It’s our second week into Rice360’s Internship Program, and I’m feeling good about the lessons that I have learned so far. A huge take-away for me this week was the importance of understanding context in our proposed solutions.

One of the many challenges that my team encountered with the contactless temperature monitor was detecting a signal (temperature being converted into an electrical signal). As someone who has lived in the Silicon Valley filled with tech giants and relied (almost embarrassingly too much) on Amazon Prime’s 2-day shipping, I thought we could do some background research on the sensors in current models and easily select/purchase one with similar specifications. However, upon further discussion with my Malawian teammates, I realized that shipping these components to Malawi could be delayed 2-3 weeks, and on top of that, the manufacturer’s inventory may run out before mass production can be achieved. As we talked more about the resources available in Malawi, I learned that many electrical components are often sourced outside of the country, causing very limited access for IR sensors during this period of high demand. In the face of this challenge, I began asking a few questions: What product(s) does the country predominant produce? What are some common challenges in Malawi when designing technologies? And, how can I be better informed of their context without falling prey to the dangers of a one-sided story? But, at the end of the day, what surprises me is just how drastically different life can be when specific resources are not available. It’s led to some ingenuity and unconventional thinking in our discussions, and I look forward to hearing what could come next.

Another powerful lesson from this week was a strategy to provide constrictive feedback using “I like… I wish…” (from Dr. Wettergreen’s workshop). During this workshop on Zoom, we presented our prototypes and current ideas for improvement before receiving some additional suggestions from our peers. The feedback usually followed: “I like that your hand-sanitizing station dispenses sanitizer without requiring contact, but I wish there was some way to know when it was empty.” I think by keeping the “I wish” part broad, the receiver can approach an identified issue with an open mind. I also appreciate how “I like… I wish” starts with a positive affirmation, as it can be hard to accept a fault/critique on something that you’ve worked so hard on. Thank you for this lesson!