Launch
Launch
Students will launch the yearlong pathway project by building background knowledge about shelter adoption work, community outreach, and animal safety; connecting with mentors and community partners; surfacing assumptions; and producing the first evidence-based concept materials that will guide deeper research in the next phase.
Days 1 - 11
45 min over capacity (495 min available across 11 days)
Research & Listen
Research & Listen
Students will investigate shelter needs, adoption barriers, and safety considerations through direct contact with community partners and local residents, then organize evidence into research artifacts that prepare them to define a focused, evidence-based design challenge.
Days 12 - 29
Make Empathy Map
Make Empathy Map
Students will synthesize interview notes, observation records, and partner input into empathy maps, journey patterns, and assumption-check documents that clarify stakeholder needs, barriers, and safety risks. They will test their interpretations through critique, mentor feedback, and a community partner touchpoint, then revise toward a clear evidence-based problem direction for the next phase.
Days 30 - 46
Define Design Brief
Define Design Brief
Students will turn empathy findings, interview evidence, and shelter partner input into a focused design brief for a community adoption awareness effort. They will define a clear problem statement, analyze criteria and constraints, draft measurable outreach goals, and refine their brief through mentor, peer, and partner critique before a milestone approval for the next phase.
Days 47 - 63
Prototype & Test
Prototype & Test
Students will generate and compare multiple outreach and event concepts, build low-fidelity prototypes grounded in prior research, test those prototypes with peers and community partners, and use evidence from critique to revise their adoption-awareness solutions.
Days 64 - 80
Refine & Present
Refine & Present
Students will refine their outreach and event-planning solutions through documented revision cycles, validate changes with peers and community stakeholders, and prepare a professional presentation that explains how research, feedback, and tradeoff decisions shaped the proposed community adoption event.
Days 81 - 97
Showcase
Showcase
Students will finalize and present their adoption awareness work to authentic audiences, document community impact from the event, and curate evidence of how research, feedback, and revision shaped their final decisions. They will use peer critique, mentor input, and audience responses to strengthen exhibition materials, then complete a final performance assessment and year-end reflection on collaboration, activism, and self-direction.
Days 98 - 108
Launch
Days 1–11
Research & Listen
Days 12–29
Day 16
Day 18
Day 20
Day 22
Day 24
Day 28
Make Empathy Map
Days 30–46
Day 34
Day 37
Day 39
Day 41
Day 43
Day 44
Day 46
Define Design Brief
Days 47–63
Day 53
Day 56
Day 58
Day 60
Day 62
Prototype & Test
Days 64–80
Day 69
Day 74
Day 78
Day 79
Refine & Present
Days 81–97
Day 85
Day 87
Day 89
Day 91
Day 93
Day 95
Showcase
Days 98–108
Day 108
July 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
28
Day 2
📘 Animal Safety and Adoption Text Study
📘 Animal Safety and Adoption Text Study
29
Day 3
🗺️ Shelter Visit Observation Log
🗺️ Shelter Visit Observation Log
August 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
3
Day 4
🎯 Criteria and Constraints Mini Lab
🎯 Criteria and Constraints Mini Lab
4
Day 5
💬 Interview Questions and Contact Roles
💬 Interview Questions and Contact Roles
5
Day 6
🧠 Adoption Event Idea Sprint
🧠 Adoption Event Idea Sprint
10
Day 7
📝 Problem Statement Draft Board
📝 Problem Statement Draft Board
11
Day 8
🎨 Outreach Prototype Thumbnails
🎨 Outreach Prototype Thumbnails
12
Day 9
🔁 Mentor Feedback on Thumbnails
🔁 Mentor Feedback on Thumbnails
17
Day 10
📄 Launch Research Brief Checkpoint
📄 Launch Research Brief Checkpoint
18
Day 11
📈 Progress Report and Next Steps
📈 Progress Report and Next Steps
19
Day 12
Research & Listen
🎙️ Shelter Interview Protocol Workshop
🎙️ Shelter Interview Protocol Workshop
24
Day 13
🦺 Animal Safety Field Notes Clinic
🦺 Animal Safety Field Notes Clinic
25
Day 14
📋 Community Listening Logistics Plan
📋 Community Listening Logistics Plan
26
Day 15
🐾 Shelter Staff Listening Visit
🐾 Shelter Staff Listening Visit
September 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
