Reflections
Speak your stakeholder's language. The first hurdle of this project was convincing project leaders to invest in human-centered design. The key decision-makers are seismologists driven by MyShake's research aims. I used low cost methods like app analytics analysis and man-on-the-street interviews to establish data-based findings that tied user needs to their research goals, effectively convincing them to invest in serving users.
Synthesize solutions from diverse perspectives. Bringing in the voices of a wide array of users and experts helped us understand the spectrum of perspectives in our larger target user group. Similarly the diverse perspectives on our team, ranging from project managers to seismologists, led us to think more creatively and develop well-rounded solutions.