC

Seventh generation diapers are designed to replace regular diapers that take 500 years to decompose.

1) The world is creating too much waste. Seventh generation directed its belief that we (citizens) have the responsibility to next seven generations. They applied this belief to addressing diaper waste.

2) Waste is a global problem that we all need to reconcile. Parents in particular contribute a significant amount of waste through the use of diapers.

3) Partly, by applying their sustainability belief about being responsible to the next seven generations their diapers are much better for the environment because they are are based on plant based materials and packaging uses recycled plastic. This is all great. However, the challenge of price remains. The product is higher priced than regular diapers thus limiting those who can make the choice to live by their values.

Uber- NAME

2019-09-01 14:56:33 UTC

Uber is a GPS-based ride sharing app that allows users to quickly summon and track the status of their ride via an app.

The initial problem Uber worked to solve was the inefficiency of traditional cab service. Having to call or hail a cab seemed outdated and users were unable to track or check on the status of their ride. Sometimes they wouldn't show up at all or were very slow. Many cab companies fleets were also outdated.

Uber focused on urban professionals as their target market. Those with technological savvy and willingness to pay for a upgraded transportation system.

Uber revolutionized the ride sharing industry as smartphone users became the norm. Their model has been replicated by many competitors at this point and Uber has expanded into other service areas (UberEats).

Keurig – NAME

harriman1 — 2019-09-01 15:36:00 UTC

Keurig is a beverage brewing system for home and commercial use.

Before all else, I’m including this product because I think it shows the importance of good design thinking and product execution.

1. Originally, the Keurig was developed to make better, more fresh at-home coffee. The creator also hoped to address environmental waste caused by regular coffee makers through reusable, washable pods.

2 & 3: Though coffee snobs may disagree, the Keurig is more effective than most instant coffee makers at making fresh coffee, because of the way the coffee is vacuum-sealed in the K-cups. The populations most affected by the problem of poor coffee include college students, overworked office employees, and parents of newborn children. Other methods for making fresh coffee at home, like the French press, may have been simply too time-consuming or expensive for these populations. Now, because of the Keurig, these populations have access to instant fresh coffee.

However, the Keurig's other goal – less waste – is, as we all know, now ironic. The amount of K-Cups with unrecyclable plastic that have been trashed in landfills could wrap around the planet 10 times.

Project Quest - NAME

testmeite — 2019-09-02 01:08:41 UTC

Project Quest is a job retraining program in Texas that aims to help workers find fulfilling and relevant careers.

1. Today's work force is at risk of becoming outdated and underemployed as entire careers are displaced by trade and advancing technology.

2. Employees in trade skill jobs and factory workers along with those whose careers are affected by globalization and automation. But ultimately the whole community benefits from the programs offered by Project Quest!

3. Project Quest is recognized as one of the successful models of job retraining programs in the United States. They came to this solution through iteration and by carefully considering the needs of their students and the failings of current programs.

zoom.us -

2020-04-07 15:07:56 UTC

Zoom is a video conferencing tool originally designed for business.
1. The original purpose was to connect business partners or coworkers to have interactive, real-time meetings without having to travel as much.
2. Businesses were the original target population.
3. They have responded to this challenge by continuing to update tools and educators saw the opportunities for distance learning. Breakout rooms were a game changer for our faculty.

Garmin ForeRunner 245 - Ebenezer Lancerio

lancerio_ebenezer — 2020-08-17 00:00:39 UTC

The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a GPS watch designed for committed runners looking to measure a variety of personalized metrics.

1. Runners did not have an accurate method of counting the miles they were running. Before a run, they would map out their route online and then memorize it, or they would go on a timed run, which is an inaccurate way to gauge mileage.

2. Not only did GPS watches impact runners, but they have also impacted hikers, bicyclists, and recreational walkers. I’m not sure which came first, the pedometer on the watch or the GPS, but the pedometer has also created an entire movement of walkers and professionals driven to meet health metrics that have a positive impact on their well-being. The popularity of the pedometer was scaled through watches.

3. I think it adequately responded to the problem, and it created solutions to different problems in the process. I believe the metrics used by GPS watches give people attainable goals to reach every day. It has created a motivation for a healthier lifestyle through personalized data and has used that personalized data to build entire online running communities.

Remind - Taylor Brown

ctaylorb — 2020-08-17 13:14:08 UTC

Remind is an app design for digital communication (primarily over text messaging) between parents and schools.

1. As the age of technology progressed, parents stopped answering phone calls from unknown numbers, making quick contact with parents difficult. Email had too long of a response time.

2. Parents of school-aged children, teachers, coaches, some older children

3. I think Remind really helps - as I teacher, I personally don't want to send texts from my personal number, and the platform allows for administrative oversight to avoid any issues of private communication.

Library For All - Bron Manley

2020-08-17 13:54:43 UTC

Library For All delivers high quality, culturally diverse and age appropriate books to communities at no cost, via digital library downloadable from the internet or accessible on tablets with a preloaded SD card.

1. What was the original “problem” that the entity addressed?

Children between 8-12 from communities where history, poverty or remoteness are everyday barriers to accessing knowledge, remained illiterate or were not improving on their literacy due to little or no access to sufficient collections of localised books in their own language of instruction.

2. What population(s) do you think was impacted by the entity’s problem?

Children between the age of 8-12 within different cultural contexts/countries.

3. Did the entity’s product adequately respond to the problem? Why?

Yes books were curated collaborative by local experts including MoEs, Schools, INGOs, publishers and community members. In fact communities wrote many books through writing workshops to create books which included’ mirrors and windows’. Libraries were predominantly mirrors reflecting the lives of the readers in the stories. Meaningful stories improve learning outcomes which in turn increases motivation. Windows give a view into the world of others but stories are written in a way that makes sense to the readers. The fact that literacy improved 12% at LFA schools with libraries showed that there was benefit.

AUDIBLE - Marvin Espinoza

2020-08-17 19:46:36 UTC

Audible allows readers to listen to their favorite books wherever they go, whenever they want, when waiting in line, when they have 15 mins to spare, or when they're driving to and from work, without lugging their books around---and they can listen from the palm of their hands!

1. People who want to read but don't have the time because of their commute times or want to lug a bunch of books around with them have so many obstacles between them and opening up their favorite books.

2. People who can't read or see very well; people who commute a lot; people who don't want to lug around books; people who don't "have the time" to "add" to their days. All age groups from 18+.

3. Audible has definitely responded well to the problem: people are able to listen to their favorite books while on their commute without losing any time by "adding reading a book" to their daily routine. They can read anywhere at anytime, using audible integrated into their daily lives! Also, if people struggled reading because of eye-sight, they now have a way to "read" without seeing! Plus, they don't have to carry around heavy books with them.

SelfControl- Michael

berro1 — 2020-08-19 15:55:07 UTC

From Youtube to Facebook and the dreaded Candy Crush, the temptation to leave work (or homework) behind in the wind and enjoy all the internet has to offer. Only the strongest among us can resist the allure of internet distractions; the rest of us must rely on SelfControl, an app that “blocks [your own] access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet.”

1.) The major problem addressed by this app was to help curb distractions for individuals who needed to use an internet enabled device.
2.) While its potential population base is fairly wide ranging, most people want/need to be able to focus on a given task regardless of age, gender, or ideology, and the growing presence of the internet in our lives means that the potential for distractions emanating from the internet are high. Its main limitation is that it is limited to macOS.
3.) Hard to say, but leaning towards no. The app does continue to operate even after restarting your computer or deletion which makes working around its restrictions relatively difficult, but it will only block sites you put onto its “blacklist” for that time period. It doesn’t prevent you from searching out new things to distract yourself with and relies on the user to input the “blacklist.” Additionally, the limitation of the app to macOS prevents it being a universal solution.

Imperfect Foods - Devon Young

2020-08-19 16:24:26 UTC

Imperfect Foods is a service that purchases “ugly” produce that is deemed unsellable in grocery stores due to FDA regulations, and donates and sells them at a reduced cost to consumers in a weekly grocery-delivery service.

1. This service was developed to address food insecurity and extreme food waste in grocery stores, where FDA regulations require specific aesthetic guidelines for produce they can sell in stores.

2. Low-income communities and people that live in food deserts and have limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

3. YES! This service addresses the reality of hunger and inequitable access to nutritional foods in the US by effectively going around government regulations to provide this food to people at a low or free cost. In addition to donating thousands of pounds of fresh produce a month to food banks, they also raise awareness about food insecurity in the US, and how overreaching government policy is short-sighted when addressing the problem of hunger in the US.

Peloton Bike-Alexandra Lewis

2020-08-19 19:42:36 UTC

Peloton Bike: the only exercise bike streaming indoor cycling classes to your home live and on-demand.

1. People who want a cardio workout, but did not want to leave their home, pay gym fees or interact with others while exercising.

2. People who live in suburban areas without gyms, people whose work schedules do not fit in with gym hours, people who live in extreme climates, and people who are social distancing.

3. I believe Peloton has adequately responded to the problem. While there are many workout apps and machines that can be purchased, Peloton is one of the only products that offers machinery and classes in one. People can safely work out without leaving their homes, cut travel time to and from the gym, and work out under any conditions.

Passion Planners - Savannah Windham

savannahwindham — 2020-08-19 21:15:13 UTC

Passion Planner: Passion Planners are designed around the user's personal goals/habits. These planners fuse an aesthetically pleasing design with a variety of features like goal-setting/tracking, hour-by-hour weekly scheduling, and multiple calendar views.

1.The problem this product attempted to address was print calendar/agenda users' need for better calendar layout design, desire for a space for creativity and reflection, and desire for short and long-term goal setting all in one planner. 2. This product is heavily marketed to students and millennial professionals who are interested in self-growth. Any person looking to fuse these ideas with better planner/calendar design was impacted. 3. Yes. Not only was the creator's initial product a response to the needs I addressed above, she also continued to implement new features to her planner based on user feedback in the subsequent years since its launch. She is a great example of a small business owner who continues to produce new prototypes based on user feedback.

Equity Maps - Amanda Luz

2020-08-19 23:09:42 UTC

Equity Maps is an educational tool for setting and analyzing collaboration among students. It offers metrics and visual graphics for teachers to specifically assess the mechanisms of social interactions.

1. What was the original “problem” that the entity addressed?
Teachers can't assess the mechanisms and quality of social interactions when students collaborate remotely.

2. What population(s) do you think was impacted by the entity’s problem?
Teachers and facilitators who want to (or need to) use technology-mediated conversations in their lesson plans.

3. Did the entity’s product adequately respond to the problem? Please explain why or why not.

I could say yes. I don't know details about their targeted users and their "wicked problem". However, I believe that by graphically illustrating levels of participation and types of contributions made by each student or participant., they have a great appeal for teachers and facilitators. Especially after COVID-19 and remote learning becoming the rule.

For instance, they trace and assess students' interactions, performance and involvement with the platform, so teachers can adequate lessons and groups' configuration for a better learning.

AllTrails - Diane Boswell

2020-08-20 01:38:54 UTC

App that allows users the to find the perfect trails for hiking, backpacking or mountain biking. 10M users review over 100k trails around the world providing detailed descriptions and photos. The app provides elevation, weather and route info along with tags for what types of activities are available along your trail to ensure a safe and enjoyable excursion.

1.People wanted to find trails that met their specific criteria and skill level.

2.Outdoor enthusiasts who recognize that an enjoyable walk/run/hike/bike ride requires planning to account for weather, mileage and general safety.

3. YES! This app provides a number of filter choices to specify your length, elevation and route type along with a map that shows your location on the trail. Great for vacations or to discover local trails in your area.

Netflix - Petra Holesinska

2020-08-20 04:02:47 UTC

Netflix is an online streaming service, which provides access to films and TV shows through monthly subscriptions.

1. There wasn't a convenient resource that would let people watch movies/shows at any given time.

2. I believe a large population - teenagers, adults, parents and their kids, older people. Anybody who enjoys watching movies and shows or needs some kind of entertainment. Not only in the US, but also internationally

3. Yes. Netflix has a large selection of movies and TV shows all in one spot. It is very convenient because people don't have to go rent movies anymore. It is easy to navigate and frequently updated.

Laketta Jackson-HelloFresh

laketta1_jackson — 2020-08-20 04:35:15 UTC

HelloFresh is a meal delivery service where subscribers are delivered fresh foods with corresponding recipes to cook at home.
1. Many people wanted to eliminate fast food from their diets, but may lack time to go grocery shopping and/or the knowledge to cook their own meals.

2. I believe the target market may have been millennials, however many adults may have been impacted. Single people, couples, and even people with small families utilize this product.

3. I would say it did somewhat. Many people that utilize the service are happy with the option to cook at home without it being boring or repetitive. However, it is a niche product, in that access hinders it from being available to other parts of the population. Many people may still have the original problem but cannot afford to use HelloFresh.

Elyse Smith Ravelry

2020-08-20 12:54:13 UTC

Ravlery is a website used by knitters and crocheters to post their projects, connect with others, purchase and publish patterns, and search for projects. You can search for items made with a type of yarn, a specific amount of yarn, or buy a single pattern. It is a handy tool for folks when thinking about what projects they want to make or can be a platform for designers to get into the market and sell their work.

1. There was no centralized tool to be able to look for different types of patterns, or be able buy single patterns (a cost saver compared to purchasing a book). It was also difficult for knit and crochet designers to publish patterns since they would have to find editors, publishers, and photographers to create a book.

2. Knitters, crocheters, and designers had fewer options to publish or search for patterns, designs, and books.

3. Yes, the website allows independent designers to publish patterns as a set or individually. They can also be tagged with information that knitters and crocheters can use to filter search results so they can see what project may be interesting for them and fit into their budget.

Ahmed Ali -Square (Merchant Services)

2020-08-20 15:23:27 UTC

Square is a financial services company that is based in the United States. It allows small businesses to manage inventory, manage staff scheduling times and more importantly, serves as a point of sales service.

