Introduction to Design Thinking and Innovation

Design thinking is a process by which anyone can improve their qualities in different perspectives, such as social, personal, and career level. I had a best experience of my life from design it workshop. It had different modules related to design thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, ethics, learning, reflection, and many other things, which are important for routine life as well as corporate life. In stating of workshop, I thought it will be boring but when I completed first module, I was so surprised and felt better after first module ( Fanguy, 2018).

In the design-thinking workshop, first step was forming a group in which we had key concepts, theories, practices, and their interrelationship with design thinking. It also included reflection and blogging on your learning from that workshop module on the weekly basis. I learnt about entrepreneurship from that module (Brown & Wyatt, 2010). Entrepreneurship is a process in which anyone can implement his or her ideas into business (Kirzner, 2015). An entrepreneur is a person who integrates the resources, such as people, money, business model, strategy, and an innovative idea for the business ( Dubey, 2018).

I found that as a professional person, I had to create new ideas for a problem and used it as a theme of business. Innovation is nothing just an idea or ideas for successful exploitation. Everyone has a different thinking about a same problem, but not all are effective to found solution of that problem (Asheim, 2007). Therefore, take a good idea and process that idea into practical use (see photo in blog entry 3,    2018). I learnt about innovation process model, in which four stages are there, search, select, implement, and capture. It was in a cycle with a reviewing and learning phase (Brown & Wyatt, 2010). There are many opportunities for getting an idea to solving a problem for commercial and social purpose. So select that idea and implement that idea in a feasible way. If, company got benefits than continue that ideas. Otherwise, drop that idea or improve it (Nelson, 2013). Innovation had different aspects, such as incremental, platform, architecture, and discontinuous innovation (Drucker, 2014).

As I mention in my blog also about Incremental innovation. It was also known as radical innovation. In which, a person did better with same idea. Otherwise, did it from another idea. I learnt that, there are four dimension of innovation, such as product, process, position, and paradigm (Hobcraft, 2017). All are used for better growth of business of an organization. In the end of module, our professor informs us all about blogs activity, which is on weekly basis. I have to reflect on our learning through blogs as I also mentioned my learning in my blogs (Kimbell, 2011).  I learnt about differences between design and business with the help of design thinking tools. I also learnt about mindset in perspective of design thinking. We also study few innovation stories to motivate us. We had an activity to design a poster, which was related to design thinking process. Posters are so helping for explaining about any prototype or product (de Andrés Martínez, 2012).          

Learning and reflection

Key Concepts and Theories

I learnt about learning and reflection. I knew that design thinking plays a huge role in everyone life in the real world ( Rosenø, 2018). I found that, design thinking was not a process for only companies, but it was also helpful for finding solution of any problem of commercial as well as social level. It was so beneficial for development in personal life and it was helping in knowledge development (Dorst, 2011). Design thinking provides an effective solution for a given problem. Problems are having different types and levels, but every problem has a solution, but design thinking provides a better solution using innovative ideas of a person. Design thinking involves in selling and marketing of product of a company. It helped me out for my personal problems as well. We learned about many things from that workshop, such as innovative ideas and concepts for product marketing. I learnt about learning from that workshop. There are three types of learning, as single loop, double loop, and triple loop, which I mention in my blog. Basic learning from anything in the real world is single loop. It means learnt form something and follows them for solving problems. In double loop learning, you can learn and if any change will required then you can change it for yourself. Best one was triple loop cycle in which always learn from something and try to found effective solution of problem in a cycle till the end (Liedtka, Ogilvie, & Brozenske, 2014).  

I learnt about design thinking process for the innovation, and entrepreneurship. My processor, Mr. Michael taught us regarding design thinking and he gives a task to complete in the learning point of view (Lundvall, 2010). It was a task, in which he gave us a paper with 30 circles, and brief about task. We had to draw some innovative design for solving different problems (see photo in blog entry 4,    2018). He said it would change our thinking style for a problem. I learnt that if we start thinking about problem and analyze the problem from different views then we could get different innovative ideas as a solution of that problem. All group members made different shapes. I draw some good shapes according to my thinking. We learned about growing new ideas for a same problem or something related to that problem. Mr. Michael gave some daily routine problems and asked about solution of that problem. He gave different things and asked about solution of that particular problem. We chose melting problem of ice cream. We were provided many solutions for melting problem of ice cream with the help of pictures. He was happy with our pictures. They are good for solving that problem. After that, we got same problem for soda instead of ice cream. We also provided some innovative ideas for those problems with the help of pictures. I learnt that, first analyses about problems deeply then start thinking about solution of that problem. It was awesome activity; I ever had in my life. I also learnt that always-founding new solution of a problem using creative thinking and always accept new innovative ideas for a problem (Martin, 2009).

Different Types of Learning and their Importance

I learnt about mind mapping and empathy in the workshop, which was also described in my blog. It was based on design thinking and journey to finding a solution of a problem in innovative way. Innovation is nothing just bringing an idea in the real world for solving a commercial or social problem. Journey mapping is a way to found better solution of a problem using deep thinking about that problem ( Claes, 2017).  It was having different steps to reach for the effective and innovative solution. As an example, if I want to manage a birthday party for my friend then I have to think about many thinks related to birthday party, such as place for birthday party, invitation of friends, and budget for party, food menu, and birthday cake. I found a topic, which was most interesting in that module, was empathy mapping.

