Students will conduct user interviews with new and existing peers to gather insights on the challenges and needs they face when navigating the school environment, using these findings to build empathy and inform the development of the app's initial design.

Students will synthesize insights from user interviews to craft a clear and actionable problem statement that reflects the needs of new students, using collaborative brainstorming sessions and group discussions to guide their understanding and ensure alignment with human-centered design principles.

Students will collaborate in small teams to brainstorm diverse design ideas for their app prototypes, drawing inspiration from shared insights gained during empathy walkthroughs and organizing these ideas into innovative digital solutions that effectively convey school culture and layout.

Students will collaboratively build high-fidelity mobile app prototypes incorporating interactive maps and resource guides, applying their math skills to ensure accuracy, while engaging in small group reflection sessions to integrate empathetic insights from user interviews and school walkthroughs into their design solutions.

Students will conduct user testing sessions with actual first-year students using mobile app prototypes, gathering critical feedback to refine their designs, and culminate the phase by presenting their polished prototypes and insights to school administrators and peers, emphasizing how the app addresses both the culture and layout navigation challenges for new students.