1) The original problem was that there was no efficient way for small businesses to create menus, track inventory and manage orders digitally without professional consultation. It allows individual business owners to make real time edits to the products and services they sell.

2) The population that is impacted by this product is both small business owners and the consumer. The point of sales helps the small business owner have a better understanding of what products are selling the most, produce daily transaction reports and does most bookkeeping in one location. Square makes the purchasing experience easier for the consumer with contactless payment options and clear price breakdowns for where their money is going.

3) Square definitely addressed the problem it was hoping to solve. My family has a pizza shop and the square system allows me to track which products are most popular. The biggest benefit is that its ability to connect to printers allows those to in the front of the house to communicate orders to the kitchen much more efficiently.

MiniVAN - Claire Paulson

2020-08-20 15:33:02 UTC

MiniVAN is an app designed to facilitate canvassing, primarily by political campaigns, that integrates with “turf” lists and allows for immediate data collection and integration.

1. The original problem MiniVan addressed is that paper turf packets and pencil/paper data collection for canvassing are inefficient, both for canvassers and for campaigns.

2. Populations impacted by the MiniVAN app include campaigns, volunteer canvassers, and potentially voters. Campaign staff can save a lot of work by not having to print and collate turf packets or manually enter collected data. The app makes canvassing more convenient and easy for some volunteers but potentially daunting for those less comfortable with technology. Given that fixing incorrect voter information is facilitated by the app compared to paper, it could have a positive impact on voters as well since campaigns are more likely to be able to easily reach voters that are interested in them.

3. The app definitely solves many of the inefficiencies of a paper system adequately. However, it is buggy and sometimes difficult to use, and the map functionality is not particularly good or accurate. Though it solves the problem, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Rent the Runway - Melissa Lobosco

2020-08-20 16:11:03 UTC

Rent the Runway is an online service that rents all occasion clothing, shoes and fashion accessories to women.

1. Women wanted access to expensive, wear-once special occasion clothing that was not in their budget.

2. It was originally marketed to young women in college and graduate school with limited budgets and busy social schedules. Typically, a special occasion outfit is worn once so many people aren't as inclined to want to spend a lot of money on it.

3. Yes. Rent the Runway has expanded their rental options to include styles for all occasions, as well as shoes and fashion accessories. They’ve also begun to offer maternity clothes. They’ve grown their membership by providing several subscription options to meet the varied needs of their customers. They have a website and a newer mobile application for easy ordering.

Joe Pickering - FuboTV

2020-08-20 16:15:14 UTC

FuboTV is a sport streaming service, largely based around soccer. Sports games have an incredibly high demand and following, yet people often miss out on their favorite games because they don't possess the right subscription for the network streaming the game.

1. The original problem was that due to the high economic potential for networks like ESPN and Fox Sports to stream sports games, games are often spread among many different channels which require subscription. Sports fans did not want to subscribe to multiple streaming services due to the aggregated cost.

2. This website is marketed to sports fans all over the World. There are sports fans in every country who would be willing to pay a single subscription to a service to watch their favorite team play. Particularly soccer fans in the United States as they usually have a team in Europe who, for obvious reasons, they cannot watch live.

3. Yes. FuboTV now provides access to over 190 channels, which are no longer all sport. Initially, they lacked major channels such as ESPN. However, as the company has grown, they now have access to a huge variety of games meaning fans no longer miss out.

Taylor Dansby - Calm

2020-08-20 16:33:54 UTC

An app designed to remind you to sleep more and reduce stress through meditation suggestions and reminders.

1. High levels of sustained stress in modern society are causing mental health issues.

2. Most developed nations with high technology usage rates.

3. It seems as though sustained practice is difficult to achieve without clear mental health practices and tools. It seems as though the design process did not go deep enough and stopped when they reached the conclusion they sought. It appears superficially beneficial, but with little practical substance to activate better personal awareness for those who don't already posses it.

Katie Bourque - Rover

2020-08-20 17:44:40 UTC

Rover is a pet sitting application designed to connect dog owners with dog sitters and walkers .

1. There was no online platform that could easily connect pet owners with trusted pet care in their neighborhood.

2. Pet owners in cities and suburbs who are in need of fast and reliable care.

3. I think that this application adequately responded to the problem by creating an interface that ensured trusted care of dogs in a fast and reliable way. Since the application is backed by insurance and potential sitters are vetted before being allowed on the app it is safe and user friendly.

Jane McDaniel - Babylist

2021-08-28 22:37:34 UTC

Babylist is a one-stop baby registry site and app that allows items or services from any web site to be added to the registry.

1) Many parents want to add items to their baby registry from a variety of businesses, but they had to create multiple registries to do so, which is clunky and time consuming. Also, not everything all desired items can be found at the same store. Lastly, gift givers had to manage multiple registries from which to make purchases, which can be confusing.

2) Expectant parents, gift givers, and even “atypical” or small businesses that do not offer baby registry services but can now have their products included on one.

3) I believe this product is widely successful! Babylist freed expectant parents from being stuck to one store and allowed them to add exactly what they want to the registry instead of settling on items from one place. Parents can easily add URLs to any product or service found online directly on to the registry, and when gift givers click on an item, they are taken directly to that URL instead of having to spend time searching for individual items online. Shoppers can even reserve items to eliminate doubling up on gifts.

April McKinley: Zillow

2021-08-29 21:45:41 UTC

Zillow is a real estate website for home buyers, sellers, renters and home browsers to see cost, location, photos and other data for real estate and land in a selected area.

1. Providing an easy-to-use marketplace for sellers and buyers to search for and sell homes online without driving around, contacting an agent, or searching printed ads.

2. Young adults, families and anyone looking to rent, buy, sell or move to a new location.

3. Yes. Zillow has changed the way users buy, sell or rent properties. Zillow has opened the door, creating more freedom for those who just want to browse to do so without the hassle of contacting a real estate agent or receiving annoying phone calls from agents. Zillow has added features for buyers interested in home loans, finding an agent, or receiving a cash offer on their home.

Taylor Redmond - Planta

2021-08-29 23:03:10 UTC

Planta is an app that allows you to track the plants that you own, determine what species they are, and create a personalized care schedule for them.
1)The original problem that this app tried to address was that of not knowing how to take care of a plant. When purchasing a new plant, it can be challenging to determine what species the plant is, what kind of lighting it needs and how often to water it.
2) This is an issue that all plant owners, from novice to expert may run into. Despite the fact that some people believe they have a natural green thumb, knowing how to take care of your plants well requires a lot of research. So rather than having to search various articles and books to find information on plants, Planta allows all the information you will need to take care of your plant to be in one place.
3) This app did adequately respond to the problem. When you get a new plant, you can take a picture of it to identify what species it is if you don't already know. Then, Planta will tell you what kind of light the plant needs and how often to water it. Planta will also encourage you to take a picture of the plant and take monthly progress update photos. When it is time to water the plant, Planta will send you a reminder and you can check it off as "done" so you have a log of all of the dates you've watered that plant. However, I've found that Planta tends to tell you to overwater plants, encouraging watering before the plants have dried out, so that is one area where they could improve. Additionally, the time of year dictates how often a plant needs water (more in summer, less in winter) and Planta does not take this into account. Overall, Planta is a great app, especially for new plant owners, but it does still require some independent work.

IncidentIQ

2021-08-30 09:14:59 UTC

IncidentIQ is a Help Desk, Inventory Management and Facilities SaaS platform specifically built for K-12 IT teams and the people they support, teachers, students and parents.

1. What was the original “problem” that the entity addressed?
The original problem was a lack of K-12 Help Desk / Asset Management software that scaled and worked in a traditional school system. Most solutions are built for internal corporate usage and are not user friendly to teachers/students and interfaces may be intimidating and limit adoption in an education environment leading to many platforms and methods for getting support.

2. What population(s) do you think was impacted by the entity’s problem?
While it's easy to say teachers / students, I think the biggest population ultimately affected is the K12 IT Team. Mainly because most platforms do not tie assets and support together requiring two different solutions and substantial cross referencing is needed to detect trends.

3. Did the entity adequately respond to the problem? Please explain why or why not.
I think they did respond adequately. While ease of use is end user focused, it encourages use of the platform so that all requests are centralized for the IT team creating one location for powerful reporting. Issues can be historically tracked to devices or students for accountability purposes. Ticketing also can be web portal, platform or email, removing cost of entry for requesting support.

Jeremy Dickerson - Life 360

2021-08-30 14:50:20 UTC

Life 360 is a location-based app designed to support family-based information sharing of locations.

1. The problem identified by the company is that members of groups wanted to know where each other were at without having to text, call or email. The original intent was to allow "family" groups to know where each other are by connecting phone location data and mapping data in an easy to read interface.

2. The population which was impacted by the problem was family groups who need to monitor each other's travels and safety.

3. Yes - the company did respond to the needs of family's wanting to monitor each other's travels and whereabouts. The major obstacle in the success of this technology is the lack of cellular service in some buildings and remote locations.

Jaelynn Murray- GoPuff

2021-08-30 18:55:46 UTC

GoPuff is an app for delivering gas station like items locally.

1. The problem that this app addresses is the need for food delivery, home essentials, alcohol, etc that some people might not have access to. Whether that be because they physically can't or simply because they just don't feel like driving to go get it. But, no worries because with GoPuff it will arrive in front of your door in less than an hour.

2. The audience this reaches to is anyone who desires to have things delivered to them rather than having to go get them.

3. Yes, GoPuff definitely responded to the problem of people not being able to get the things they need. This app made it easy and accessible to obtain the essentials people need at the tips of their fingertips!

2021-08-30 21:43:15 UTC

1. Zego Pay LevelCredit Reporting responds to the problem of sustainable credit-building. The app allows renters to pay online and opt in LevelCredit for free, which allows them to build their credit through reporting their timely rental payments.

2. The target population seems to be millennials or people who want to work toward homeownership, though Zego overall was built to help rental management companies.

3. This features of Zego seems to be responding well to a big part of the national and generational housing challenge we face. According to the Urban Institute, millennials are less likely than previous generations to own a home, largely due to student debt and tight rent, meaning they struggle with building credit, which is often needed in the future for major purchases. So not only does Zego help management companies with an organized platform for residents, but renters benefit in a way that is simple and doesn't require a heavy lift (or at least not heavier than paying rent on time!)

Erica Harreveld- Plickers

2021-08-30 22:57:36 UTC

Plickers is a QR-based response system that allows students to answer to multiple choice questions and allows for the teacher to have instant assessment results.
1. Plickers addressed the problem of teachers needing a quick and effective way to check for understanding without students being impacted by the responses of their peers.
2. The target population is students and teachers who do not have access to electronic clicker systems.
3. I believe the app adequately provided a way for teachers to collect formative assessment data in a quick and effective way. Teachers can scan the physical QR sheets of their students and have instant feedback on which students answered each question correctly. It also gives a breakdown of the answer choice distribution, so teachers can see student misconceptions in real time. Plickers also allows for students to nonverbally respond to multiple choice questions, so their answers are not impacted by what the rest of the class responds.

Splitwise

2021-08-31 00:01:02 UTC

Splitwise is an app designed to "keep track of shared expenses and balances with housemates, trips, groups, friends, and family." The app allows you to split bills in a more efficient way by organizing shared expenses.

1. Original problem: when there's a group of people doing complex activities (such as traveling together or living together) is hard to keep track of who paid what and how much they paid. Usually one person had to figure out how to split the bills and, depending on the bills, it could become a significantly time - consuming process.

2. I believe this app is mostly used by young adults who want to simplify their financial life.

3. I think Splitwise addressed the problem adequately. I've used this app plenty of times before, specially when traveling with friends. It's a very efficient way of keeping track of our finances without worrying too much about doing the math. It allows several people to "feed" the expenses sheet. This is less time consuming and it decreases the margin of error.

Emily Trabert - CMU CS Academy

2021-08-31 00:40:43 UTC

"CMU CS Academy is an online, graphics-based computer science curriculum taught in Python provided by Carnegie Mellon University. We create novel, world-class Computer Science education for your classroom —and it’s entirely free."

1. Middle and high school teachers need an online computer science course that allows them teach programming in an engaging and interactive environment and allows them to track progress.

2. CS Academy has three tracks: a lightweight track for middle schoolers or camps, a mid-weight track for high schools, and an AP-oriented track for high schoolers, so it appears to be targeted for grades 6-12. CS Academy also has resources for teachers, making it accessible as part of a graded course.

3. I think this service succeeds for the most part. I have tutored high schoolers who use CS Academy in class. I think it's much more engaging with a GUI as opposed to command-line Python and it's less elementary than something like Scratch. However, it doesn't appear to teach some problem solving basics, such as reading error messages, and could benefit from some better feedback (the incorrect response messages from being graded are a bit cryptic as well). I think the option for more practice would be good too, but overall, I found it a nice introduction to programming.

Audible

2021-08-31 01:11:37 UTC

Audible is an app that provides its members access to the largest database audiobooks

1. Audible was created to help make books more accessible to the masses. Many people enjoy reading but cannot find the time in their lives to read consistently. By transforming books into Audiobooks, Audible has made books more accessible since people can now access a book's content in a variety of new environments and settings.

2. The target population is anyone who enjoys reading but struggles to find the time to read consistently.
3. Yes, I believe they succeeded in their goal because they eliminated the environmental and situational constraints associated with reading a standard book.

Alisha Neblett Thompson-italki

2021-08-31 02:22:38 UTC

italki is an app designed to connect language learners with teacher and tutors for all over the world so learners can have a personalized language learning experiencing and listen to more authentic speech

1. Original problem: Language learners often do not get enough communicative practice when learning a new language, especially if they are not enrolled in a class and / or immersed in the new culture. Moreover, depending on the language and your home country, finding appropriate teachers and language learners is difficult. For teacher / tutors, it allows them to connect with learners around the world and provide a more personalized experience.