I learnt that always think about different views of other persons for a same problem, such as all my group members have different ideas for a single problem. We learned about feeling of other people, which are near to me and find possible solutions for daily life problems from many innovative solutions ( Reynolds, 2018). We learned about value chain analysis of a product. I leant various things and many point to be considered by everyone for making better market of a product. Features of products affected cost of that product, so always focus on the different kind of values of that product, such as customer’s requirements, place of selling, price of product, and services related to that product. I learnt that thing from various examples given by professor, such as coffee machine of seven eleven. That machine has many qualities and in less cost compared to other coffee shops. These types of products are nice and customers are always satisfied with the value product (see photo in blog entry 6,    2018). Such type of product is survived in the market for long time without any risk of failure.

I leant about product successes in the marking with the help of understanding of the product values in the market; it was also mentioned by me in my blogs. We learned that product is successful in the market based on decided cost and designing of the product (Shamah, 2013). We learned about very good topics, such as primary data, secondary data, and ethics in life. I was surprised, when I heard about ethics (see photo in blog entry 7,    2018). I learnt that ethics are something, which is followed by everyone in their social life as well as in professional life. Ethics are some self-understating rules for decide right or wrong in the particular situation and it also for particular work (Dunne & Martin, 2006).  In case of business, ethics matter a lot for an organization. It makes faith in people for your product and services. It is also justifying your work. It is near to laws but it seems like morals of persons, such as not copy other person work and show it yours in front of others, such as plagiarism. There are many things to understand about ethics. In the research field it have very important role. No one can copying someone else words without mentioning his name. There are so many types of intellectual property for secure their works, such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents. I also learnt about emphatic listening, which was helpful while interviewing. Ethics are as beneficial for peaceful life and as well as successful business (Scarborough, 2016).

Problem-Solving Through Innovative Thinking

We learned about prototyping and its advantages for services of product (see photo in blog entry 8,    2018). It provides full description of a product and weak points about the product. Overall prototypes are explaining functionality of a product. Prototyping helps in launching of a product (see photo in blog entry 9,    2018). It was a model to test a product before launch in the market on that basis company can made required changes in the product for successful launching. There are two types of prototyping for a product, which are early prototyping and later prototyping. Early prototyping is like basic functioning of a product on the paper, such as paper prototyping. 3D printing of a product for better under sting about the product is considered in the later prototyping. We also had an activity on that module, in which our team was assigned a topic to build prototype. A topic was related to crime controls in the Melbourne city. We create a prototype for crime control and all other groups are appreciating our work. I was so happy, when they appreciate our work. I also applied that concept in my real life problem.

We learned about learning launch designing tool. It was good for launching a product in market. It was a process before launching a product in market. I found that it was a way to connect with the customer and got their ideas for betterment of product before launching in the market. It was a learning process and it will help of companies for self-assessment about product without any cost, such as beta versions of softwares. However, the learning launch companies got reviews and made changes in that product according to customers’ needs ( Naiman, 2017). It was like feedback process for a product without launching in the market.  We also have an activity related to last week prototyping model. In that task, our group gave some innovative ideas for finding solution of given problem, same others groups provides ideas about that problem. We gave our feedback on others ideas, and we got comments on our prototype model for given problem.

I learnt that if share our problem and solution for that problem with others, and then we got different solution of that problem with the help of feedbacks. We were ready for presentation for the assessment two in which a presentation was delivered by over team on assigned topic. Our topic was ‘packaging waste solution’ and it was using design tool. My number is on fourth position for presentation. I was nervous in starting but after sometime, I got confidence, because of my preparation for that presentation. We were witness for other group members and we learned about learning from ideas of different member’s presentations. I felt so good in that module and we all enjoyed that presentation activity with lots of learning (see photo in blog entry 10,    2018). I leant that rehearsing of presentation provides more confidence and research provides more knowledge about the topic. I got confidence from my leanings in between overall module of that workshop. Our team was well performed at the presentation time, although I was struggling with my stage fear. However, in the end of presentation, we got good comments from our processor side, and we got feedbacks for that presentation. It was amazing experience of my life yet I feel that, I need to improve my presentation skills as well as stage fear, as at some point of time during the presentation I got blank due to my fear from stage. Mr. Michael was so happy from our presentation. In the end of the week ten, he told us about the importance of reflection and self-assessment as the last step for the completion of the module was including a reflective report writing as well as weekly blogs (Ortlipp, 2008).   

The Role of Empathy Mapping in Design Thinking

I have decided after the workshop that, I will use all those concepts for my business planning and action plans. I will work on a traffic management system in urban areas, and I have to implement that project using new innovative ideas. I have many ideas for such types of problems. I will implement a better traffic management system in next six months because of learning from that workshop.

Conclusion

It is concluded from the previous parts of this reflective report that, Design thinking process provides a new and innovative way for solving any type of problem. I also conclude about innovation, entrepreneurship, poster making, value chain process, and many activities in this report. Finally, it is concluded that, design thinking was plays a good role in every person life for creating new ideas and converting them in business.

References

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