— Update 16.5: the IT HelpDesk Challenge had to unfortunately be postponed – stay tuned for activities in autumn 2021! —
Covid-19 regulations have highlighted existing challenges in the access and use of the IT HelpDesk space, and the resulting difficulties for the staff working there. We welcome all creative minds from ITU to join the IT HelpDesk design challenge and propose new solutions to enhance the service experience for all! All suggestions are welcome: big and small, improvements or completely new ideas for digital and hybrid spaces.
Suggest your wildest ideas, and help the IT HelpDesk team to improve their service offerings!
What is this Design Challenge about?
The IT HelpDesk is interested in all kinds of good ideas that would help them revamp their 15 years old services. The starting point is the urgent challenge caused by Covid-19 regulations on social distancing. The IT HelpDesk in 2C is already small, but the social distancing regulations make it even smaller, and the added signs and posters reminding customers of social distancing are making the space cluttered and unappealing. The IT HelpDesk wishes their space to be inviting, that people feel welcome there, but at the same time Covid-19 regulations should be respected. They would like that communication between them and customers is effective, interaction smooth, and that customers don’t need to wait too much and feel like they are wasting their time.
In sum, the call is quite open, and the IT HelpDesk welcomes out of the box and wild ideas! They are interested in ideas that they are not able to have.
We hope we have already triggered your interest! Below is a diagram summarising the main dates and the infrastructure used. If you scroll further down, you can find more details on the challenge.
Who can participate?
All ITU students can participate in groups of max. 4 students. The only requirement is that you are studying at ITU. You can bring your own special expertise (e.g. from your study program) and/or team up with others with different expertise.
Where can I find more information?
On Microsoft Teams! Click the link here
Please notice that you need to log on using your ITU credentials.
You can also open MS Teams, go to “Teams”, click on “Join or create team”, and choose: “IT HelpDesk Design Challenge”
Do I need to register?
Yes on Teams! There is a channel there named Registration where you are invited to submit the names of all members of your group. After you have done that, the challenge organisers will give you a group number and create a private channel for your group on the design Channel team. You will submit your entry there. Submissions will only be accessible to you, the organisers, and the jury members.
The deadline for registering is the 16th of May to give the organisers the time to create the private group channel for you.
There are no penalties for registering and not submitting, though we really hope you will submit 🙂
What do I get from participating?
The winning team will receive a pair of good headphones and all participants will contribute to making the ITU community and ITU experience even better for all!
Who is in the jury and what will they do?
The jury judging the entries will be composed of the ITU ITHelpDesk team, 1-2 members from ITU’s Facilities Management, 1-2 student representatives , 1-2 ITU scientific staff and 1 external design expert.
The jury will choose one winning solution based on the criteria of creativity and addressing the needs of the IT HelpDesk and customers. The winning solution should be an innovative contribution that clearly defines a problem, identifies design constraints and makes use of the briefing material provided. Particularly the following factors will be looked at: degree of innovation, customer and employee experience, and sustainability.
What should I submit?
All submissions should follow the given format:
- Title of your idea
- Group number
- What is the problem you aim to solve?
- What is your main target group(s)?
- Describe your idea for a better service experience for IT help desk (text max 300 words)
- Visualise your solution by choosing one or more of these types of visualizations (e.g. illustration, sketch, picture, scenario, journey map, prototype, comic strip) – you can use 1-3 visualisations
- Short video pitching your solution
When is the submission deadline and how do I submit?
The deadline for submission is 30th of May 2021 at 11.59pm. You will submit by uploading your files to your group’s Team channel.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be announced on the 14th of June.
What if I have questions?
You are welcome to ask questions in the General channel on the Teams space. The organisers will do their best to quickly answer, but sometime you might need to wait some hours before receiving an answer.
Can I make multiple submissions?
Yes, you can make several submissions, however please note you should make a submission entry for every solution you are proposing.
“Material for the challenge” channel on Teams?
This is the channel where the organisers have put material that can help you in providing a good solution. We strongly encourage you to view the interview of the IT HelpDesk team, and the pictures of the 2C space as it is now.
“Stories and Experiences” channel on Teams?
Staff and students of ITU are invited to share their own stories and experiences of using the services of the IT HelpDesk. These reports can be used by the Design Challenge participants as additional material to help in their design process. Furthermore, the IT HelpDesk team will also go through these reports as useful feedback for them.
What happens if I/my group wins?
Karin from IT HelpDesk will contact you and ask what kind of headphones you’d like to receive. The winners will be asked to present their idea publicly – either at ITU or by sending a recorded video – and will receive their prize.
Will my ideas be executed?
IT HelpDesk is grateful for all suggestions to improve the service offerings. By participating you agree that any part of your idea/solution could be used even at later stages by the IT HelpDesk, independently of the outcome of the design challenge. The winning idea will be carefully considered for implementation, but ultimately this will depend also on other factors and it cannot be guaranteed.