Entrepreneur Designers

“Do you design websites and stuff?”

I was walking around with Shanshan to recruit people off the street for our user testing video. I held our prototype, and shanshan held her laptop.

An African American woman who was selling iphone cases on the street stopped us.

“Excuse me, do you design websites and stuff?”
(gulp) “Uh..yeah I do”

She went on and on explaining that she wanted to sell online some kind of books that she makes. She heard from some people that there is a template that you can use to sell things online. She said she was going to ask an Asian guy who works at the internet cafe down the street but wanted to know if I could help her if he said no. I babbled about shooting photos of her product then going to that guy to build it for her. But really I was just trying to get out of that uncomfortable situation.

Then my heart spoke. Isn’t your website called “Your friend who knows the internet”? Didn’t you just set up an online store for yourself? Isn’t your thesis going to be something about teaching internet to creative but underprivileged women in the Middle East to empower them?

I told her, her name is Danielle, to make sure to remember my website address—yourfriendinternet.com, that she can reach me through there.

I’m still a bit overwhelmed with my emotions. First, by the fact that i instinctively tried to escape from a woman who’s eyes had desperate intent asking for help..Secondly, I realized, if it really works out like my teachers taught us, that this will actually change some people’s lives.