Capstone: Project Brief
Welcome back to my capstone journey, so happy you’re here!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my first post What is Capstone? here. That post will provide some helpful context before you dive into my project brief.
I have decided on my capstone topic in the past week, and I’m ready to share my project brief. Read below to learn more about what I have planned for the semester ahead!
Project Description
My project will be a co-working space that provides a flexible working experience, a sense of community, and support for professional development through mentorship and skill-share classes. The space will primarily serve work-from-home professionals, small businesses, and online college students. The experience will be customizable, so there will be a variety of membership options and add-ons to fully accommodate each user’s needs.
Descriptive Words
Below are the top ten words I will be keeping in mind as I move forward with my project:
- Flexible
- Welcoming
- Accommodating
- Focused
- Casual, but professional
- Energizing
- Community
- Modern
- Sleek
- Vibrant
In Five Years…
I am currently thinking of this as a single-location or limited chain of office spaces in a specific region. In five years, this chain would expand to more cities across the U.S. The offices should not be overcrowded, so expansion within the same city could also be on the table.
Business Model
The co-working space would make money through the users’ membership fees and any additional services they opt into. People will be able to rent spaces for long periods of time or drop in for a day with a one-time fee. There could also be membership add-ons like mail service, a reserved parking spot, unlimited printing, mentorship, and skill share/professional development classes to supplement income and add to the experience.
Designed Products
Below is a list of the products I am currently thinking of creating this semester. This is only a starting place, since I am sure new ideas will spring up as I go along.
- Branding and identity will be the initial product being made. Each of the subsequent ideas will come after this co-working space has a super cool logo and super cool brand guidelines to follow.
- A website or app to demonstrate how booking requests can be made. It could also go through the sign-up process and help new customers figure out their wants and needs in order to match them with the right membership plan.
- A welcome package that new users would receive when they start renting a long-term space or desk. This could include things like their access key, branded pens, post-its, notebook, water bottle/mug, and a t-shirt. There could also be a smaller one for people who sign up for lesser memberships.
- There could be environmental graphics in the space. I am imagining large mural-type designs on accent walls. I could also do way-finding for the space since I’m currently thinking of it as a large, multi-level building.
- A line of merchandise. There could be branded materials for purchase including notepads, t-shirts, mugs, and pens.
Purpose
- It exists because … some people don’t like working from home every day. Some remote workers need a place to go to get out of the house and find a sense of community. Each user could choose a plan that best suits their needs; maybe one person wants a desk to use 4 days of the week while another only wants to get out of the house 4 times each month. This space will also cater to small businesses and entrepreneurs. There might be dedicated rooms or areas for tiny teams to work together, making it more affordable than buying or renting a full space that they’d have to furnish and pay bills for. College students, especially online, might appreciate this space to get out of the house and work. This space might feel more inviting or energizing than a typical campus or public library.
- It would be meaningful because … this space will give people a sense of community if they’re lacking that. Anyone can get a membership for any reason, so there isn’t a sense of not belonging in the room. There will also be professional development workshops and mentor/mentee opportunities which would further give users a sense of belonging. You’re getting more out of the membership than just a desk and chair.
- People will want it because … remote work can be draining and not leaving the house can hinder your ability to set boundaries when it comes to the start and end of the workday. People who see value in having a space for work and a space for relaxation will want to be a member, at least part-time.
Personal Investment
This project matters to me because … if I have a remote job after graduating I will be looking for a space like this. Working remotely during my internship showed me the pros and cons of working from home, so now I know that I would want a space to work from about two days out of the week. I am also very excited about the products that I am planning to create. I have a vision for this in my head that is exciting because it isn’t super corporate. I am imagining a sleek, modern space that has pops of bright color and bold shape. I don’t want the space to be boring just because it is meant for working. There is an easy way to incorporate UX and packaging which are two of the things I was most excited about including in my capstone.
