GURU

GURU is a service that helps teenagers discover and grow creative interests and learn about the vast array of creative careers with the help of industry professionals. GURU has two components—a website and a browser widget. The browser widget recommends careers and professions to teens, based on the content that they are viewing. On the website, teens can explore day-in-the-life stories and other content posted by professionals, ask questions of professionals, and share their interests with friends. GURU is based on an advertising model and is free to both teens and professionals.

Project Presentation at Microsoft | Summer 2010

GURU was chosen to be presented at the Microsoft Design Expo 2010 in Washington.

Video Sketch at Microsoft | Summer 2010

Service Meets Social

Microsoft and Motorola sponsored a design challenge for Graduate Design Studio II, 2010 at Carnegie Mellon University. Using the CMU approach to human-centered design, my team and I spent the semester trying to answer the question, “What happens when social meets service?” GURU became the resolution to the problem. It was chosen to be presented at the Microsoft Design Expo 2010.

Design Process

We first identified industries and trends that would allow us to apply our design skills to solve a problem of societal significance. When all was said and done, we found a problem that art education is devalued by many parties involved in the education sphere and teens don’t know what they don’t know (about creative professions, that is). Since K-12 art education, in many cases, is the impetus for teens pursuing creative professions (like design, cinematography, architecture, etc), we came up with the idea of GURU.

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