2. Population: While the app emphasizes that it is making language learning widely accessible, it is clear that the target popular are adult learners who face particular time constraints to learning a language even if they have the motivation. Moreover, adult language learners want a teacher that is in tune with the reasons WHY they want to learn a new language so having personalized lessons allows them to learn a new language in the conditions that they want according to their schedule.

3. Adequate response to the problem: Yes and no. Part of the particular difficulty with adults learning a new language is consistency. Children reach a higher level of fluency particularly because their language skills are reinforced with some frequency. For adults, that is often not the case. The same factors that make italki appealing--the flexibility and the personalization--also encompass the reasons why adults often do not meet their language goals. The app rellies on the adult learner setting up his/her/their consistent schedule

Zip Car - Savita Madan

2021-08-31 03:40:00 UTC

Zip car is a service that provides users with access to transportation unlike any other rental car company beforehand.

I believe zip car used design thinking because the design of this company goes beyond addressing just one element of access and considers factors like convenience, cost, location, function, and the unique needs of its primary customers. Unlike traditional rental cars that are predominantly used when one is out of town or their personal vehicle is indisposed, zip car works to provide all that and address the issues of a whole new market. With zipcar, individuals living in cities (or other situations in which having a personal vehicle is unlikely and inconvenient) who may face expensive premiums to rent cars for full days with the traditional approach, can easily rent a car for a short or longer duration of time to accomplish tasks like getting a grocery haul in a city, picking up a friend from the airport, make short trips and much more.

Companies can also use zip car more easily, with users getting a zip car pass, allowing any registered individual from the organization to interchangeably access and reserve vehicles, rather than having one person have to book a car ahead of time. In this way, zipcar is more conveniently accessible (dispersed easily in populated downtown areas) and is a more conducive alternative for the lifestyles adults (especially young adults) in cities, college campuses, and workplace environments. By this approach, the company successfully revamped the way car rental services operate.

Taylor Moreno - Waze

2021-08-31 05:05:46 UTC

Waze is a GPS service that maps the quickest, most efficient route, tracks police officers, and provides other cautionary warnings such as construction, objects in the road, and stopped vehicles.

GPS users, along their directions to a given location, would run into traffic jams that significantly impacted their driving experience.
The population impacted was those who frequently go on long trips, or those navigating big, busy cities
I think this company adequately responded to the problem, based on the fact that the app successfully utilizes live updates from other users to maintain an accurate set of directions that gives the user the quickest possible route to their destination. In addition, they also warn users of other factors that would inhibit their safety or driving experience on the way to their destination.

2021-08-31 12:09:25 UTC

Donors Choose is a website that connects "the public to public schools," by allowing teachers to post funding needs and have a system for others to gift support.

1) The original problem was that teachers need funding to support classroom projects/ initiatives, but didn't have a way to communicate their need or receive help.
2) Teachers, students, school districts, and the larger community are affected by this problem.
3) Donors Choose did adequately respond to the problem. The created a system for teachers to post and explain their project and need. Their post is then sent out to the public through social media sharing and also announcing to other educators in your area that a new project has been posted. After finding a project to sponsor, the public is able to gift money to directly fund the project. This addressed the problem of getting a message out there of classroom needs and addressed not having a system to gift money directly to projects.

2021-08-31 12:09:26 UTC

Shiqi Tao-Fanqie To do

2021-08-31 14:51:16 UTC

The problem is people can't stop themselves from playing on mobile phones when they're studying or working. Besides, some people have trouble with procrastinating. They usually do work or homework when it is close to the deadline.
The target population is anyone who can't concentrate on their work or study because they want to play on cell phones. And people who want to foster a good habit but struggle with procrastinating.
The answer for the App adequately responds to the problem is yes and no. It's helpful to prevent people from playing on cell phones when they are doing studying or working. But without the App, nothing changes. People still can't control themselves and can't get rid of the distraction caused by cell phones. It means, whenever you want to focus on your work or study, you still need to bring your cell phone. In addition, the App provides a detailed timetable for us to record the habit in our daily life. It's useful for people to foster a good pattern with the timeline. But if people neglect those notices send by the App, it won't work.

Jianing L- Forest

2021-08-31 16:09:33 UTC

1. This app is used to solve the problems of modern people indulging in mobile phones, procrastination, and inability to concentrate on learning.
2. The problem of inability to concentrate is common to everyone, especially modern people. We can't get ride of our phones easily. Work, study, and social interaction are easily affected by mobile phones. However, students can be most impacted to the problem.
3. This app respond to the problem very well. Using this App prevent people from turning off their phones to a certain extent. Users can get three motivations: (1) Plant more trees to compete with friends and strangers; (2) Withered trees make the page look bad; (3)After planting enough trees and accumulate a certain amount of coins, Forest help users plant a real tree on the earth.

Paige Hofstad-Venmo

2021-08-31 17:06:30 UTC

1. The app was created to solve the problem of complicated and slow digital money transfers for everyday users. Previously, everyday users could only transfer their money using their bank, which was a process that could take a couple of days. Additionally, there was a transfer fee. Venmo allows for a fee-free quick and and easy exchange of money directly between individuals.
2. The problem of complicated digital money transfers impacted any user with a working bank account, which is the majority of the American population. Most directly, the problem was associated with everyday users, not businesses or merchants.
3. I think the company adequately responded to the problem. Venmo created a fast and easy way to transfer money between friends and family with a bank account, while eliminating the transfer fees and speeding up the transfer process. Currently, Venmo is one of the most highly utilized payment sources in the United States.

Jess Schultz - airbnb

2021-08-31 17:59:53 UTC

1. Airbnb started with two problems. 1) Roommates in San Francisco struggled with rent and 2) a big conference in SF had hotels booked up.

2. The population's impacted were folks who were traveling (for leisure and professionally) and wanted a more authentic, local experience. Those who had space, needed rent money and/or were interested in sharing with people from all over were impacted also.

3. Airbnb solved many issues around finding a homey place to stay and seeing a place through a local's perspective. It gave more people options and autonomy from a gig economy perspective versus relying on corporate. It also helped with some people's rent (mostly those who are privileged with space), but created a whole host of other issues. The impacts on affordable housing and finding a home when the return is greater for Airbnb than long-term renting for investors is a problem. As is investors buying single-family homes that are meant to be starter homes rather than vacation homes. It also had an impact on the hotel industry, much the same way Uber did for taxis.

Steven Llewellyn - Transloc

stevenjllewellyn — 2021-08-31 19:38:21 UTC

Transloc is an app or website where you can see in real time where a bus is along a specific route.

1. This App is used to address the stress that people have relying on public transportation- not knowing if you have missed a bus or not. Now if you show up to a bus stop and the bus isnt there, instead of having anxiety of whether you were late and missed it, you can check where the bus is on its route.

2. I think that this program and other similar apps ("Here comes the bus" for parents), impact people that are relying on public transportation and are not in complete control.

3. I think that the app adequately addresses the problem, and might help other interested parties as well.

Jackie Russo- Wag!

2022-09-13 01:21:05 UTC

1. Wag! tries to solve the problem of providing the care pets need while their owners lead busy lifestyles in a convenient way.

2. This app impacted dog and cat owners of all ages and adults 18+ in a positive way, as this app provides an easy solution to find on demand or scheduled pet care from walks to overnight boarding. This app also provides a mean of income for local walkers who sign up to work for Wag! in their area. However this app also negatively impacted local, brick and mortar pet daycare and boarding facilities as the convenience of this app probably lost business for them.

3. I do believe Wag! appropriately responded to the problem because they provided a service that was not as readily available previously, as finding dog trusted and recommended dog walkers to come to your home was more challenging prior this, or their competitor, Rover’s, existence. We will see how the shift to more remote work affects their performance.

DRusso - FindMyiPhone

2022-09-18 19:29:52 UTC

1) The service addresses the problem that people lose or forget their expensive smartphones or devices.
2) The service was available to anyone who has an Apple product with enabled location services. It would specifically help people if their device was lost or maybe stolen, but it would also provide peace of mind for users and possibly convince someone to buy an Apple product over an Android
3) I believe that Find My iPhone adequately addressed the problem. Everyone loses stuff, but someone's phone is one of a few things that can create a sizeable amount of hardship if it is lost. It is extremely easy to access the Find My iPhone from any device with the internet (via iCloud.com). The locator beacon will give you a fairly accurate approximate location that is close enough to at least determine the building that it is in. It is able to help people determine if they lost it at the restaurant rather than grandma's house. There are additional products such as the Apple Airtags that can be added to the Find My iPhone service and can find any item that it is attached to or near.

Megan Byers - Dinnerly

2022-09-19 01:48:32 UTC

1. Dinnerly was created to make preparing meals at home easier and faster. The recurring need to find recipes, make a shopping list, and visit the grocery store is essentially eliminated by the meal kit service.

2. There are four primary populations impacted by the problem 1) Individuals who live busy lifestyles and do not have time in their schedule for preparation required to make meals at home 2) Individuals who want to learn how to cook 3) Individuals who want to save money on eating out 4) Individuals who want to have a healthier diet.

3. Dinnerly responded to the problem well by curating and providing a variety of quick, easy, healthy, and tasty recipes, web and mobile apps for its users to easily select the recipes and their subscription settings, a quality ingredient supply, and a convenient shipping mechanism.

Kelsey Cotter - Scribd

2022-09-19 19:56:27 UTC

1. Scribd was created as a site to share published papers and documents in a more efficient way.
2. It was originally created to publish medical papers for doctors more efficiently.
3. Yes, Scribd adequately responded to the problem and expanded to address more needs. Users have unlimited access to e-books, audiobooks, documents, magazines, podcasts, and sheet music, but the library is smaller than its major competitors. In terms of non-audiobook content, Scribd’s magazines and published papers offer a variety of topics and interests.

Grace Willard - Alltrails

2022-09-21 14:46:53 UTC

Alltrails is a fitness and outdoor recreational app that allows for users to find and track different trails with or without cell service.

Navigating while on the trail can be extremely difficult, and paper maps can be damaged or lost easily.
This app is meant to be used for people who want to go outside, but may not know what trail they should take, or if they are fit enough to complete the trail. As a hiker, I know my limitations and tend to stick with moderate trails as getting stuck in the woods is generally a bad time. This product is also great for expert hikers who can download maps before they hit the trails and don’t need to worry about losing their map along the way.
I believe Alltrails did respond to the problem well as it allows users to download trail maps that include elevation, landmarks and distance.

Andrea Melendez - Tidal

2022-09-21 16:20:14 UTC

1. Artists don't get value for their music with free streaming services and customers don't get the best service in regards to the quality of audio.
2. The app impacted artists the most. It is an artist-owned company working on giving value back to its compositions and shine a light on how streaming services pay royalties. Music aficionados can also see the difference in audio quality with lossless streaming which is quite a big one.
3. TIDAL has responded to the problem as major artists have made strong decisions on taking their music out from giants like Spotify, but it is still far behind on the amount of music it has been able to add, usability, and their personalized AI, which in turn strays customers away, on top of it not being free, so while users aren't going up, artists can not be paid more.

Marina Shallcross - Too Good To Go

2022-09-21 18:08:07 UTC

1. More than a third of food in the United State is wasted, and restaurants and businesses, especially in large cities, are big contributors to waste production.
2. The app is for both restaurants and businesses that sell food who want to limit unpurchased food that they discard at the end of the day as well as individual consumers of that food who are committed to food waste reduction and minimized food costs.
3. Yes. On their website, they say that they have 64 million people finding and saving food and 168,153 businesses reducing their food waste. When I was in New York City this summer, I used the app and was able to easily find businesses near me with leftover food and purchase it at a reduced price. I also saw that a lot of businesses listed were sold out for the day, meaning that a lot of people were on the app and collecting food.

Uber- Seb Schacht

2022-09-21 19:21:08 UTC

1) The problem
- Taxi services have for long dominated the mobility transport industry, essentially monopolizing it with no competition. Uber came up with a significantly more efficient and convenient way of travel for passengers and drivers alike. Furthermore, Uber is cheaper and it has a rating system, keeping customers and drivers accountable for the quality of their service.

2) The population(s)
- Uber has had an impact on.. everyone. The mobility transport industry has completely revolutionized from top to bottom. More specifically, Taxi companies have been severely impacted by Uber. Essentially taking a huge portion of their market share, if not all of it.
- People who frequently use book to ride services. Uber has made the entire process much more efficient in every way, therefore it has allowed people to travel quicker and safer than before.
- Thirdly, Uber has given people the chance to earn some money. Granted they are qualified and own a vehicle.

3) Did the product respond to the problem?

- Not only has it responded, but it has completely changed the industry. Drivers are now held accountable for the quality of their service while the overall experience of using the book to ride has improved for everyone involved in every way imaginable.

U-haul - Aidana Zhumabekova

2022-09-21 22:20:57 UTC

1. People could not easily find a moving truck without the costs and responsibilities of owning one, and if they did they had to pay the driver separately and fit it into their schedule. People from rural areas had to find a moving company in the nearest town and pay an extra fee for the time that the driver would spend on the trip.
2. The rental company addresses the problems that all people face while moving, transferringlarge-sizee objects, ornecessityy to store their belongings for a specific period of time without depending on a truck driver.
3. Yes, I believe U-HAUL did respond the problem. The Amerco website says that U-haul is the first choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. Providing 75.1 million square feet of storage space U-haul also moved the do-it-yourself moving to the next level.

Svbtle - website builder

2022-09-22 00:14:35 UTC

Svbtle is web publishing platform and I think it can also be named as a website builder.

1. Many people want to build their own website to record their work or life. This could be in the form of a blog or in the form of a diary. It could also be a website that simply shows their past experiences and works. But this is very difficult for many people who do not know how to program. This site provides a platform for that.