31
Day 16
1
Day 17
🗣️ Resident Adoption Barrier Interviews
🗣️ Resident Adoption Barrier Interviews
2
Day 18
7
Day 19
📚 Research Synthesis on Adoption Outreach
📚 Research Synthesis on Adoption Outreach
8
Day 20
9
Day 21
🧩 Evidence Clustering With Affinity Notes
🧩 Evidence Clustering With Affinity Notes
14
Day 22
15
Day 23
⚖️ Event Constraints Analysis Board
⚖️ Event Constraints Analysis Board
16
Day 24
21
Day 25
📝 User Research Brief Draft
📝 User Research Brief Draft
22
Day 26
🔁 Brief Feedback Round
🔁 Brief Feedback Round
23
Day 27
👥 Mentor and Partner Research Critique
👥 Mentor and Partner Research Critique
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
5
Day 31
📝 Empathy Map Moves
📝 Empathy Map Moves
6
Day 32
🐾 Adopter Journey Risk Map
🐾 Adopter Journey Risk Map
7
Day 33
🗂️ Individual Empathy Map Draft
🗂️ Individual Empathy Map Draft
12
Day 34
13
Day 35
💬 Two-Peer Critique on Maps
💬 Two-Peer Critique on Maps
14
Day 36
⚖️ Event Constraint Evidence Grid
⚖️ Event Constraint Evidence Grid
26
Day 40
🎙️ Shelter Staff Sense Check
🎙️ Shelter Staff Sense Check
27
Day 41
28
Day 42
🔁 Revised Map and Evidence Notes
🔁 Revised Map and Evidence Notes
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
16
Day 49
⚖️ Animal Safety Constraints Lab
⚖️ Animal Safety Constraints Lab
17
Day 50
🗂️ Insight Clusters to Problem Statements
🗂️ Insight Clusters to Problem Statements
18
Day 51
🎯 Design Brief Metrics Workshop
🎯 Design Brief Metrics Workshop
23
Day 52
📝 Design Brief Draft
📝 Design Brief Draft
24
Day 53
25
Day 54
🤝 Mentor Check-In Conference
🤝 Mentor Check-In Conference
December 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
30
Day 55
💬 Brief Feedback Carousel
💬 Brief Feedback Carousel
1
Day 56
2
Day 57
📞 Shelter Staff Design Review
📞 Shelter Staff Design Review
14
Day 61
🧪 Outreach Directions Sketch Set
🧪 Outreach Directions Sketch Set
15
Day 62
16
Day 63
✅ Design Brief Milestone Review
✅ Design Brief Milestone Review
22
Day 65
🧭 Outreach Concepts and Tradeoffs
🧭 Outreach Concepts and Tradeoffs
23
Day 66
🎨 Messaging Models for Adoption Campaigns
🎨 Messaging Models for Adoption Campaigns
28
Day 67
💡 Three Event Directions
💡 Three Event Directions
29
Day 68
🛠️ Flyer and Booth Mockups
🛠️ Flyer and Booth Mockups
30
Day 69
January 2027
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
4
Day 70
🗣️ Peer Critique on Safety Messaging
🗣️ Peer Critique on Safety Messaging
5
Day 71
🔁 Revised Outreach Prototype Draft
🔁 Revised Outreach Prototype Draft
6
Day 72
📋 User Testing Interview Protocols
📋 User Testing Interview Protocols
11
Day 73
🏠 Shelter Partner Feedback Round
🏠 Shelter Partner Feedback Round
12
Day 74
13
Day 75
📊 Feedback Pattern Sort
📊 Feedback Pattern Sort
18
Day 76
✍️ Problem Statement and Test Plan
✍️ Problem Statement and Test Plan
19
Day 77
🔍 Mentor Check-In Revisions
🔍 Mentor Check-In Revisions
20
Day 78
25
Day 79
26
Day 80
✅ Prototype Evidence Review
✅ Prototype Evidence Review
27
Day 81
Refine & Present
🧭 Feedback-to-Revision Decision Matrix
🧭 Feedback-to-Revision Decision Matrix
February 2027
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Day 82
🛡️ Animal Safety Message Check
🛡️ Animal Safety Message Check
2
Day 83
📊 Tradeoff Evidence Storyboard
📊 Tradeoff Evidence Storyboard
3
Day 84
🛠️ Revision Sprint One
🛠️ Revision Sprint One
15
Day 88
🤝 Shelter Stakeholder Validation
🤝 Shelter Stakeholder Validation
16
Day 89
17
Day 90
🔁 Revision Sprint Two
🔁 Revision Sprint Two
March 2027
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Day 94
🎤 Showcase Deck Build
🎤 Showcase Deck Build
2
Day 95
3
Day 96
🎯 Evidence-Based Presentation Rehearsal
🎯 Evidence-Based Presentation Rehearsal
8
Day 97
📝 Activism Growth Progress Report
📝 Activism Growth Progress Report
10
Day 99
📊 Adoption Impact Data Wall
📊 Adoption Impact Data Wall
15
Day 100
🖼️ Outreach Portfolio Curation
🖼️ Outreach Portfolio Curation
16
Day 101
🗣️ Peer Critique on Event Displays
🗣️ Peer Critique on Event Displays
17
Day 102
🧭 Mentor Notes Revision Sprint
🧭 Mentor Notes Revision Sprint
22
Day 103
🎙️ Family Showcase Rehearsal
🎙️ Family Showcase Rehearsal
23
Day 104
🤝 Community Adoption Showcase
🤝 Community Adoption Showcase
24
Day 105
📝 Audience Feedback Synthesis Memo
📝 Audience Feedback Synthesis Memo
29
Day 106
📁 Final Pathway Project Defense
📁 Final Pathway Project Defense
30
Day 107
🌱 Activism Growth Reflection
🌱 Activism Growth Reflection
31
Day 108