An Opportunity from a Serious Problem

I believe there is an unmet need with texting and driving. Many people use their phone while driving. People assume they can multitask while driving or will text at stop lights, but it can still cause accidents. This is not a new problem, but it is still reoccurring despite it being dangers. Many people will put their phone on “do not disturb”, put their phone away, put their phone on vibrate or will go on their phone when they are stopped. Approximately 660,000 drivers attempt to use their phones while driving throughout the day and the National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 crashes each year. In the united states, 1 out of 4 car accidents occurred because of texting and driving and it is six times more likely to cause an accident than drinking and driving. It is a serious problem in the United States. I believe there can be an app or a program installed in the phone to stop or deter people from texting and driving. I am 70 percent sure an opportunity exists.

#1: Female college student age 21, Florida resident; owns a car and scooter

1.     Have you ever texted/used your phone while driving?

o   “Yes, being honest I find myself texting and driving often.”

2.     When you are texting and driving (if you do), do you realize it is dangerous?

o   “Sometimes, other times it just becomes second nature.”

3.     When you realize that you are texting and driving, what do you usually do? 

o   “When I realize that I’m focusing more on my phone than driving, I try to correct myself and put my phone away.”

4.     Before you drive, how do you prevent yourself from texting and driving?

o   “I will try to do voice-to-text or use Seri or other methods that keep my eyes and on the road.”

5.     Are you happy with this solution?

o   “No, I feel that there needs to be more awareness to this issue, as well as other solutions.”

6.     How would you feel about a program or app that helps prevent you from using your phone while driving?

o   “I would love and support it!”

REFLECTION: This prototypical customer shocked me with one of her answers: “it just becomes second nature.” People are becoming accustom to using their phone while driving, which is not good. I am learning people are aware of the dangers, but continue to use their phone and drive .

#2: Female college student age 21, Florida resident; owns a car

1.     Have you ever texted/used your phone while driving?

o   “Yes, I've both used my phone and texted while driving before. I used my phone to change the music a lot, and sometimes I'll check my texts at red lights.”

2.     When you are texting and driving (if you do), do you realize it is dangerous?

o   “I do realize it is dangerous, and so I'm trying to use my phone less when I drive. But I think in the moment, I don't realize actually how dangerous it is.”

3.     When you realize that you are texting and driving, what do you usually do?

o   “When I realize that I'm texting and driving, I usually put my phone down. It can usually wait until I'm not driving anymore.”

4.     Before you drive, how do you prevent yourself from texting and driving?

o   “To prevent myself from texting and driving, I usually put my phone in my purse and put my purse in the passenger seat. This makes sure that my phone is out of my reach.”

5.     Are you happy with this solution?

o   “I'm only half satisfied with this solution because half of the time I forget to put my phone in my purse. I can't help but think there has to be a better solution.”

6.     How would you feel about a program or app that helps prevent you from using your phone while driving?

o   “I would love an app or program that prevents texting and driving! I think it’s becoming a huge problem in our society and I've even seen my friends text and drive with me in the car, which is scary.”

REFLECTION: Many people try to put their phone away and far away, yet still end up reaching it at some points. When driving with friends, people still text even though a friend in the car with them. A solution could be the friend text/use the phone for them. Using the phone to change songs can be dangerous as well and some people underestimate that factor, especially if they take too long to change the song.

#3: Male adult 27, Texas resident; owns a car

1.     Have you ever texted/used your phone while driving?

o   “I have used my phone while driving.” 

2.     When you are texting and driving (if you do), do you realize it is dangerous?

o   “I do realize it is dangerous. One has to be extremely aware or even more conscience of their surroundings in this case.”

3.     When you realize that you are texting and driving, what do you usually do?

o   “I usually do voice to text to make it safer for myself and others on the road. I have my Bluetooth car system read my messages for me then wait till I am at a stop sign or red light to respond or read messages.”   

4.     Before you drive, how do you prevent yourself from texting and driving?

o   “Sometimes to prevent it, I will leave my phone in my violin case where I am not able to get to it. I will also call people rather than texting them while driving.” 

5.     Are you happy with this solution?

o   “I am content with the solution. There is a law that has made Texas a hands-free state. I am happier about that solution.”

6.     How would you feel about a program or app that helps prevent you from using your phone while driving?

o   “I think it would be a helpful idea. I know that Apple is toying around with idea of having a version of “airplane” mode automatically come on when your car hits a certain speed. I am interested in seeing if this will have an impact of traffic and people’s lives.”

REFLECTION: I asked people I know in Texas because I know of this new law coming in place. I am glad the state is doing something to help prevent texting and driving, but I don’t know if it is enough. The Texas law becomes active this September. Hopefully, there will be a decrease in accidents.  

Summary: I think the opportunity is still here, but it needs to be refined to what can be done. Many people put away their phones or use the voice texting. It is still unsafe to use your phone while driving. After interviewing different people, I believe it is more accurate after these interactions because there is a temporary solution, but it is not always full proof. For entrepreneurs to succeed, they need to adapt to make the best of the information they are given from feedback. It is not necessary to change everything that is not liked by the customer, but it can help refine and shape the final product.