2. Many people who do not know how to program do not have the ability to build their own websites and therefore may not have thought about building websites. When such a platform is available, even if they do not know how to program, they can still build a website. This platform is extremely simple to operate. There are also some programming languages available for those who can read, understand it and can operate it, so that they can achieve more functions, such as achieving linking of articles within articles, adding table of contents, adding bold, etc.

3. I think it basically solves the problem that people who can't program can also build websites.

Cole Haan

2022-09-22 00:15:08 UTC

1. The original "problem" that Cole Haan attempted to solve was the notorious uncomfortable men's dress shoe phenomenon. Dress shoes, or some other form of high end shoe, is typically required for profession men's attire. Wearing uncomfortable dress shoes for 8 hours a day, 5-7 days a week, for 80% of the year was least to say... not fun. Cole Haan aimed to create a stylish, high-end, affordable, dress shoe for men.

2. As alluded to in the above, Cole Haan originally aimed to fix a problem for men, particularly their feet, but they have also branched out into women's dress shoes. I believe now the population they are addressing is working professionals who must wear dress shoes.

3. I have bought a couple of pairs of Cole Haan shoes, and my aunt also wears their shoes for teaching. We both agree that they look professional and stylish, and something about the underfoot cushioning is great. Anecdotally, I would say they have succeeded, and if you go into any Nordstrom, Vaugn Maur, or DSW, you will see racks and rows of Cole Haan. I think this speaks to the companies success as well.

Petfinder- Austin O'Connor

2022-09-22 00:36:23 UTC

1) Petfinder 's main goal was to provide rescue animals with homes. The company started up after hurricane Katrina because many animals were left stranded with no place to go. Before Petfinder, there wasn't any pet rescue projects that covered a nationwide demographic and a lot of these animals would become strays or be put down by shelters. It has also helped solve the problem of overbreeding. By promoting rescues, animal shelters can put a stop to things such as puppy mills or abusive environments in which dogs are forced to breed to have their puppies adopted.

2) Every one was impacted by this app because stray animals were given a chance to be rescued. People who love pets were directly impacted because they had the opportunity to rescue an animal in need. Before people could just go pick up pets that were in pet stores but even those animals had a place to stay and some food. Rescuing pets is a lot more meaningful to some people because they are making a difference and saving a life.

3) Yes, petfinder responded to the problem and was able to successfully rescue millions of pets. Petfinder gave people the knowledge of these pets out there and gave them a chance to be saved.

Nintendo Switch- Zijun Wang

2022-09-22 01:55:14 UTC

1. The original problem that Nintendo wants to solve is the balance between console and portability so to give players more options to play games.

2. As illustrated above, Nintendo Switch is a product that aims to provide high quality game experience and portability to the players who have this need. Also, they expand player population by its fashional outlook and portability.

3. I think Nintendo Switch perfectly responded to the question mentioned above, according to the selling data, Nintendo Switch has sold over 100 million sets worldwide. There were many new players buying NS for its portability. It's softwares also fit the needs of light users. So generally, it's a very successful electronic device.

AirTags - Dannielle Elison

2022-09-22 02:01:54 UTC

AirTags are small round devices that can be attached to items frequently lost like keys or wallets to help users track the item using their phone.
1. The original problem is a lot of people misplace important items like keys and wallets and spend time searching for them.
2. The population addressed is primarily adults who carry items like wallets or keys. While it may not appeal to all adults, there is a large group of these adults who frequently or semi frequently misplace their valuable items.
3. While the AirTags didn't stop people from losing their items, it does help people save time looking for the items. Other products like Tile did exist prior to the release of AirTags, but what AirTag innovated was the ability for your phone to point you directly to the object and show you how far away your item is. This allows you to see that you left your wallet at home when you are sitting at your desk at work. I think it does a great job of alleviating some of the stress from the problem.

2022-09-22 02:06:38 UTC

Apple - The Macintosh

1. Steve Jobs and Apple wanted to bring the computer to the masses. This was the problem. At the time, its main competitor IBM was the leading manufacturer of computers, but their product was huge and inconvenient. For the first time, Apple brought out a PC that was all-in-one, including a mouse, keyboard and screen.

2. These were very successful in education, publishing and in business. In years to come, however, generations would use personal computers for a huge array of industries, tasks, etc. They have led to enormous boosts in productivity.

3. Since the introduction of the first Mac, there have been over 122 million Macs sold, more than any other personal computer. Apple continues to innovate in the area of personal computers, hence, yes, they did adequately bring the computer to the masses.

BrainPOP- Emma Goldin

2022-09-22 02:17:12 UTC

BrainPOP is a website that features animated educational content for kids in grades K-12.

The original problem that the company was trying to solve was how to best explain complex subjects to children. The company was developed in 1999 by Dr. Avraham Kadar who wanted to explain medical terms to his young patients. Two years after it was developed the company expanded its offerings to other subjects like English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.
The populations that were impacted by the entity’s problems were families with school-aged children who were having a hard time understanding subjects in school. I also think that teachers were impacted by the company because teachers have another resource to help their kids succeed.
I think it responded to the problem adequately well because it provides fun animated content for children to learn about a particular subject. Over the years, BrainPOP has also added more features like educational games, make-a-movie, and mapping tools to help kids build a better understanding of a subject. They also made a French and Spanish version to make it more accessible for international learners and made a challenge portion to help a learner’s cognitive skill-building.

Epic - Julia Thompson

2022-09-22 02:37:27 UTC

1. The problem that Epic is trying to solve is access to reading inequality. Many kids do not have access to books, expect when they are in school. As reading is an important, foundational skill, Epic created a platform that allows educators and parents to use in their classrooms and home for kids to read.

2. The population that Epic targets are kids. Anyone in school, home-schooled, or just for fun to read.

3. Yes, Epic adequately responded to the problem. They've developed multiple reading levels for kids to access many books from chapter books, picture books, to graphic novels. Epic also has "Read-to-Me" books for kids who need the auditory component to understand the story. They also have quizzes at the end of certain books and vocabulary to help students with their comprehension. Teachers can invite families to access the platform from home and families can buy Epic to have a subscription or even a free version of the platform.

Hinge - Izzete Encarnacion

2022-09-22 02:39:28 UTC

1. Bringing people together to find long-term and/or short-term relationships and not a one-night stand as other apps.
2. People among their 30s and 40s that felt that traditional dating has changed and they do not know how to date anymore. So they needed a safe space to find people to connect with.
3. Yes, you have to create a profile where you describe yourself, the type of relationship you are looking for, and the type of people you feel comfortable connecting with. Then, you scroll through people's profile and you can decide if you want to connect with that person or not. In addition, you can set and change characteristics like age, religion, height, people's location and more. And you can also decide at any moment if you want to break the connection or hide your profile.

Daniels Akpan - eharmony

2022-09-22 03:10:53 UTC

1) The problem that eharmony was trying to solve was to help people who couldn't find real love to find it
2) The population that eharmony targets are people 21 years and above who are not married and are seeking real love. unlike other dating sites, eharmony does not accept married and people under the age of 21years. In addition, people with about 4 failed marriages too are also not accepted. The site serves people who are seriously seeking a serious long-term relationship.
3) Yes, eharmony adequately responded to the problem. According to available statistics on the site, every 14 minutes, some finds love on eharmony. this translate to over 2 million people. Every week, an estimated 2.3 million messages are sent by members on the site.

Robinhood - Hilli Goldhar

2022-09-22 03:18:30 UTC

1. Robinhood addressed the fact that many retail investors (people like you and I) want to trade stocks frequently but do not want to pay a commission every time they trade a stock. They created a system where they were able to still make money while offering investors zero-commission trading.

2. The primary population that was impacted by the entity’s problem is retail investors, typically in a younger demographic who want to take more risk by buying and selling stocks frequently.

3. They adequately responded to the problem by creating zero-commission trading, but their solution has created additional questions/problems. For example, large populations of young traders have become way more involved in high-risk trading, resulting in wild swings in certain stocks that have rippled through the whole financial markets

Uber Eats-Zepeng Li

zli1points23 — 2022-09-22 03:22:16 UTC

1. UberEATS is on a mission to make eating well effortless for everyone, everywhere. Today it serves more than 320,000 restaurant partners in more than 500 cities in 36 countries around the world.

2. The most directly affected groups are consumers, restaurants, and convenience stores; it also involves other service groups such as delivery workers and food suppliers.

3. Uber Eats adequately solves the problem of online food ordering and expands the essential services based on food ordering, enabling consumers to evaluate different restaurants through ratings and filters. At the same time, Uber Eats holds promotions with restaurants from time to time to attract consumers to order food by issuing large discount codes. At the same time, Uber Eats has developed an algorithm to push restaurants relevant to consumers' dining habits based on their ordering frequency and patterns.

MyFitnessPal - Yulian Wang

2022-09-22 03:36:14 UTC

1. It is an app that primarily keeps track of calories eaten at meals and calories burned during daily exercise.
2. It helps people lose weight, get fit, lower their BMI, or want to invest in overall health.
3.I think this product is helpful for most users. Research has confirmed the many benefits of tracking diet and exercise. This is why every successful weight management program recommends that you keep a food diary and/or activity log. But not using the right tools to keep track of what you eat can be annoying at best and useless at worst. MyFitnessPal.com focuses on making sure that users can log meals as quickly and conveniently as possible. Because the more convenient it is for them, the more likely they will be able to track and the more likely they will reach their weight loss goals.

Fresh gogo-Yueming Wang

2022-09-22 04:03:04 UTC

1 1 Fresh gogo was originally founded to sell fresh Chinese vegetables, meats, specialties and seasonings etc.

2 It's helpful for Chinese people in the U.S. who were reluctant to go shopping for health and safety during covid-19.

3The product responded to user characteristics (Chinese people in the U.S. at the beginning of covid-19 went out less for safety), quickly adjusted the business, increased investment, and started to increase the delivery range and cities. Originally the business was focused on one state, but now it covers 22 states and the food delivery speed is getting faster and faster, in addition to adding more kinds of cuisines such as Chinese bread and cakes, vegetable semifreddo and other services.

LibriVox - Karen Vaughan

2022-09-24 01:01:11 UTC

Commercially produced audio books are expensive, require dedicated apps to play, and cannot easily be shared with other people. Even books in the public domain are expensive through Google Play or Audible.

Crowdsourcing the narration of books in the public domain makes them freely available to anyone who wants to listen to these books. Volunteer readers can do this as a way to better their spoken language fluency. Books can be downloaded as audio files that can be played back on most mobile devices and computers or streamed online. Now, anyone who is looking for a book that is in the public domain may be able to get it for free on LibriVox.

So far LibriVox has cataloged 17,179 books. 2,188 books are available in 46 languages other than English. There are 12,554 readers contributing to the project. While many of the books do not have high production values, they are reviewed to ensure that the audio is understandable. Anyone with an internet connection can download a book for free with no restrictions.

Libro.fm - Kara Bumgarner

2023-09-26 13:48:00 UTC

Libro.fm is an audiobook app.

It was created to distribute audiobooks to consumers while funneling a portion of profits to traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores. Libro.fm was created to be traditional bookstores' answer to Amazon's Audible. Libro.fm is a self-described "Social Purpose Corporation," aiming to "pursue both social and financial goals in the for-profit context," according to its website.

Libro.fm impacts customers by offering an accessible app-based alternative to Audible for people who prefer not to use Amazon products, and it impacts booksellers by partnering with and financially supporting bookstores.

I feel that Libro.fm has accomplished its goal to create a viable alternative to Audible and to disseminate funds to bookstores. I myself moved from Audible to Libro.fm years ago, and have seen Libro.fm continue to make improvements on its initial app design to incorporate more features. The subscription price is comparable. I don’t miss Audible, and a portion of my purchases goes directly to Quail Ridge Books, a local independent bookstore where one of my best friends works.

STAR - Jamie Storyward

2023-09-26 15:01:03 UTC

STAR is a method for identifying intermediate readers' skills and delivering customized evidence-based reading instruction.

Standardized tests like TABE and CASAS will deliver a grade level ability in reading. However, this does not specify what aspects of reading a learner excels in and which require additional support. For example, an English language learner may have excellent decoding skills but a small vocabulary. Another student could be the opposite and still receive the same grade level reading result. STAR breaks reading down into four components: alphabetics, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. It tests students' abilities in each of these areas in order to target instruction.

Adult literacy students, teachers, and program staff were impacted by the problem.

The system, when applied, does help with the problem. However, as a toolkit, it is inert without adoption and application. The creators of STAR may not have made the toolkit as easily accessible and user friendly as needed for it to adequately respond to the problem.

Newsela - Elle Gallagher

2023-09-26 16:04:48 UTC

Newsela was a platform created to bring current event news materials into the classroom while offering a variety of reading levels aligning to standards. Before Newsela, content was not engaging for the students to use and were not effective.

Teachers and students are the two users of the platform Newsela. Students have the ability to read and interact with content aligning to standards and teachers are able to assign readings from the large and diverse library that Newsela offers.

Newsela did responded to the issue at hand by providing users the ability to read real-world sources at their own reading level. The content is engaging for students and the additional resources that Newsela provides allows teachers to align standards to the topics that are being focused on. It is accessible to users through a free and paid option by creating an account. Additionally, it promotes the development of reading skills for students through offering five reading levels for each article. It is convenient for both users to have access to a wide variety of information on topics while being able to match the reading level of the student.

ClassDojo - Adam Canosa

2023-09-26 16:07:59 UTC

Class dojo is a classroom management platform that improves communication of expectations and classroom activities between teachers, students, and parents.

1. The Pain

For teachers and schools, classroom management and parent communication, despite being incredibly important, can look very different from school to school and classroom to classroom. Students benefit from visual reminders of expectations and positive motivators both of which Classdojo does well. The data it keeps on student behavior can easily be shared with parents as well.

