Capstone Project Proposal Draft

Name of student: Joshua Seo

Date: Mar. 4, 2024
Teacher: Ms. Lacroix
Capstone strand I have chosen is Entrepreneurship
Proposed title for my project: Accessible and sustainable technology

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

How does the lack of access to cheap repair and computers impact the consumer within their
lives?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect
to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I am choosing to investigate this topic as my major area of focus as I am very passionate

about right to repair and the anti consumer practices of major tech companies in recent years.
For the computer aspect, I am generally passionate about computers as it’s the field that I
want to pursue in the future.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this

area of inquiry?

I have general knowledge about the right to repair movment, both in america and overseas in
the european union. I have knowledge and insight into the repair processes of modern phones
and devices, as well as how to build computers and troubleshoot. I stay updated on new
innovations and releases in computer parts as well as every new generation of phones.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What
connections does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

My intended career area at this point in time is a computer engineer. The inquiry question has
to do with my career goals as I will get to know more about the field I am trying pursue. It
could provide insight into the inner workings that I wouldn’t know about if I didn’t experience it

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 myself. Having a possible connection into the industry could also prove helpful later on for
branching out.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to
present your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once
completed. You may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o iMovie presentation
o YouTube channel

I will use a PPT to present my project. The presentation will go over my

market research, advertisments, buisness model, as well as any
communications with my mentor. It would show the processes of doing any
work that I am commissioned to do and if there is none an explanation of
how i may have done it if possible.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what
will you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced
at the end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your
proposal.

For my capstone project I plan on creating a computer making and phone repair buisness. I will
begin by conducting a survey, asking about whether people would be intrested on a custom

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computer and whether they have a broken screen repair and if so, if they would like it fixed.
Ideally it would be done trhoughout the school, found by QR codes in posters, however from
my previous expreince in leadership, I know from a study we did that almost nobody actually
pays attention to the posters that were put up. If students didn’t pay attention to the posters I
worry they will not have the will to scan the QR code and do the survey as well. To ensure
some replies, placing it onto my instagram story and asking my friends and followers to do the
survey as well would help however will only make up a very limited demographic which I
would ideally like to avoid in favour for a larger survey scope.

After the survey I would like to specialize towards what the market desires more. If there is
more of a need of computers then I would focus more onto the computer building aspect of the
project, if there if a need for phone screen repair than I would specialize further into that
instead. I am also thinking about adding a few questions in the survey about computer
maitnence as I believe many people have computers but don’t have the computer literacy
nessecary to resolve thier problems. If it is apparent that there is such a need in the community
than I would like to fufill such a role.
The way that my project would assist and suppport the community is by giving easy and
accessible access to computers and cheap repair to phone screens. I would also be someone
that the community can ask for help when it comes to computer maitnence as not everyone has
access to someone with that knowledge within thier life.
No matter the results of the survey however, I would create and post ads about my services
(computer building and phone repair) onto classified ad sites such as Kijiji, Facebook
Marketplace, and craigslist. For the computer building ad I would ask what budget they have to
work with and the type of applications they would be using the computer for. I would then spec
out a system based on thier needs and budget and give advice on whether new or used parts
should be used. If the buyer wants to go through with the build, they would have to buy the
parts themselves from the sites/locations I give them and bring them to my house where I
would build thier computer and return it to them once finished for a fee. For the phone screen
repair, I would ask them thier phone model and find the correct screen and replacment parts, I
would tell them any limitations with a new screen, (apple doesnt allow certian features like true
tone and fingerprint scanning with a new display as the parts are abitrarily linked). If they wish
to proceed they would buy the screen and drop off the parts and phone, after repairing, I would
return the phone and they would pay a fee upon pick up.

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Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and
skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.

Since i will be running an online buisness there is little resources and technology that i need
other than a computer to post ads onto free marketplaces like craigslist, facebook
marketplace, and kijiji. Since I'm already very familar with how to build computers and keep up
to date on the newest development on parts there isnt much that i would need to research.
However, for replacing phone screens, although I am knowladgable, i don’t have full
confidence in my abilities and will most likely have to consult trusted repair websites like Ifix it
for advice and teardown guides. I would also have to reseach the best trusted places to
purchase phone screens from.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will

you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you?
What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this
project?

I would want a mentor from the industry who can help me resolve any questions and problems
i may have in maintaining and carrying out the buisness. They would probabaly own thier own
repair and computer building shop. They would help me by guiding my steps in setting up and
going about buisness. My plan is to email possible mentors and ask around to the adults
within my life to try and figure out if there is any possibile mentors they may know.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

Both computers and phone screen repairs are niche in needs and there may be difficulty in
establishing trust as not many people may want to trust a 18 year old with potentially
thousands of dollars. Which comes to another potential obstacle which is that people don’t
often buy new computers as they are generally expensive and phone repairs rely on people
having broke screens in the first place.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about
your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

The biggest concern I have with my project is whether anyone acctually uses my services as
both computers and phone repairs are costly things, even with a low fee.

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 References:

Fehm, S. (2011). FROM iPOD TO e-WASTE: BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL FRAMEWORK FOR

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY IN THE UNITED STATES. Public Contract

Law Journal, 41(1), 173–192. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23058603

Casey, A., Layte, R., Lyons, S., & Silles, M. (2012). Home computer use and academic

performance of nine-year-olds. Oxford Review of Education, 38(5), 617–634.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41702780

McCollough, J. (2010). <strong>Consumer Discount Rates and the Decision to Repair or

Replace a Durable Product: A Sustainable Consumption Issue</strong>. Journal of

Economic Issues, 44(1), 183–204. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40647716

Li, X., Atkins, M. S., & Stanton, B. (2006). Effects of Home and School Computer Use on School

Readiness and Cognitive Development Among Head Start Children: A Randomized

Controlled Pilot Trial. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 52(2), 239–263.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23096182

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SMALL, T. (2018). Your right to repair. Corporate Knights, 17(3), 18–19.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26789283

Hernandez, Ricardo J, et al. “Empowering Sustainable Consumption by Giving Back to

Consumers the ‘Right to Repair.’” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 23

Jan. 2020, www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/3/850.

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