Sticky notes, pens or markers, and a large whiteboard (physical or digital) or wall space

Overview:
Marrying technical prowess with user-centric understanding, this two-part activity employs the principles of customer discovery and painstorming (i.e., brainstorming to identify users' unmet needs), vital in medical device design and beyond. It introduces students to the importance of understanding user needs from a holistic and layered perspective, emphasizing that genuine solutions often lie beyond the surface.

Part 1: Campus Service Interview-Based Discovery 
Duration: 1 week assignment outside of class

Inspired by Gallery Walk activity presented in the Jan 2023 KEEN I.C.E. 1.0 workshop (see card 3436 for an example with full details) and principles espoused in the NSF I-Corps Teams curriculum, BME senior design students first embark on a journey to uncover the challenges and pain points experienced by users of some campus service assigned by the instructor (e.g., dining services, career services, etc.). Something off-campus could be used as well, but might be more difficult for students to reach or identify with as universally. Campus IT services will be used as an example in this card.

This is no ordinary exploration – it’s a foundation in empathetic engineering. With tools like structured interviews, students engage with various stakeholders, gathering both qualitative and quantitative insights. By doing so, they gain a deeper understanding of the real-world constraints and challenges end-users face, resonating with the very ethos of biomedical engineering: addressing genuine human needs.

An assignment with an associated assessment rubric for Part 1 is attached below.

Part 2: Pain Chain Reaction
Duration: 15-30 minutes in class

Building on the insights gathered, students then participate in a 'Pain Chain Reaction' activity. This isn't about merely identifying pain points but practicing the art of digging deeper to understand their interconnections, cascade effects, and broader implications. As is often the case in a biomedical context where a symptom might be an indication of an underlying condition, IT (or other service) challenges, too, might be manifestations of deeper systemic issues. Using color-coded sticky notes or a digital platform, students map out identified challenges from Part 1, drawing lines indicating cause-and-effect relationships, thus creating a web of interconnected issues. This activity drives home the concept of painstorming by demonstrating how problems are interconnected and can escalate, emphasizing the importance of thorough needs assessment in the design process.

Instructions:

1. Divide the class (~5 mins):
   • Split the students into groups of 3-4.
   • Provide each group with a stack of sticky notes and pens/markers.
2. Initial Pain Point Identification (~3 mins):
   • Ask each group to recall a recent minor annoyance or "pain point" they experienced with campus IT services (from Part 1).
   • Instruct each group to write that pain point on a sticky note.
3. Deep Dive - Chain Reaction (~7 mins):
   • For each pain point identified, the group should think of a direct consequence of that pain, then a consequence of that consequence, and so forth, until they've formed a "chain" of 3-4 related pain points. Each should be written on a new sticky note.
   • For instance, if the initial pain was "Slow campus Wi-Fi," the chain might be "Can't attend online lectures -> Miss important content -> Grades suffer."
4. Sharing & Clustering (~3 mins):
   • Each group sticks their chains on the whiteboard or wall.
   • Quickly, groups should look for common themes or pain points in other groups' chains and cluster similar ones together.
5. Reflection and Discussion (~2 mins):
   • Ask the class to reflect on the interconnectedness of seemingly minor pains.
   • Highlight how a small problem can spiral and affect many facets of life or work.
6. Debrief:
   • Discuss how understanding these deeper chains of pain can unveil significant opportunities for innovation.
   • Relate the activity to the importance of empathizing with end-users, which is a key entrepreneurial mindset. Address how entrepreneurs seek to understand the full breadth of a problem before devising holistic solutions.
     

Connection with EML Principles:
Infused with entrepreneurial mindset principles, this paired activity promotes Curiosity (seeking to understand the 'why' behind every challenge), Connections (identifying relationships between various pain points), and Creating Value (envisioning transformative solutions for users). It’s an exercise that not only sharpens technical acumen but also hones empathy, critical thinking, and a solutions-driven mindset.

Final Note:
The transformative potential of biomedical engineering often resides at the nexus of technology and human experience. This activity, rooted in the real-world context of campus IT (or other service) challenges, provides students with a scaffolded experience, mimicking the journey from identifying clinical needs to devising biomedical interventions. It’s a reminder that engineering isn’t just about creating; it’s about understanding first and then creating.