2. Market

Pretty much any K-12 teacher can benefit from Class Dojo's offerings, though I imagine early service teachers would be most likely to utilize the tech and in most need of the classroom management solution.

3. Solution

I think Class Dojo has proven its effectiveness and the company is doing well and expanding its services to provide a more interactive experience for kids, social-emotional learning modules for classes, and other supports to help teachers share classroom work and activities with parents and other stakeholders.

Be My Eyes - Katie Cooper

2023-09-26 18:20:08 UTC

Be My Eyes is an application that aims to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people by pairing blind or visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers through video calls to help offer assistance with tasks that require sight. Some tasks include reading labels or identifying objects.

The main population affected by Be My Eyes are people with low-vision or blindness. The app significantly enhances their lives by providing instant access to assistance whenever they need it. It makes challenges due to their visual impairments much easier to manage.

I think Be My Eyes adequately responded to the problem because they have helped users with tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to perform independently. They have a global network of volunteers to help with tasks. They also are providing the service at no cost, which increases accessibility and inclusion for all.

Amazon-Siyu Wei

2023-09-27 01:19:15 UTC

First, Amazon was created and exists to create a larger, online bookstore that can fulfill more orders. Giving more customers in more places more choices, and now the same theory is being applied to a wide variety of items. You can buy all kinds of products on amazon. And not only that, they develop "one click" buy and can delivery in the same day for some certain products which is truly make people's life easier.
This affects people of all ages who need to shop and have access to the web, and provides a lot of work. I think if not everyone going out to store to buy stuff, instead, Amazon's drivers deliver it to your door, It might also help the traffic in some way.
I think Amazon has not only responded adequately to the problem, but has gone far beyond its own program. Even the book marketplace now covers services such as e-books, reading books aloud, and renting used. amazon is certainly a success story.

Airbnb - Lindsay Hann

2023-09-28 01:15:06 UTC

Airbnb is a service in which individuals can rent rooms or whole homes to stay in for a certain period of time. Airbnb was originally created to address the problem of overbooked hotels in San Francisco, due to a local conference, and to help an apartment owner pay for his rent. Airbnb altered the travel experience for the consumer allowing people to still feel 'at home' when traveling compared to a hotel. I would argue that society as a whole was affected by this innovation as travel became more accessible and in certain instances more affordable. Larger families who needed more than a hotel room when they vacationed could find whole homes, where they would be more comfortable. Additionally, solo travelers can rent one-bedroom lowering the cost of their trip. Homeowners were also affected as they are now able to rent out rooms or whole spaces to individuals for a certain amount of days to help pay their rent/mortgage. I believe that Airbnb properly responded to the issue of hotel traveling and its inconveniences. It completely changed society's perspective on travel and made it more accessible economically and geographically.

Netflix- Vicky Lisle

2023-09-28 16:25:39 UTC

Netflix has continued to be a tech giant because of how it keeps innovating to stay ahead of the curve in entertainment. One example is its streaming services.
1. The problem was that their service relied on mailing DVDs while DVDs were becoming outdated. It relied on a lot of plastic that resulted in waste that is bad for the environment.
2. All people who live on the planet were impacted from a sustainability standpoint, but people who watch movies and television were even more impacted.
3. By switching to a primarily streaming-based service, they not only solved the problem of outdated DVDs, but improved the accessibility of entertainment for many people. People don't need a large physical collection of movies and television shows anymore, which is much more sustainable.

Chapel Hill Transit App

2023-09-28 16:50:12 UTC

CH Transit is a well-oiled machine we all know and love. This past year, the county created an app that breaks down the transit system.
1. The problem was that community members were unsure of the arrival times of the buses. Popular GPS apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps often had inaccurate routes and arrival times, and students wouldn't know if the bus was late or early.
2. The app impacts community members within Orange County, NC (Chapel Hill-Carrboro-Hillsborough). The app also impacts members of the greater Triangle who use the TriangleGo system.
3. The app has improved access to arrival times, specifically if a bus is late, early, or on time. It is fairly accurate. It also includes alerts that impact route travel times like construction or road closures that GPS competitors couldn't. However, the app does not offer the "plan your trip" feature that GPS competitors use, so its difficult to anticipate how long a trip would be from start to end. I typically use both this app and Apple Maps in tandem due to this, so CH Transit is not a one-stop-shop as I might expect.

ELSA Speak - Thuc Anh Pham

2023-09-28 18:13:53 UTC

ELSA Speak is AI powered English speaking coach that listens to how users pronounce words, sentences or conversations and help users improve their pronunciation and fluency.
1. The original problem was when the founder of ELSA Speak, Vu Van, left Vietnam to pursue an MBA and Masters in Education at Stanford University and she couldn't be understood by her professors and classmates because of her strong Vietnamese accent. This led her to feel that her opinions in class were often dismissed.
2. Impacted populations are international students, students at international schools, and expats.
3. I think the app is a success to ESL education. To begin with, ELSA Speak design an ecosystem website for users (eg: speechanalyzer.elsaspeak.com to analyze users' level and personalize their learning objectives). Besides, there are plenty of activities such as role play in order to support not only daily life purposes but also academic ones such as interview skills, and presentation skills.

Starbucks Round Tables-Natalia Galindo

2023-09-28 19:12:43 UTC

If you've ever been to a Starbucks, you may have wondered why their tables are small and round. I remembered hearing or reading somewhere that this was meant to make customers feel less lonely, and I wondered how they got to this conclusion. I thought this must have been an outcome of design thinking innovation.

What was the original "problem" that the entity addressed?

Starbucks initially addressed the problem of customers experiencing loneliness and discomfort when sitting alone to enjoy coffee, have meals, or work on their laptops.

What population(s) do you think was impacted by the entity's problem?

The problem affected many populations of Starbucks customers: students, individuals who prefer solitary coffee or breakfast experiences, single people, and people who work remotely.

Did the entity adequately respond to the problem? Please explain why or why not.

I believe Starbucks effectively addressed the problem, because sitting at a small round table created a sense of completeness, reducing loneliness and awkwardness. Therefore, this solution has likely enhanced the Starbucks cafes’ environments. Personally, I’ve been able to comfortably enjoy coffee, meals, and study sessions on these tables by myself.

SHEIN-Peizhe Zhang

2023-09-29 03:29:18 UTC

1.SHEIN is a large international e-commerce platform that buys everything you need in life. Its overall price is much cheaper than Amazon, and most items are produced in China. It was originally intended to solve the problem of Chinese people shopping for goods in the United States. But now more and more people know about it.
2.People can buy cheap items on it. It also often gives coupons to attract people to buy. Its main audience is people who want to buy cheap things. Although its logistics is slower than Amazon, the overall price will attract many users.
3.Of course, many people choose to buy things on SHEIN, and it is now very popular in many countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. People choose to use it to shop and enjoy cheap goods.

Wechat: Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone ---Huijing Ji

2023-09-29 04:41:23 UTC

1. WeChat is a multi-functional social media application in China. First released in 2011, WeChat is mainly a social media platform among people.

2. It impacts a wide range of people, and it can be said that all groups of people are impacted. This is also the reason why a popular media application in China quickly became a popular social media application around the world. Companies and organizations are also impacted groups.

3. It adequately responds to the problem of communicating and also expands to many functions now. In terms of communication, WeChat can not only send messages and voice calls, but also perform speech recognition and simultaneous translation for use by communicators of different languages around the world. In other aspects, WeChat has a wide range of functions now, such as finance, business, entertainment and a variety of other fields. In China, people can use WeChat to pay, do saving, conduct advertising, electronic contracts, run stores, etc. In addition, WeChat can be synchronously associated with other mini-programs, covering games, shopping, dining, transportation, etc.

iPhone Weather Forecast App-- Zixing Li

2023-09-29 04:43:51 UTC

The iPhone Weather Forecast App is an application that provides real-time weather information, forecasts, and meteorological data, aiming to help users stay informed and plan their activities based on ever-changing weather conditions.

People need reliable weather information to make informed decisions, plan their activities, choose appropriate attire, and make travel arrangements.
This app caters to individuals from all walks of life who require weather information, with a particular focus on outdoor workers, travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and farmers.
The iPhone Weather Forecast App offers accurate, real-time weather data, forecasts, and interactive maps, helping users gain a better understanding of weather conditions and take appropriate actions. It effectively addresses users' need for weather information.

Tiktok-Fangtong Sun

2023-09-29 05:29:07 UTC

Product: TikTok is a social media application where users can create, share, and browse short video content. Its one-sentence description is: TikTok is a short video sharing platform that allows users to create and share creative short videos.

Problem Addressed: The initial problem addressed by TikTok was the need for a different way of sharing content compared to traditional social media. In the past, people primarily shared content through text, images, or long videos, which didn't always capture the attention and creativity of younger users. TikTok solved the problem by providing a platform for creating and sharing short videos, catering to the desire of young users for a more intuitive and entertaining way to share content.

Audience: TikTok's problem-solving solution primarily impacts the younger generation of users, especially teenagers and young adults. This age group tends to prefer faster-paced, visual content, and they are interested in short videos, music, and creative expression.

Response: TikTok has responded adequately to the problem. It offers an user-friendly platform for users to create, edit, and share short videos. It further enhances user engagement by recommending personalized content through the use of smart algorithms. TikTok has successfully captured the attention of young users and has become one of the most popular social media applications worldwide.

Citrix Workspace- Rashi Juneja

2023-09-30 15:25:58 UTC

Citrix Workspace is a digital workspace solution. It serves as a comprehensive platform that enables secure and unified access to a wide range of resources, including applications, desktops, and content, regardless of the user's location or the device they are using.

The Original Problem Addressed was providing tools and resources for remote work while ensuring data security, access control, user productivity, and compliance.

The problem addressed impacted:

Businesses and Enterprises of all sizes across industries by benefiting and helping them adapt to remote work and manage IT resources for distributed teams.
Remote Workers (employees and professionals) by offering seamless access to work-related applications, data, and resources.
IT Professionals responsible for managing and securing remote work environments found a solution that enabled both seamless and secure remote access.
Compliance and Security Teams ensuring data protection and identity management, meeting compliance requirements.

Citrix workspace has addressed challenges through its Workspace solution. It provided a unified, secure access platform enriched with features such as single sign-on, content management, customization, and analytics, effectively catering to the demands of contemporary work environments. It’s commitment to design thinking, spanning 50 projects, underscored customer-centricity. Additionally, enhanced employee training, improved the customer learning experience, and optimized product data to bolster customer support.

Bumble- Reagan Cooper

2024-09-29 00:25:19 UTC

The original problem that Bumble addressed was the challenges of safety and liberation of online dating. Women especially, felt unsafe and/or uncomfortable on traditional dating apps where people could message them unwarranted or harass them.
As stated above, the population that was most impacted were women who wanted a more empowering and safe online dating experience. However, men who don't like the pressure of beginning a conversation or talking to a woman first could benefit as well. Also, LGBTQ+ individuals looking for inclusive dating apps.
I think Bumble made a good effort to solve the problem, especially regarding women's empowerment and having many safety features. But the user dynamics affected engagement and the limited window of time to answer messages also created pressure. So, considering they don't do the "women make the first move" aspect on the platform anymore, that lets us know this solution did not adequately respond to the problem.

RPI LAF Service- Jetta McPhee

2024-09-29 01:16:49 UTC

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lost and Found (LAF) service is run by the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. It is an online system that allows all LAF items to be cataloged and returned to their original owner.

The original problem the LAF system solves was the lack of centralization for lost-and-found items on campus. Students may not remember exactly where they lost an item, and could spend a lot of time going from building to building trying to locate their items. Students could find an item lost by another student and not know how to return it to its original owner.
The entire RPI student body was affected by this problem.
This system does adequately respond to the problem. Alpha Phi Omega members are assigned to one campus building to collect items from a centralized building lost-and-found, then bring them to the student union. Items are logged into the system, tagged, and organized. If an item matches a "lost report" previously filed by a student, then the student can be contacted to see if it belongs to them.

Baby Breeza - Sheryl Waddell

sheryl61 — 2024-09-29 14:27:13 UTC

Baby Breeza is the most advanced way to automatically make a warm, formula bottle instantly. Think of it as a Kurig for babies but better because it automatically cleans the unit after producing the formula in the bottle.

Problem Addressed: The original problem that Baby Breeza addressed was the time consuming, inaccurate and sometime unhealthy process parents went through to feed a newborn baby.
Audience: There are more than 140 million babies born every year. Each of those babies are little humans that need to be feed by their parents. Parents are typically very tired in the first year of their child's life and make a baby bottle in the middle of the night can lead to inaccurate and sometime unhealthy steps within the process.
Response: Baby Breeza absolutely solved the problem and continues to enhance their products to support parents and their newborns. The product has proven to save time for a parent, make the formula bottle more accurately and has a self-cleaning to ensure bacteria is not lingering in the unit or bottles.

Chipotle Mexican Grill - Zachary Hall

2024-10-01 00:44:44 UTC

1. What was the original “problem” that the entity addressed?

For decades, fast food had been dominated by burger and chicken chains. They offered low quality, nutrient-poor meals at cheap prices and prepared in a short amount of time. Often, these meals were cooked ‘in the back’ kitchen out of sight from customers. This led to a perception in the market that fast food was bad food.

2. What population(s) do you think was impacted by the entity’s problem?

Populations impacted included individuals and families in suburban and urban areas that needed a quick, inexpensive and healthy-ish bite to eat at lunch or dinner time.

3. Did the entity adequately respond to the problem? Please explain why or why not.

Yes. Chipotle introduced a new way to prepare fast food. It offered wholesome ingredients, cooked in a visible kitchen and prepared to-order directly in front of customers. This resulted in a more gourmet experience while still offering meals at a reasonable price point with a short preparation time.

