Coming Together: Skit

To present the insights and needs that we identified as well as our internal maps solution, we made a skit.  Many of the lines in this skit are direct quotes from our users.

After the skit, Steven, our main contact, took a picture with us:

Props

2 chairs
Signs introducing change of scene

Skit

Roles:
Bob the Boss [[tucked shirt]] -- Anna
Ed the Experienced Electrician [[tucked shirt]] -- Candice
Nathan the Newbie Electrician [[tucked shirt]] -- Sam
Professor Pink -- Mihir

BOB THE BOSS INTERVIEWS A POTENTIAL HIRE...
BB: I'm glad that you decided to interview with us.  We're really looking for the right people here.

NE: How do you view your role at Stanford as electricians?

BB: Well, I'm glad you asked that.  Stanford isn't just any campus.  We have to deliver the level of service that Stanford deserves and requires.

We're ready to take care of this university.  And we're happy to assist, whether the problem is that the professor can't find a light switch or if the generator fails for the hospital.  Lighting has an impact on things: our biggest concern is that we don't want to negatively impact education or research, so we want go unnoticed.

It's so cool -- everything that happens here...  And none of that can happen if the lights are out.

NE: What do you love about this job?

BB: We're constantly learning -- and not just about our jobs.  When I'm in Packard, I love looking at the electrical engineering research posters.  When I'm in <physics research building>, I love looking at the mechanics of the experiments.  And there are millions of lights on this campus, each of which is unique and beautiful in its own way.

NE: [[That brings a tear to my eye.]]  In my previous job, we just put in our hours each day, but this sounds like just the community I'm looking for!

BB: Well, Stanford is really great to work for because they treat us well.  I'm a family man, and with this job, my wife can stay at home with the kids.  And when they grow up, maybe they'll be able to come here one day.

NE: When will I know your decision?

BB: Can you start today?

PROFESSOR PINK'S PROBLEM

<Professor seems messy.  looks around.  haphazardly works.  doesn't have act together.  has stuff all over the place.>

PP: <mutter under / over breath> My light went out!  Now, I can't find the Higgs boson, and I won't be able to mentor the next Steven Hawking.  Let me walk over to the phone to call the electric shop.

<Professor trips as he walks over to the phone, then he calls the Electrician>

EE: Hi, I'm Ed from the electric shop.  How can I help you?

PP: My light is out!  It's dark, and I'm tripping!  It's a safety hazard!  Do you know how to fix it?

EE: I've been fixing lights on this campus for 30 years.  I know every light and how to fix it.  It'll be no problem.

PP: <Impatiently> Well, when can you come over to fix it?

EE: I'll come right over.  

THE FIXINS

NE: Thanks for showing me around!  I just started today, and it's great to shadow someone who knows this campus as well as you.

EE:  Yeah, it takes a long time to get to know the campus.  Someone with as much technical experience as you will be able to fix the problems easily, but it can still be hard to navigate the buildings.

<Walking to the office>

NE: It looks like this is Professor Pink's office.  

EE: The lights are out.  It's probably the circuit breaker.  Let's find the breaker room!

Professor Pink narrates: 30 minutes later
EE: Here's a breaker room!  I'll look at panel 1.  Why don't you check panel 2?

NE: Professor Pink's office number isn't on this panel.

EE: Not on this one either.  I know there's another breaker room on this floor -- let's check it out.

PP: 15 minutes later

NE: What's this room?

EE: It doesn't have a room number, but I think that it's the other breaker room.  Let's see...

<They go into the room.>

NE: Not this panel.

EE: Not this one either.  These jobs are usually easy to fix, but hard to find.  

PP narrates: 20 minutes later

NE: Wow, we have to look on a different floor?

EE: Yeah.  Sometimes, that's the case.

NE: It seems like there isn't any rhyme or reason to how these buildings are wired.  

ALL SHOUT: <FREEZE!> (and then stand paused without moving)

PP POV: It's almost as if...
A humble electrical expert who never complains about a job but wishes he could spend more of his time serving the Stanford community
needs a way to navigate the ever-changing wiring
because he spends more time searching for the right room than using his technical skills to fix the problem

EE:  And every building is different.  But look! This circuit breaker was tripped, so the offices on this circuit aren't getting power.  I bet Professor Pink's office is one of them.

NE: Wait, Professor Pink's office isn't even labeled on this panel!

EE: You're right.  It could be something else, but the panel is probably just mislabeled.  It happens all the time.  Well, let there be light! <flip the switch>

PP narrates: Back at my office...

<As the electricians enter>

PP: Now I can work again!  Higgs boson, here we come!

EE: Great!

CHANGE

PP narrates: ONE YEAR LATER

PP: Look at this data!  I think I found the Higgs boson!  <sound effect> Oh no, it's dark!  Did the boson do that?!?!  Oh, it's just the lights.  I'll call the electricians again.

BACK IN THE OFFICE

NE: Now that I'm more familiar with the campus, I'll take this job on my own.  Oh, and it's in a building that I've been in before.  I remember that when I shadowed Ed that there's something weird about the wiring in this building, but I can't quite remember what since it was so long ago and I've fixed hundreds of lights since I started.

Let me take out the breaker room map for this building on my iPad.  

First, I'll find Professor Pink's office.  The map says that the breaker room for this office is breaker room #3, panel #2.  Good thing that it's color coded so that I can see where each of the breaker rooms are!  Huh, that breaker room is on a completely different floor.  Oh yeah -- it took us an hour to find it last time.  Good thing I don't have to do that again this time thanks to the map!

DESSERT
BB: It has been so great now that we have a map of all of the breaker rooms.  Before, I felt bad when my electricians were frustrated, especially that time when Ed had to come in on a Saturday to find everything even though it was his wedding anniversary.  Now, they can use their time to focus on using their technical expertise and work through the back log of jobs rather than searching for the breaker rooms!

ALL: THE END!