Problem Statement

MIT desk workers are central to the smooth operation of each dorm. Most desk workers only work a couple hours a week and don’t know how to address every issue that arises on their shift. Thus they need an efficient way to clearly and concisely share information with each other. Each dorm has a different but cumbersome system for doing this.

MIT desk workers are also responsible for ensuring that the desk is staffed throughout the day. The current process for shift scheduling is time consuming and error prone since it is done manually, so they need a better way to efficiently and correctly schedule shifts. Since people sometimes cannot make their shifts, they also need a way to dynamically handle shift changes.

Interview Narratives

Interview #1 - Jane
Jane is a 20-year-old MIT undergraduate studying Brain & Cognitive Science. She has a couple small jobs around campus, one of which is working McCormick Desk. She’s been working desk for two years now and has done most of the roles at some point, from mail shift to closing shift, which makes her a more advanced worker. 

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Scheduling for desk workers at Bexley Hall involves the desk captain sending out a Google Doc where desk workers submit the hours they are working for the entire semester. Seniority (semesters working) dictates how many hours can be taken per week. If a desk worker cannot work his shift, he emails out to all other desk workers and the first person to respond picks up the hours.

User Classes

We have identified three main user classes: student workers, desk captains, and desk managers.

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• MIT employee
• Non-resident
• 30-40 years old
• Long-term employee
• Authority on desk problems
• Tasks: handle unusual issues from logbook, clear logbook, handles exceptions to dorm policy (ex. room reservations), keep desk stocked with supplies

User Needs and Goals

Information Sharing: Access and update information; maintain persistence of information between desk workers and across shifts

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