Canva- Patty Chiang

2024-10-01 19:59:08 UTC

Problem: The Adobe Suite, a well-known set of graphic and video design tools, is highly professional but difficult for novices to use effectively without proper training. As a result, newcomers often struggle to create quality content quickly.
Audience: Small businesses, clubs, or individuals with limited budgets who cannot afford to hire professional designers but still need high-quality designs to promote their ideas or products.
Response: Canva effectively bridges the gap between beginners and professionals by offering a wide variety of templates and built-in images. This makes design work easier for novices, saving them significant time in searching for resources. With its templates, users can simply replace content and swiftly produce professional-looking results.

Pinterest - Karmen Goode

2024-10-01 20:26:10 UTC

Problem: The original problem that Pinterest addressed was the overwhelming amount of digital content being curated without users and customers having a place collect, store and organize in one location (or application)

Audience: Creative professionals, event planners, educators, teachers, content creators and influencers, homeowners, DIY enthusiasts, the list goes on and on. Ultimately, Pinterest caters towards individuals who seek creative inspiration and a space to collect and organize their ideas.

Response: Pinterest successfully created a digital platform that can be used on multiples devices where users and customers could save, or pin, items discovered online or upload items to share with others. Pinterest includes an infinite amount of topics such as cooking, fashion, arts&craft and home improvement. The app not only caters towards individual, but also service businesses by allowing them to share idea, create and plan ideas for profit.

Alpha Schools - Amrutha Nandam

2024-10-01 20:40:43 UTC

Information is forthcoming (I just wanted to reserve it before Alpha is taken! :))

Greenlight Community Broadband

2024-10-02 00:06:22 UTC

Problem: Broadband access is incredibly important necessity in this modern age of technology. Many cable and internet companies have become complacent in upgrading the infrastructure of the communities they serve. The internet access they do provide is often costly and mediocre at best for the prices being payed. This is especially difficult in small working-class towns. In some cases, like Wilson, NC, these companies will even deny to improve to fiber network cables.

Populations Impacted: This impacted every member of Wilson, NC's community. From individual homes to businesses and schools. This also impacts the large businesses in the private sector.

Response: The creation of Greenlight was an effective response to the problem of broadband access. Not only have they been able to serve their entire community, but have also been able to expand to the rural communities surrounding the area until a private sector company can match their speeds. Additionally, they have created a cost effective measure, cutting the cost of internet access for all families in the community. The last incredibly important piece is that for unhoused individuals or families that still can't afford, all of the public spaces have access to the same high speed internet for the community to utilize

PillPack-Ruixuan Wang

2024-10-02 02:01:24 UTC

1. Problem: For many elderly people, it may be difficult to remember when to take medicine, how to take medicine, and go to the pharmacy to buy medicine. They need a clear reminder to let them remember the time and quantity of medicine to be delivered to their door.

2. Elderly people and people who are not convenient to go out, or people who take medicine for a long time and have a large number of medicines.

3. Pillpack is a website that perfectly solves this problem. PillPack is an online pharmacy that is committed to making it easier to take and buy medicine. The company has created a prescription drug delivery system, all medicines can be ordered online, and can even be renewed according to the frequency of your medication. At the same time, they sorted the medications into pre-sorted, easy-to-open packages and marked them by date and time. Instead of having to remember when to take them and how often, they put them all in a package with a clear time stamp and tear it open at a specific time. This makes taking medication easy for this customer group.

Nordstrom - Sunglasses

2024-10-02 02:25:05 UTC

Problem: It is hard for customers to compare sunglasses and choose the best one for them.
Target Population: These efforts sought to support in-store Nordstrom customers in picking the best sunglasses for themselves. Additionally, salespeople could use it to guide customers through the selection process.
Evaluating the Product: Unfortunately, the app wasn’t successful. After the campaign, they over-relied on customer opinions about the sunglasses shopping process. However, their feelings didn’t correspond to their actual needs, and the app didn’t seem to make the process much easier for customers to find the best pair of sunglasses.

Otter.ai - Yiwei Liu

2024-10-02 04:58:33 UTC

Problem: Otter tackled the issue of converting spoken words into text in real time situations.Several individuals such, as students and professionals encountered difficulties with transcription due to its time consuming nature and susceptibility, to errors.

Population: Otter is mainly used by students and professionals such, as journalists and researchers to transcribe and structure data for various purposes like reports and articles or meeting notes organization.The application is also valuable for individuals who require transcription for accessibility reasons like individuals, with hearing disabilities.

Response to the Problem: Otter has come up with a solution, to this issue by providing real time transcription powered by AI technology that can distinguish speakers and provide timestamps for searching and editing of transcripts for users to share effortlessly. It works seamlessly with popular platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet to boost efficiency and teamwork efforts. It is designed to be user friendly and accessible, for hassle use so that users can save time and concentrate on tasks while meeting their documentation needs accurately.

Google Map-Xiaoyu han (Hannah)

2024-10-02 05:29:14 UTC

Problem: Google Maps aimed to address the inefficiency and inconvenience of traditional navigation methods. Before its introduction, people relied on paper maps, printed directions, or standalone GPS devices, which lacked real-time updates, comprehensive coverage, and user-friendly features for finding routes, businesses, or navigating traffic effectively.
Target Population: Google Maps impacted various populations, including commuters and travelers needing efficient navigation, local businesses seeking visibility, tourists in unfamiliar areas, pedestrians and cyclists requiring safe routes, rural communities lacking accurate maps, and public transport users needing clear directions.
Response: Google Maps adequately responded to the navigation and accessibility problems it aimed to solve. By offering real-time, accurate directions for various transportation modes, it revolutionized how people navigate and explore their surroundings. Its integration of local business information, live traffic updates, and user-friendly features allowed users to find destinations easily and make informed travel decisions. Additionally, Google Maps' global coverage and Street View enhanced users' ability to visualize unfamiliar areas. This comprehensive approach transformed traditional navigation methods, making Google Maps an essential tool for millions worldwide, effectively addressing the original challenges.

Keep - Chloe Wu

yingqiwu — 2024-10-02 19:14:49 UTC

Problem: Keep addressed the problem of people lacking accessible, flexible, individualized, and affordable fitness resources. Many individuals couldn't consistently attend gyms due to time, cost, or logistical barriers. Keep aimed to make fitness more convenient and personalized by providing on-demand workout plans and tracking through an app.
Target population: busy professionals, beginners who needed fitness guidance, individuals seeking flexibility, and those who found gym memberships too expensive or inconvenient. It particularly appealed to tech-savvy users and urban dwellers who needed easy-to-access fitness options.
Evaluation of Keep: Yes, I think Keep’s product responded well to the problem by offering customizable workout plans, video tutorials, and progress tracking in one platform, making fitness more accessible and flexible. Its user-friendly design and variety of workouts helped meet the needs of people looking for convenient, affordable ways to stay active. However, it may not fully replace the benefits of in-person guidance for some users.

Brightline - Aiden Hoke

2024-10-02 21:22:48 UTC

Problem: Travel in Florida is time-consuming and expensive. With all of the tourists coming to Florida year-round, and all of the residents looking to get away and visit other close by cities, traveling in Florida is an exhausting task. Driving is very time-consuming (and dangerous knowing Florida drivers), and flying is too expensive. Brightline seeks to fill the middle-ground, offering consistent and reliable travel options that are faster than driving and cheaper than flying.

Impacted Population: Primarily Florida residents. This includes businesspeople, sports fans/sports teams, patrons of amusement parks and conventions, and anyone else who may want/need to travel within the state. It also serves people coming into the state, as tourists or visitors can take the line from the major airports to the smaller, surrounding cities where they may be staying (as an alternative to Uber).

Response: The Brightline is still currently under construction, so it currently fails to serve some customers. However, the existing lines do appear to offer faster travel than highways at rates far below what major airlines charge. Once all lines are complete, I believe the Brightline will be a successful travel alternative.

2024-10-02 22:26:59 UTC

Problem: Parking in downtown Chicago can feel IMPOSSIBLE. It is difficult to find lots/garages with availability. If you are lucky enough to find a public space you have to double check for parking notices that restrict times. If you conquer both of those hurdles you then have to fork over a small fortune. The co-founder of SpotHero, Mark Lawrence, was faced with this very problem while working as a financial analyst in downtown Chicago. He would often forget to move his car during daily street cleaning. In one year he incurred $5,000 in parking tickets.
Target Audience: Like Lawrence, the initial target population was urban drivers, but since then it has expanded to include commuters, and tourists who also want convenient, reliable and more importantly affordable parking in urban areas.
Response: Spot Hero helped respond to this problem by creating a framework that allowed users to pay to park at private and personal parking spaces around Chicago. The app then took it a step further by allowing users to find, book, and pay for parking in advance. Since its creation SpotHero now works with public lots and is available in hundreds of cities.

Google Classroom - Emma Brockman

2024-10-03 01:26:36 UTC

Problem: In a new wave of educational technology being brought to schools, more and more schoolwork was being completed online. Instead of teachers attempting to grade homework assignments online with hundreds of emails from students sharing documents, Google Classroom works to simplify that problem. In essence, the software is mitigating the interactions between students and teachers in an online realm. Educators are able to keep track of assignments easier, see which students are finished, and have grades all be in the same place. Google Classroom alleviates the stress of a digital world in education.

Target Audience: The target audience for this software is educators, schools, and school districts. The free and accessible platform makes it easy to partner with schools and allow students to all have their own personal accounts. Another target audience would be students as they are the ones utilizing the platform for their work, so standards and applicability must be up to date for them as well.

Response: Personally, I believe Google Classroom did an amazing job responding to this problem. Not only did they make the digital realm of teaching available to all in a free accessible way, but they also made the software extremely user-friendly.

Wisdom: The World of Emotions - Amber Washington

2024-10-03 02:09:01 UTC

Problem. Kids nowadays deal with a lot of emotional stuff. They really need to know how to handle their feelings and bounce back from tough times. Getting the hang of emotions helps kids learn important skills like knowing themselves, understanding others, getting along with people, making good choices, and keeping their cool. This skill set acts like a shield against feeling anxious or down, helping kids build good relationships and understand where others are coming from. Kids who get this emotional stuff also do better in school and are more into their classes, which helps them do well overall.

Population. Kids who are from 4-8 years old and their parents.

Response. This app helps children develop, navigate, and manage their emotions effectively. The solution that was created was effective because it was interactive, engaging, and evidence-based. It is especially important that it was engaging/interactive because keeping kids’ attention can be challenging!

Duolingo _ Fuqing Ye

2024-10-03 02:12:49 UTC

Problem
The original issue that Duolingo addressed was a lack of open and accessible language learning tools. Many language learning tools and courses were either expensive or needed a large time investment. The founders of Duolingo sought to democratize language instruction by developing a platform that anybody with internet access could use for free, providing an effective and interesting way to learn languages.
Population
The people most affected by this issue were language learners who could not afford standard language classes or had no access to formal education. This includes students from impoverished nations, people who wish to learn a new language for business or travel, and those who simply want to expand their linguistic expertise. People with busy schedules or limited time also profited from Duolingo's adaptable, game-like learning structure.
Response
Duolingo has generally succeeded in fixing the issue. It has made language learning accessible to millions of users around the world by providing free courses in dozens of languages on an easy-to-use and entertaining platform. The app's game-based design keeps learners motivated, while frequent upgrades and the addition of community-driven courses have increased its usefulness. Although some criticize Duolingo for being more effective as a supplementary tool than a total language learning solution, the company's strategy has certainly made considerable progress in delivering affordable and publicly available language instruction.

BARK - Elizabeth Hoodless

2024-10-03 02:55:22 UTC

Problem: Children want smart devices to connect with the online world; however, that world poses many threats. When providing children with smart devices, most options provide parents with an “all or nothing” decision, where they either “open the floodgates” or spend substantial time and energy hovering over their children to monitor activity, which offers no privacy, erodes trust, and deprives children of the opportunity learn responsible digital behavior.

Populations Impacted: Parents who want to give their children smart devices and protect them from dangerous behavior. Children who want smart devices.

Response: Bark has successfully differentiated itself from its competitors. It uniquely uses natural language learning to monitor behavior and alert parents to potential danger without giving parents complete access to discrete things their children are doing. This strategy gives families the opportunity to build trust and develop responsible digital behavior. Additionally, Bark has greater reach than its competitors in the types of services it monitors and allows for customizable and scalable limitation setting. Most services cannot do all three well (or at all) and require prioritizing one or two.

Lyft - Dominique Roberson

2024-10-03 14:17:05 UTC

Problem
Common problems with conventional taxis were their inconvenience, as getting a ride often meant standing on the street or making a call to the dispatch, leading to annoying hold times, especially in crowded places. Another big problem was their unreliability, marked by unpredictable waiting periods and doubts about the paths and costs. Moreover, the absence of clear pricing often caught passengers off guard by sudden fees.
Population
This problem likely affected a broad population relying on taxis, particularly those in urban areas, travelers, and people without personal vehicles.
Response

Lyft seems to have tackled the issue by Enhancing the ease of using ride-sharing services. The Lyft app makes it simple for users to book rides, often featuring tools such as predicted arrival times and the ability to track the driver. The article mentions that businesses like Bank of America employ design thinking and technology to develop more accessible and intuitive services. The goal of Lyft's platform is to streamline the connection between passengers and drivers, aiming to cut down on waiting times and boost the chances of securing a ride. The piece points out that design thinking is focused on enhancing the efficiency and dependability of services.Creating a community feel, Lyft has set itself apart by promoting a friendlier and community-centric attitude, encouraging interactions between drivers and passengers and highlighting common values. The piece points out that effective products resonate with users on both practical and emotional levels. However, Lyft has also encountered its fair share of criticism and obstacles, ranging from issues with driver compensation and working conditions to safety concerns, and its effect on the conventional taxi industry.

