9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

After thinking a lot about my idea of implementing a system of easy-to-use combination lockers in our UF libraries, I decided to interview 5 more people, below are the conclusions I have drawn from my interviews.

Who:  Throughout each of these 5 interviews, I was able to learn a lot more about my opportunity.  I interviewed 3 people that were not college students and because they have no use for a library and don't really spend time at them, they would get little to no use out of the product.  I expected this and I understand that my target segment is really only college students that use libraries.  That being said, they did think it was a good idea for the UF library system.  I interviewed one graduate student and he said that he does most of his studying at home so he would actually have no use for the product whatsoever, he also said that it would be difficult to use because if you went to the bathroom and had your stuff locked up, it would seem like an open desk from afar and this would create many issues.  It could also be a potential liability because who knows what type of things people would leave in the lockers.  My last interview was with someone who was kind of ambivalent about the idea because she thought that there were too many ways for it to not work properly and it would be too complicated of an idea to implement.

What:  This need differs from other needs because it is a unique problem that no one has really found a solution for.  While it may be difficult to implement this outside of college campuses, I believe that I have truly struck a potential gold mine that would fit perfectly into this niche.  Sometimes, a very specific target market can be a good thing if it is a completely new product.

Why:  The people who are inside the boundary are college-age students that study in their respective university libraries for long periods of time.  These people set up their things and are in it for the "long-haul" which means that they periodically take breaks to use the restroom or do other things for short periods of time.  However, those outside the boundary either only study in the library for short amounts of time where they don't leave their study area, or just don't even study at the library or use a library for that matter. 

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is in: College age students that study in the library for long or short periods of time and leave their things for brief moments to use the restroom or get a quick snack.	Who is not: Anyone who doesn’t study at the library or doesn’t use a library.  In addition to those people, people who don’t get up from their desks while studying are outside the boundary.
What the need is: This need is the need for peace of mind because theft in UF libraries does happen and this locker system would effectively eliminate that threat.	What the need is not: The need is not a way to store inappropriate things in the library and reserve your desk for long periods of time.  These lockers are for temporary use only, not permanent.
Why the need exists: The need exists because it is important to be able to secure your belongings when studying and make sure that they won’t be stolen.	Alternative explanations: If you study with another person, they can always watch your things and sometimes you don’t need to leave your desk to use the restroom while studying so it isn’t a problem.