Week #5: From Broad Vision to Sharp Focus 🎯

This week, we presented our research journey for the first time, and it became clear that we needed to sharpen our focus. We had identified several potential user groups and multiple possible directions, but lacked the precision needed to move forward into solutions.

Defining Our Audience 👥

After mapping our insights, we narrowed our primary audience to teenagers aged 12–16, middle school students whose social lives unfold largely through digital channels: WhatsApp, social media, and online games. These are teens who struggle to develop meaningful social connections and express themselves authentically, especially when conflicts arise.

This clarity allowed us to craft a focused guiding question:

"How might we give young teenagers simple, practical tools to resolve conflicts without needing to resort to fighting or complete avoidance?"

Walking in Their Shoes 👟

To truly understand our users, we used an empathy map to step into the emotional reality of a teenager moments before entering a conflict. We explored what they think, feel, say, and do throughout the process, mapping the internal tension, the hesitation, the fear of confrontation, and the instinct to either explode or disappear.

This exercise revealed how trapped teens feel between wanting to fix things and not knowing how.

Mapping the Market 🔍

We also conducted a competitive analysis to understand existing solutions. We organized them across two axes: before vs. after conflict and digital vs. physical interventions.

Programs like RULER, Safe School, and Social Quest offer emotional education or social skills training. Others, like young mediators or school counselors, step in after conflicts escalate. What became clear is that few solutions offer teens accessible, immediate tools they can use in the moment tools that feel natural within their digital communication environment.

Looking Ahead 🚀

Now that we have defined the problem, understood our audience, and identified the gaps in the market, we are ready to begin the most exciting phase: ideation. Next week, we will start brainstorming solution concepts and exploring directions that feel both practical and meaningful for teens navigating conflict in a digital age.

Stay tuned. ✨