The Design Team
The Process
Big Idea
After a natural disaster occurs it is difficult to attain homeownership information from victims. Our mission is to help homeowners collect information about their homes prior to the disaster to be able to better prepare. Through SMS we are helping homeowners organize all their information and be more proactive.
Why SMS Texting?
We decided to select SMS messaging because in a disaster the user may not have access to certain capabilities that could have been compromised. SMS messaging can also be accessed by users without smartphones so it can be utilized by varying economic statuses and age groups.
Phase 1
Lists, Sticky Notes & Idea Exploration
To be able to select a problem we decided to individually create lists of the biggest pain points based on what we heard from the panel that discussed disaster factors the previous evening. After sharing with the group we wrote our lists on sticky notes and synthesized them based on 3 groups Volunteers, Funders/Donors and Victims.
Phase 2
Choosing a Project Direction
The synthesis resulted in most of our sticky notes ending up under the victim column. Speakers from the panel expressed that victims could be out of their homes for up to 3 years. That is when we decided to create a concept that would streamline the time spent getting victims back into their homes. We didn't want to create an application, so we decided to create a SMS based chatbot that focused on asking specific questions that would assist the user in preparing their documents pertaining to their home.
Phase 3
Chatbot, Pivots & Testing
Halfway through the day the group started having doubts if we were actually creating a product based on a concrete need. That's when we knew it was time to perform a few tests to receive feedback. We tested the original home document SMS chatbot against a new SMS chatbot that prioritized rescue efforts based on medical need. Testing helped us not only verify that we were on the right track but it helped us perfect the questions we were selecting for our orginal chatbot.
Phase 4
Good Deed Creation & Presentation
Good Deed is an SMS chatbot that users text in advance of a natural disaster. The software then sends out questions to help the user organize their DEED and FEMA paperwork. Further developments of the chatbot could involve an allocation into a database that can be later used for providing relief services. Good Deed won the "Most Innovative" award at the Protothon 2017!
Presentation poster & Judge using the GOOD DEED demo device
15hr Protothon
NYU instructor Dom Propati conducted a 15 hour Protothon at the NYU Magnet School last October. Following the hurricanes in September he decided to gather young professionals and current students to solve various problems for disaster relief. A 15hr collected effort fostered the creation of Good Deed! Our project won the "Most Innovative" award at the Protothon 2017!