What’s Buggin’ the World

1. Asking strangers to watch your possessions at the library when you leave for a moment when you are by yourself.
WHY.  This exists because people need to leave to take a quick coffee break, answer a phone call, go to the bathroom, et cetera.
2. Running late and not being able to take your time to drink your morning coffee and shower.
WHY.  This exists because of not waking up on time or poor time management.
3. Stressing and rushing when a person is waiting behind you in a checkout line as you try to put away your change and get out of the way.
WHY.  We live in a busy world where time is money and people want to check out as soon as possible.
4. Not knowing the amount of air in your tire when the light turns on and off while driving.
WHY.  When a tire light turns on in some cars, it will not diagnose the problem. Would it require someone to pull over and check their tires? Is it a small issue that can be fixed after reaching the destination?
5. Wasting money and coffee when buying a big cup of coffee and not drinking it all before it gets cool.
WHY.  Some people order large cups of coffee because he will drink it all, but not always in a fast amount of time before it gets cold or room temperature.
6. Not having a quick, cheap mode of transportation that goes to different states, like a train.
WHY.  Some people need to travel outside of the state for work or emergencies. Flying can be expensive and driving can take too long.
7. A person texting at a red light and it turns green without the person realizing, thus causing a moment of traffic.
WHY.  Instead of texting and driving, people will text at a stop light or stop sign thinking it is better than texting and driving.
8. Eating soon after brushing your teeth because then you taste the toothpaste flavor with the food you are eating.
WHY.  Some people’s mourning routines involve brushing his teeth first when he wakes up because morning breath can be bad.
9. Charging a computer during class or lectures in Weimer and Turlington.
WHY.  Some classes have little or no outlets for laptops. After full day of classes and little time to charge a laptop, students charge them during class. There is not enough outlets for the students or the outlets are too far away in lecture halls.
10. Finding street parking at any time of day in Zone 1.
WHY.  There are more apartments and students than parking in Gainesville, especially in Zone 1 parking. Instead of building parking garages, the city of Gainesville is building more apartments and
11. Creating compost and not having anywhere to use or store it immediately.
WHY.  My roommate and I cook our own meals and rarely eat out. With the scraps from our vegetables and fruit, it fills up quickly and we do not have many plants.
12. Siting in certain chairs in the library where my feet cannot rest comfortably on something, so they hang until my knees are hurting.
WHY.   People have problems when sitting in high chairs and the feet cannot rest on something to release the pressure in the knees. This bug can be high chairs or stools.  
13. Sitting in a chair for too long with bad posture and becoming uncomfortable.
WHY.  Being a student and working at a desk all day is bad for the body. People sit at desks or tables on a computer getting their work done. A person will slouch into a “comfortable” position and eventually the body will become sore from sitting too long.
14. Not being able to write down notes fast enough during a lecture and the slides changing too quicly.
WHY.  Teachers have a limited amount of time to lecture their ideas, to teach and to discuss the class work. Teachers can speak quickly and then change topics immediately. Some teachers go on tangents that may or may not pertain to learning.
15. Forgetting where I parked my car for street parking or at the airport.
WHY.  If a person has street parking, then he is unable to have the same exact spot every time. He must find available parking in specific zones in order not to get a ticket. Parking at airport garages can be confusing because a person can forget what floor and spot he parked.
16. Coffee breath that won’t go away after eating breakfast
WHY.  Drinking strong flavored coffee with no meal can cause coffee breath. Sometimes after eating there is still coffee breath lingering.
17. Having random great ideas in the day and not being able to write them down anywhere.
WHY.  For this assignment especially, I would have an idea pop into my head and I am unable to write it down anywhere because I did not have my phone or pen and paper with me. It is easy to forget as the day goes on when I do have access to write down my thoughts.  
18. Not knowing if the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty
WHY.  I rinse my plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Sometimes I cannot remember if I started the dishwasher. It may be clean or dirty dishes in the wash.  A person can’t always tell.
19. When a song comes on the radio, in a restaurant, or in a store, and you like the song. However, you do not know what the song is called.
WHY.  Certain businesses will play music for the customers or consumers to make the environment more enjoyable. The listeners cannot see what song is playing, so if a person likes the song, then he must ask people if they know the song.
20. When people are on their phone at the table or hanging out with others.
WHY.  Everyone lives on their phone. People are extremely attached to their cellphones that hold the world. If presented with a situation a person is not comfortable with or does not want to deal with, then he or she will get on their phone to avoid conflict.

Reflection:
I enjoyed this challenge, but I read the examples in the document provided to us. I realized most of the ideas I had were on that word document. I needed to think broad and look at other’s lives as well. It became slightly difficult after number 13. I would have ideas during the day, but sometimes I had no access to write the ideas down. While I was meditating, ideas would pop up in my head; but I didn’t want to interrupt my practice to write ideas down. Luckily, my roommate and I have different personalities, so I asked about her daily routine and thought of possible daily bugs. Practicing that led me to new and more ideas.