Tuesday 26 November 2013

PPD - Final reflective statement

This is my final blog post as I have now handed in my project (yay!)

During the initial stages of research  I felt I had so many resources and lots of articles but many weren't directly relevant to include in my blog posts. I have included them in the appendix B in the report as they did assist with my wider reading on the topic but I did find refining them down slightly challenging.

Starting my secondary research early on was really beneficial as I had lots of material however I really struggled to narrow down my subject and choose one idea to proceed with. After lots of reading I decided to go with the browse app but sadly due to research over summer it came to light that this was not going to be a viable business option. In many ways this was a real set back and really disappointing. However had I not completed this research so early on it would have left me very minimal time to find another idea etc so in that sense my early research was very beneficial.

The new idea of LOWDOWN came to me at work after hearing a few comments from men in the ASOS office and after seeing a few frustrated tweets from Male ASOS customers. I ran a really quick focus group at my desk for literally 2 minutes to see if they thought it was a viable idea. After getting the go ahead from them and my tutor I really, really got into the project. I quite early on set up my Pinterest boards and began to profile the customer so I could really understand his needs before progressing with the report. I was really passionate about the project from the beginning and used as much free time as possible on my mobile to research competitors and plan content.

Creating the videos and seeing the app proto-type come to life was really useful as the visual elements made me more excited about the entire project and keen to get writing. The questioner results being so positive also really helped me plan the content and decide to have the app on both platforms. I was slightly nervous that I wouldn't receive many responses but through posting it on my social media pages I managed to receive over 30 which I was pleased with

When it came to actually writing the report I actually became quite anxious and wasn't sure where to begin. I decide to start with all the headings and key requirements to ensure I didn't miss anything out and then I slowly began to work on each section. Working full time and studying can be a real challenge but luckily I was able to take a few days holiday per week for the 2 months leading up to the hand in. This was a real relief as it meant I didn't have to leave it until the last minute and rush it. The research blog was fairly easy to keep on top of and I was able to create entry's during my lunch breaks at work and then edit and submit them at a later date. I published 19 of the blog posts detailing my research journey and progress on the report.

One section which I usually find a challenge was spending time on layout and presentation. However taking on feedback from the previous research module and finishing the project in good time meant I was really able to focus on this area and make the report clear and concise. One area I did struggle with was the projected financial figures. As they are projected I found that hard. However once establishing revenue from the ASOS Mobile shopping app, Fashion Up App and the end of year financial report it became much clearer and easier to predict.

Overall I really enjoyed this module, especially as I work for ASOS it's a brand I am passionate about. Seeing my vision coming alive and getting great feedback from colleagues was also an amazing feeling. I feel I really put my all into it and hope to continue it for my FMP.

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