Blinkit - Harshvardhan Upadhyaya

harshv — 2024-10-03 14:40:06 UTC

Problem: There exists time-scarcity and attribution of inconvenience associated with daily fresh grocery, personal care essentials, and household items related shopping. Additionally, it is common that people often forget to buy all of the items on their shopping list and delay the act of commerce due to the inconvenience of traveling to your neighborhood store for a few items. Therefore, there is a scope to fulfill the last minute needs of 'busy' people.

Target Audience: This is largely aimed at residents in urban and suburban areas. Particularly, busy professionals, young families, and individuals who value convenience and immediate access to daily necessities.

Response: Blinkit a sub company of Zomato (India's DoorDash) leveraged their existing delivery infrastructure to develop an extensive network of hyper-local delivery hubs (dark stores) to optimize logistics for rapid fulfillment of orders. They also leverage their existing technology to ensure real-time inventory updates and efficient route planning for delivery with speed. Consequently, fulfilling deliveries usually under 20 minutes.

Fun Fact: Blinkit has almost every item you may need, they even deliver PS5's to your doorstep in under 20 minutes!

Starry - Alexander Sumner

2024-10-03 17:03:13 UTC

Original Problem: The original problem Starry addressed was that Sierra Mist couldn't compete with the elite status of Sprite. PepsiCo needed a rebranded product that could stand tall alongside it.

Impacted Population: The impacted population includes lemon-lime soda drinkers and uncaffeinated soda enthusiasts, particularly younger consumers drawn to bold, trendy beverages. Starry is heavily advertised in the NBA, even sponsoring the All-Star Game, which helps it connect with its target audience.

Response to the Problem: Starry has responded effectively. Pepsi has the brand power to keep it visible on shelves. The commercials are fun and bold, featuring pop culture figures and athletes that make the product enticing. They even embrace the idea of “divorcing” from Sprite in their ads, making it clear that Starry stands on its own.

Duolingo - Zixian Jiang

2024-10-03 19:15:25 UTC

1. Problem: The problem Duolingo initially sought to solve was the lack of affordable, easy-to-use tools for learning languages anytime, anywhere. Traditional language learning methods, such as language courses or tutoring, are often expensive, time-consuming, and limited in reach, making it impossible for poorer regions with fewer learning resources to learn a new language efficiently.

2. Populations Impacted: Students, working professionals and people in developing countries with limited access to quality language education are the main groups affected. Particularly, some people may not afford traditional methods.

3. Effects: Yes, Duolingo effectively solves this problem by providing a free, gamified language learning app for a global audience. Duolingo incorporates elements such as points and levels to encourage users to keep practicing. Its success is reflected in its global reach, with millions of users from different socio-economic backgrounds benefiting from it.

Khipu Hub

jhosepdgunc — 2024-10-03 19:49:39 UTC

Khipus were ancient recording and management devices used during the Inka empire. Khipus were made of dyed cotton and/or camelid fibers and used in various settings for centuries after the Spanish conquest beginning in 1532 (Urton, 1998). As of 2021, there are over 1,386 khipus in 143 museums and private collections in over 20 countries (Medrano, 2021).

Khipus are decaying in museums due to their fragile organic materials, such as cotton and wool, which are susceptible to deterioration over time. Factors like improper environmental controls, such as fluctuating humidity and light exposure, can accelerate their degradation, making preservation a challenge.
The populations most impacted by the decay of khipus are the descendants of the Inca civilization, particularly Indigenous Andean communities in Peru and neighboring regions. The loss of these artifacts affects their cultural heritage, as khipus hold historical, social, and potentially linguistic significance. Additionally, researchers and historians worldwide, who rely on khipus to study Inca civilization and Andean cultures, are also impacted by their deterioration.
Yes, to a certain extent. Khipu Hub aims to take a new approach for the preservation of these ancient artifacts and to continue the exploration, study, and involvement in deciphering khipus. The Hub provides access to a diverse array of khipus and to engage those intrigued by these enigmatic knotted-string devices through immersive environments. As most khipus remain largely undeciphered, this project aims to fill this gap by harnessing XR technologies to provide a cutting-edge exploration of khipu narratives, offering a platform for uncovering the mysteries embedded within these artifacts.

Spotify - Lauren Jones

fzcfcc2zvf — 2024-10-05 04:10:34 UTC

Original Problem

For consumers, access a diverse range of music was either expensive or illegal. Consumers were frustrated with the inconvenient and limiting nature of their listening experiences. The music industry was frustrated by the financial loses they faced as the result of piracy.

Impacted Populations

Consumers include music enthusiasts of all ages with a focus on millennial and Gen Z listeners. The other end of the spectrum includes artists seeking exposure as well as the varied stakeholders situated within the music industry.

Response

Spotify has effectively addressed the original problems, evidenced by its dominant 31.7% market share and 615 million monthly active users. Their commitment to innovation is demonstrated through a dedicated design thinking website, showcasing their user-centric approach. Spotify has successfully provided a legal, affordable platform for music streaming, enhancing the listening experience with personalized playlists and improved music discovery. For artists and the industry, it offers new revenue streams and exposure opportunities. However, ongoing debates about fair artist compensation indicate that while Spotify has made significant progress, there's still room for improvement in fully addressing all stakeholders' needs within the music ecosystem.

Meta Horizon OS - Nicole Ann Hargrove

2024-10-06 21:45:32 UTC

Meta Horizons OS is a unified operating system designed to streamline VR development and enhance user experiences by reducing fragmentation across VR devices. This OS fosters an open ecosystem by allowing 3rd party manufacturers to use the platform for innovation and collaboration. It also integrates advanced features for social interaction, making VR more accessible and immersive. (1)Different MetaVerse companies had their own platform and consumers were locked into their accompanying devices. Zuckerberg liken this to the mobile device OS battle, which was clearly won by Apple. This reminds of Microsoft C# vs Everyone else Java back in my day. 2)Populations that will be impacted by Meta Horizon OS will be device manufacturers, consumers, and developers. 3)Meta Horizon OS response to the problem is a start to the issue. The next will have to be gaining mindshare for people to come be apart of their ecosystem. There will probably be recruitment of influencers in this space, companies, and taking lead on setting standards.

Tesla Supercharger Network - Dorrit Eisenbeis

2024-10-18 15:04:03 UTC

Problem:

Tesla needed to address the issue of "range anxiety," which was a major barrier to people actually adopting electric vehicles. People were worried that they wouldn't have enough places to charge their cars, making their long-distance travel inconvenient or impossible.

Population:

The problem primarily affected early adopters of EVs and potential consumers who were hesitant to switch from gas cars. It also impacted infrastructure planners and government agencies focused on sustainable transportation solutions.

Response:

Tesla’s Supercharger network solved the problem by strategically putting fast-charging stations nationwide, allowing drivers to quickly charge their vehicles during long trips. This reduced range anxiety and made EVs a more practical option. By continuously expanding the network and innovating with faster charging speeds, Tesla has responded effectively to both current and future demands for charging infrastructure.

Roblox - Khat Thant

2025-09-26 15:31:05 UTC

Problem:

Roblox was a game created by founders David Baszucki and Erik Cassel to be one of the first multiplayer platforms where users can build, share, and play games together, in turn democratizing game creation. What's so interesting about this is that Roblox was originally an EdTech site! It evolved from earlier work on an "Interactive Physics" software program with the goal of creating an interactive virtual world that combines play, learning, and connection.

Populations impacted:

The populations impacted were children, in the beginning. When the pandemic hit, there was a huge boom of users playing on the website, going from 30 million monthly active players in the early 2010's, to over 120 million monthly active players in 2020, all ages.

Did it adequately respond to the problem?:

I think that Roblox did respond to the problem. It was the first to combine user-generated content, virtual worlds, and a "physics sandbox" while also making it completely free to play games on there for anyone. Its a website that fosters creativity, enhances problem-solving skills, develops coding skills through game development, promotes teamwork abilities, provides a platform for entrepreneurship, and opportunities for monetization. It started out for education, it ends with education.

Lithodomos by Ece Erlat

2025-09-26 16:50:42 UTC

Problem:

Lithodomos was created by archaeologist Simon Young to provide immersive VR experiences for archaeological heritage tourism. The users can access VR experiences of 25 destinations such as Athenian Acropolis, Stonehenge, and Rome either while travelling those sites, or from the comfort of their living room. The entity tried to address two problems: a) the inability for non-archaeologists to image how the sites looked like in the past, and b) the inability for people to travel and do heritage tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Populations Impacted:

The populations that Lithodomos targets are heritage tourists: people with financial resources and sufficient educational background, motivated to visit and learn more about ancient sites. The fact that the website provides informational materials alongside the VR experience may suggest that they are trying to expand their audience towards K-12 populations (e.g., teachers and students).

Adequate Response to the Problem:

To a degree, yes. Many VR experiences of heritage sites are designed by non-archaeologists and that’s why misrepresent those sites due to lack of access to archaeological knowledge. Very few archaeologists have an entrepreneurial mindset, and I think Young did a good job defining their target population as heritage tourists who want to get an accurate visualization of ancient sites that have been created by a team of archaeologists. However, some of the sites are too specific and do not cater to tourists who prefer to visit mass tourism destinations (e.g. Machu Pichu, Ephesus, etc.). Also, not sure how helpful this site would be for educators because the sites covered as part of Ancient Civilizations topic of 6^th grade curriculum are different than the ones Lithodomos provides.

Headspace - Addie

2025-10-01 13:36:41 UTC

Product: Headspace (meditation and mindfulness app)

1. Original Problem: Many people struggle with stress, anxiety, and lack of focus but don’t have easy access to affordable mental health or mindfulness resources.

2. Impacted Populations: Busy professionals, students, and individuals with limited time or money for therapy or wellness programs were most affected. Headspace also targeted beginners who were curious about mindfulness but intimidated by traditional practices.

3. Adequacy of Response: Headspace responded effectively by making meditation approachable, affordable, and engaging through short, guided sessions and user-friendly design. The playful visuals and gamified progress tracking reduced the stigma around meditation. While it does not replace therapy or clinical care, it successfully broadened access to mindfulness practices and continues to evolve with features for sleep, stress, and focus.

Amazon Prime

2025-10-01 19:09:00 UTC

Amazon Prime is a subscription service offering fast, free shipping, streaming content, and exclusive deals that transformed e-commerce expectations.

1) Problem: Online shoppers faced high shipping costs and long delivery times that made e-commerce less attractive than traditional retail. Additionally, customers had to make multiple purchases across different platforms for shopping, entertainment, and reading needs.

2) The population this is geared towards are users who shop frequently online, such as business professionals, families, students, etc who are faced with expensive shipping and delivery cost

3) Yes, Amazon Prime adequately addressed the problem through human-centered design. By bundling unlimited fast shipping with entertainment services, Amazon eliminated cost anxiety and created exceptional value. The solution demonstrated deep empathy for customer pain points—convenience, cost predictability, and time savings. They also offer other incentives by subscribing to amazon prime, customers

Kayla Allen

Duolingo - Shunki Kure

2025-10-01 21:04:27 UTC

Duolingo is designed as a learning language app to achieve its vision: to create a free, accessible language learning platform that could reach millions of people worldwide.

1) As their original goal mentioned in other posts, the original problem that they solve is to make language learning more ubiquitous. Besides that, Duolingo also tried to increase the value of online learning by using human-centered design. As data on MOOCs show (low completion rates), it is hard for people to continue learning online.

2) The people who want to learn foreign languages are impacted by this online learning problem. Even though they are passionate about learning, they lack the motivation to continue their learning in the end.

3) I think Duolingo adequately solved this problem. To solve the problem, Duolingo installed many academic insights, such as Gamification, Behavioral, Economics, Social Influence and Competition, Personalization and Communication, and Cognitive Science. For example, sharing learners' progress between friends. As a result, they succeeded in creating an online learning community that let their learners keep learning.

Caddix's Blueprint Mid- Jillian

2025-10-02 03:00:44 UTC

Caddix's Blueprint Mids are soccer cleats that reduce the torque soccer players experience when running in typical cleats, torque that sometimes causes non-contact ACL injuries.

Original Problem: Female soccer players experience a higher number of non-contact ACL injuries due to the current layout of cleat studs and the associated torque. The Mids, informed by biomechanics and iteratively tested, flex and release the pressure experienced in players' lower extremities.

Population: The female soccer population is impacted, a group that experiences higher levels of ACL injuries relative to their male counterparts. Also, players who have experienced ACL injuries before are particularly also a likely population that could be impacted, as these players could reduce their risk for re-injury through wearing the Mids.

Adequacy of Problem: These cleats theoretically will address reducing the widespread problem of ACL tears; however, this product hasn't taken off into the main markets, and the cleats are currently expensive. So, from an individual perspective-- for a player who can afford and wear these cleats-- these cleats are an adequate response to the problem. For those who can't afford the cleats, and on a wide societal level, these cleats are not yet an adequate response to the problem.

Barkbox - Ruka

2025-10-02 03:59:31 UTC

Barkbox is a B2C subscription box for dog owners that provides items like treats and toys for dogs. The box typically comes with 5-6 items and allows Barkbox to collaborate in some cases with local boutique pet shops to showcase dog products.

Problem: Puppies and dogs often need toys for mental stimulation (or to stay busy) or treats for dog training. For most busy dog parents, knowing what type of toys and treats to gather for pets (especially for super chewers) is time consuming and costly.

Population: Dogs are high energy and chew through toys and treats quickly, especially as puppies so it can be costly to constantly have to replace toys and buy organic, nutritious treats. Users tend to be dog owners with disposable income, limited time, who view their dogs as "children" and want to be able to provide engaging toys and a variety of treats for their dogs. Interestingly enough, they have categories of "chewers" to address the issues that dog owners had early on about their dogs shredding apart the toys to easily.

