Sociotechnical Impact of Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality as a sociotechnical system for encouraging pro-environmental behavior and mitigating human-induced climate change.
Problem: The sociotechnical impact of technology on global issues.
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Method: We worked on a project to assess the impact of Virtual Reality on psychological presence and eventually action. We focused our work on pro-environmental behavior as the end result and essentially studied how VR does and could potentially impact it through the creation and exercise of empathy within individuals. This included de-blackboxing virtual reality as well as understanding how virtual presence is increasingly affecting psychological presence as we move towards a more digitized future.
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Qualitative Research: What are the factors that influence the choice of a coffee shop?
Problem: This study was based off of the idea that inanimate places such as cafe's can be extremely likely to develop personas for themselves based off of how they are branded, where they are located and the demographic they attract.
Method: I conducted an ethnographic research study to find out more about the factors that influence people to choose a coffee shop. The candidates, all of whom identified as frequent visitors of coffee shops were interviewed and their answers were then coded, re-coded and further analysed.
Result: It was ultimately discovered that their choice of coffee shop is influenced by their consumption patterns, the place variables, aesthetic appeal and the amenities offered.
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Focus Group Report: What do graduate students in the CCT (Communication, Culture and Technology) program at Georgetown University expect from alumni networking opportunities?
Problem: What are the expectations of graduate students from alumni?
Method: I co-conducted a focus group to create a client report for the Graduate Government Association at Georgetown. We then coded and analysed the answers from the discussion to present reasons and possible recommendations to the clients, i.e. GradGov at Georgetown. This was done in the form of a presentation, where we handed out one page summaries to those present as well as a more detailed research paper.
Result: We found that students key expectations pertain to obtaining jobs, academic help (specifically course selection), referrals to industry contacts and career insights.
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Ethnography: The Practices & Experiences of Hinduism in Northern and Southern India and how they vary
Hypothesis: I argue that the lived experience of Hinduism in Northern India and Southern India differs vastly due to contrasts between Hindu rituals, practices and motifs in Northern and Southern India.
Method: To support my arguments, I discuss literature from the course and outside. I use them to provide historical evidence and a theoretical framework to understand the roots of these differences. Further, I use observations from my site visits to the Malibu Hindu Temple in Calabasas, CA over a period of 10 weeks to point out how these historical divisions manifest as specific differences in the North Indian and South Indian practice of Hinduism.
Results: This contrast can be traced to the varying influences of Aryan and Dravidian traditions in Northern and Southern India respectively. Further, the lack of visibility of this schism can be attributed to the conceptualization of Hinduism as a static, unified conceptual category, primarily shaped by Indo-Aryans. This false notion, propagated primarily by Western and Orientalist scholars has, in fact, lead to the erasure of the contributions of South Indians, or “Dravidians” in popular discourse. (Sjoberg 1990) This erasure is also evident in the many underlying differences constituting the practice of Hinduism in North Indian and South Indian sites of religious and cultural performance, which have been commonly homogenized in academic works.
Product Plan: Dermatech
Dermatech is an eCommerce website within the United States that aims to provide skincare products that don’t cause any harm to the skin or the environment. Every product is curated carefully by the team and overlooked by dermatologists on hand. The website provides cheaper alternatives to popular skincare products along with a more diverse and flexible price range, suited to different types of customers.
All the companies on the website create cruelty-free and vegan products and are exclusive to Dermatech itself. The packaging as well is more inclined towards being waste free or reusable and recyclable. The company specializes in a unique ingredient matching system that takes ingredients from more high-end brands and their holy grails and provides customers with cheaper alternatives that include the exact same ingredients but at a cheaper price.
I created a product plan detailing the components of the product as well as essentials including the needs, market analysis, 5 year forecast as well as growth, sales and pricing strategies for the product.
Product Plan: HoyaSocial
HoyaSocial is intended to be an app developed specifically for and by the students at Georgetown University. The idea for this app arose from the dearth of a a proper platform for incoming as well as existing students at Georgetown University.
We wanted to create a community for all students associated with Georgetown to share experiences and get to know more about what's happening within and beyond campus.
HoyaSocial aims to bridge that gap and foster the idea of an immersive and all-inclusive student community for all members of the Georgetown family to familiarize themselves not just with the university but also everything around it and eventually in the larger DMV area.
We designed a brochure for this app including the mission, vision and 5 year projected forecast.
Book Analysis: Hiding Politics in Plain Sight: Cause Marketing, Corporate Influence, and Breast Cancer Policymaking (Patricia Strach)
In this analysis, I summarize, review and critique Patricia Strach's book. This paper discusses how framing and agenda setting are imperative to marketing a cause and making it distinct.
I also discuss Srach's idea of how "cause marketing" and market mechanics have the potential to alter public policies, without any intervention from the government.