Need met: I think they've partially met the need but not entirely. There are many dog owners who would use Barkbox if there were different tiers that addressed not just super chewers but age progression of dogs. Many of the toys and treats are design for puppies and young dogs, and less for aging or senior dogs so they're leaving out a potential large population. A far as providing a service that saves dog owners the time and energy and effort of research and gathering a variety of treats and toys, I think Barkbox has been successful.

reMarkable - Matthias Blaue

2025-10-02 03:59:58 UTC

The Problem: Writing notes, drawing, scripting, and doodling are best on paper. But paper wrinkles, gets lost, or piles up over time. The alternative is a tablet, but it’s hard to focus when messages pop up or notifications disrupt the screen. The feeling also doesn’t compare with real paper. So how can people work on something that feels like paper, but doesn’t wrinkle, stack, or disappear and stays perfectly organized?

The People: Anyone who frequently uses paper knows this problem. Social workers or psychologists who take notes on conversations, students who fill notebooks in lectures or artists that sketch and draw on sheets. While much is now digital, many people still love the scratch of pen or pencil on paper. It isn’t only older generations. Younger ones also value working in peace without distraction. That’s difficult with always-online devices.

The Solution: reMarkable responded remarkably well. Its paper-and-ink display feels very close to real paper and with the pen’s carbon-fiber tip, writing looks and feels authentic. It has no apps, notifications or messaging. It can however upload documents into its specially designed cloud infrastructure that can be shared with non-reMarkable devices. Here, you can also download custom designed page templates.

Club Penguin - Matthew Zuniga

2025-10-02 06:59:43 UTC

Problem - The main issue that Disney tried to solve with Club Penguin is to expand into the online gaming sector. In their own words they identified Club Penguin, “As a part of its strategy for long-term growth through applying new technologies to the creation and global distribution of high-quality family entertainment”.
Population - The direct population impacted by Disney’s problem were the kids. I can personally attest to this as during their most popular years from 2008-2013, I was about 6-11 years old. Club Penguin was a staple in hanging out with friends from school and none of us really had smart phones or any way to communicate outside of school which Club Penguin ended up being the perfect solution.
Response - I would say yes during the beginning years, but a resounding no from then on. The game has been sunsetted for about 8 years at this point which shows us that they were unable to provide solutions to their problem. From what I found online, this was due to a lack of innovation and support for developers because it wasn’t bringing in as much money as they thought it was going to.

Air BNB-Shekhar

2025-10-02 13:29:20 UTC

Airbnb is an online service that connects people who want to rent their homes or spare rooms with travelers needing unique places to stay.

The original problem the founders addressed was twofold: on one side, city residents were struggling to afford high rent and needed extra income. On the other side, travelers often couldn't find affordable or available places during busy times. The company realized they could use the unused space in homes to solve this logistical and financial conflict simultaneously. This problem affected travelers looking for cheap lodging, hosts needing income, and local event organizers who struggled to house attendees.

Airbnb responded to this challenge successfully by prioritizing trust, which is key to any human-centered design. They knew people wouldn't stay in a stranger's home without feeling safe. To overcome this, they introduced professional photos, verified user profiles, and insurance for hosts. This solution was successful because it addressed the deep-seated emotional need for security, making the service desirable and leading to its massive, sustained growth, much like the emotional draw of the iPod.

2025-10-02 14:39:19 UTC

Problem - Netflix had knowticed a large increase in decision fatigue between their users. People would sign on to the site, scroll through an endless queue of movies and tv shows, but overwhelmed by the amount of choices available they would choose not watch Netflix at all. This lead users to believe that there were no good streaming options on Netflix, when in reality there were too many good options.
Power Netflix users, or those who use Netflix on a consistant bases were the most effected. Given there heavy usage of the platform, after watching a show or movie once, that would then turn into another option they would have to scroll past to find a new option. This meant that over a long period of time the user experience would consistantly get worse.
As a solution, Netflix rolled out a major redesign of both their TV and app design layouts by moving navigation shortcuts, creating more accurate and responsive recommendations, and rolling out a cleaner, less cluttered UX layout in hopes of reduce cognitive load as people browse their content library

Capwords - Erica Shao

2025-10-02 15:18:28 UTC

CapWords is a language learning app that helps you learn new words by snapping photos of real-world objects and turning them into vocabulary stickers.

1. Original Problem:

The app was created to address the difficulty language learners face when encountering unfamiliar words in real media—they often have to pause and search, which disrupts fluency and motivation.

2. Impacted Populations:

The main users of this app are people who want to integrate language learning into everyday life—students, international learners, and professionals needing stronger English vocabulary for academic or workplace success. It could also support casual language enthusiasts who want to expand their vocabulary in a fun way.

3. Adequacy of Response:

CapWords respond quite adequately since it combines gamification, spaced repetition, and user-friendly design, which makes vocabulary practice more consistent and enjoyable. Its effectiveness lies in promoting natural exposure and reducing interruptions, though the quality of the word recognition and the learner’s consistent use should also be taken into consideration.

Campus360 -Omari Tait

2025-10-02 15:19:28 UTC

Problem:

Campus tours/visits are an imperative piece of a student's higher education journey. It is usually the make-or-break factor for their college choice. However, many students are limited in visiting campuses they are interested in for various reasons. Therefore, Campus360 was created to make campus tours accessible and provide an easier way for institutions to leverage this emerging technology.

Target Audience:

Campus360 is a service primarily used by students interested in college tours and institutions who want to utilize 360 VR to bring students on campus virtually.

Response:

I have explored some campus tours with Campus360, and they were a good alternative to a campus visit. Of course, nothing beats the real thing. However, 360 VR at least allows a student to look around, and depending on how they are using the service, they can be decently immersed. I believe a "Google Earth" approach would be even better.

PokemonGo - Milena Páez

2025-10-02 15:36:53 UTC

Pokémon Go is a mobile augmented reality (AR) game developed by Niantic that allows users to catch virtual Pokémon in real-world locations.

The problem: People who play video games tend to lead sedentary and isolated lives due to the excessive amount of time they spend in front of screens playing video games on computers or consoles. Niantic wanted to change this reality by proposing a game that promotes movement, exploration, and face-to-face interaction.

The target audience: the app is designed for teenagers and young adults. I think it was initially intended for those who are familiar with the history of Pokémon through previous video games, but it also attracts new players and even entire families spending time together walking and exploring new places.

Response: PokemonGo is a app with over a thousand million downloads since its launch in 2016. Niantic has progressively implemented changes that keep players engaged collecting new Pokemon. Niantic has created events such as Community Day, which have seen impressive attendance, with a very friendly atmosphere and people walking an average of 5 to 7 km per day. The solution combines entertainment, health, and social connection, which is why I believe it is an innovative success.

LinkedIN-Sonny Santiago

2025-10-02 16:06:02 UTC

Original Problem:

LinkedIn was created to make social media platform that could help advance careers. With jobs being hard to find and the difficulty of building a professional brand, LinkedIn made it possible to network, search, and connect with other employees and employers.

Target Audience:

Anyone who is looking into the global professional community, Job seekers, recent graduates, business employers, industry professionals, the list goes on and on.

Response:

LinkedIn has revolutionized the professional market by creating a centralized, digital platform for recruiting and networking, effectively replacing traditional methods and increasing the visibility of both job seekers and companies. For individuals, it has established the essential need for a public professional brand, allowing them to showcase their career history and build a global network.

2025-10-02 16:13:57 UTC

Original Problem: Traditional brokerages charged high fees per trade and often required significant account minimums, which excluded many first-time or lower-income investors from participating in the stock market.

2. Impacted Populations: Robinhood primarily targeted young adults, new investors, and tech-savvy individuals who wanted financial independence but were deterred by the complexity and costs of traditional investing platforms.

3. Response to the Problem: Robinhood’s app-centered design, commission-free trades, and clean user interface removed major barriers to investing and dramatically expanded participation in financial markets. It successfully leveraged design thinking by focusing on simplicity, accessibility, and user experience, creating a platform that felt familiar to smartphone users.

NotebookLM - Kaitlyn Barker

2025-10-02 16:37:37 UTC

Original Problem:

For many students, researchers, and professionals, drawing connections across a variety of texts can be very difficult. Additionally, when students lack study skills or need additional support, gathering the most important information from an academic article is often challenging. NotebookLM aimed to address these issues by creating a platform built upon an AI LLM that transforms documents into active learning opportunities.

Target Audience:

NotebookLM's target audience is students, researchers, and professionals who rely on synthesis of information to draw upon ideas.

Response:

I have personally used NotebookLM to transform academic readings into "deep dive AI podcasts" and have found that it addresses the problems listed above. Although I would not recommend using NotebookLM to replace reading the article yourself, I believe using it to reinforce the main ideas from an article or draw conclusions across articles is a very effective study strategy. In addition to creating a "podcast," NotebookLM can create an AI-generated video overview, a mind map, flashcards, and a quiz to transform a passive reading experience into a more active learning experience for users. As far as the service it provides, I believe NotebookLM can not only respond to the problems in the area, but also revolutionize the study experience for students, researchers, and professionals.

ETRADE-Rich Gilliam

2025-10-02 19:05:05 UTC

1.The problem E*TRADE set out to solve was the exclusivity and complexity of investing. Traditional stock trading required brokers, high fees, and insider access, which left everyday people shut out of financial markets.

2.The biggest impact was on individuals who wanted to invest but lacked resources to use traditional brokers everyday workers, younger investors, and first-time traders seeking more control over their money.

3. Yes I believe ETRADE lowered barriers by offering a user-friendly digital platform with direct access to investing tools at a lower cost. Much like the examples from Brown highlights, ETRADE didn’t just create a product but redesigned a system to expand access. While equity gaps remain since investing still assumes disposable income and financial literacy the platform successfully allowed more retail trading and transformed how people engage with financial markets.

Co-Star Peizhen Li

2025-10-02 20:16:04 UTC

Original problem: Many people are interested in astrology but find traditional horoscopes too generic, impersonal, or disconnected from their own lives.
Impacted population: Millennials and Gen Z users who seek personalized guidance, community, and self-reflection through technology.
Adequacy of response: Yes—Co–Star responded by using NASA data and AI-driven personalization to create individualized daily horoscopes, making astrology feel more relevant and engaging. However, critics argue that it can oversimplify complex life issues or encourage overreliance on vague predictions, showing both its appeal and limitations.

Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses - Mengyao Cheng

2025-10-02 20:24:01 UTC

Original Problem:
The product aimed to solve the problem of balancing seamless digital connectivity with everyday life—reducing reliance on phones while enabling people to capture and share experiences instantly.

Impacted Population:
It primarily impacts tech-savvy consumers, social media creators, and professionals who value hands-free documentation, as well as people seeking more natural integration of technology into daily routines.

Adequacy of Response:
The response is partially adequate. On one hand, the glasses address convenience and offer an innovative, human-centered design that minimizes disruption to users’ natural interactions. On the other hand, concerns about privacy, limited functionality compared to smartphones, and niche appeal suggest that while the glasses reflect design thinking, their success depends on broader cultural acceptance and technological improvement.

Canva - Bella Wang

2025-10-02 21:52:45 UTC

Canva is an online graphic design platform. Users can create visuals easily for everyone.

Original Problem: Traditional design software was expensive, complex, and required advanced skills. Non-designers like me are unable to create professional graphics easily.

Impacted Population: Working professionals, small business owners, teachers, students, and everyday users who needed quick, good-looking visuals for work, school, or personal use.

Response to the Problem: Canva made design simple and accessible. It has functions like drag-and-drop features, ready-made templates, and free or low-cost access. Many people like me are able to produce quality designs without formal training.

Khan Academy- Nashrah Alam

2025-10-07 04:35:36 UTC

Original problem- The problem that Khan Academy sought to solve was the lack of access to high-quality education for students who couldn't afford good tutoring or had limited resources.
Impacted population- Teachers who looked for support in their classroom. Students belonged to low-income families, under-resourced schools.
Adequacy of response- Khan academy offered free, self-paced lessons in many subjects. it is easy to use, and the design reflects empathy for diverse learners. It provides the accessibility that's needed, includes interactive lessons, and supports learning anytime, anywhere.

Waze - Kiannah Pierce

2025-10-09 13:25:36 UTC

Waze is a mobile navigation system that updates in real-time using driver participation for real-time traffic updates, live maps, and road data.

Waze was created in 2006 and wanted to solve the issue of inefficient navigation and a lack of real-time traffic information. Drivers felt that they were wasting time in congestion because other navigation was failing to update.
Any drivers using navigation systems, daily commuters, delivery drivers, and travelers. I would think anyone on a time crunch or schedule that needed efficient travel.
I think it did, but also created new problems. As someone who used Waze, it solved issues like construction zones, patrol cars, and avoiding long-standing traffic. I do think it created traffic in areas like neighborhoods because people avoided the traffic and chose a route that would not often be taken. I also think it created an issue with distracted driving, as it relies on drivers to provide updates while operating their vehicle.

Tonies - Lauren Jones

2025-12-18 22:47:08 UTC

Original Problem: The problem centers on parents’ frustration with fragile physical audio media like CDs combined with a desire for screen-free ways for children to access audio content and rich storytelling experiences.

Impacted populations: The main population impacted is young children whose curiosity might otherwise lead them into unfiltered online spaces where commercial, inappropriate, or distracting content is only a few taps away. Parents, caregivers, and early-childhood educators are also impacted, as they seek developmentally appropriate, easy-to-use, screen-free audio tools and may believe they are choosing a values-aligned, low-advertising alternative.

Adequacy of response: Tonies responds effectively by using colorful figurines and simple physical controls to create clear visual and audible cues about what a child is listening to, enabling autonomous, screen-free use while keeping content legible to adults. However, the introduction of licensed Content Tonies brings strong commercial and branding logics into this protected space, since each figurine doubles as a soft form of brand advertising; because Tonies must negotiate content deals and pay royalties, its business model now partially relies on the same commercialization that many caregivers hoped to avoid, complicating its claim to offer a truly ad-free, commercialization-light play environment.