innovating in business: class roadmap

• Introductions• Creative problem

solving preferences

• Brainstorm deep-dive

Basics: 1/30; 2/6; 2/20

• Defining the challenge• Solution finding

Deep Dive: C.P.S2/27; 3/6 • Design thinking 1

• Design thinking 2

• Speaker + debrief

Design thinking3/13; 3/27;4/3

•Mid-term reflection paper due

•Two speakers

Reflection4/10

•Team formation•Challenge/needs statement•Client check in• Ideation/prototyping•Client presentation

Final projects:4/17; 4/24; 5/1; 5/8 •Final paper due

•Celebration

Last class:5/15

Innovating in Business: Class Roadmap

Two overlapping approaches to innovative thinking.

Clarify the situation

1. Wish2. Fact find3. reframe

Generateideas

DevelopSolutions

1. Identify2. Improve

Implementplans

Empathicobservation

Define(needs statement)

Ideate

PrototypeTest/Refine

Your challenge

Redesign the gift giving experience….for your partner.

Important: • You are NOT designing a gift for them• You are designing something to improve their

experience of finding/selecting/buying/giving gifts.

Step 1: gain empathy

The Logistics:• Partner A interviews Partner B for four minutes• Partner B interviews Partner A for four minutesSuggested starting point: • Talk about the last time the person gave a gift…

to whom? Why was it meaningful? How did they come up with the idea? What was difficult about finding/giving the gift.

Step 2: digging deeper

Follow up on what intrigued you.• Dig for stories, feelings, emotions.• Ask why? Why? Why?

You are searching for their needs, their wishes, their challenges….• what they say – and don’t say• What it triggers for you – in terms of understanding

and insight

Step 3: Capture findings

Individually:• Synthesize your learnings into two groups:

– Goals and wishes– Insights

• Use verbs to express goals and wishes.– “My partner wants to feel connected to the gift recipient”– “My partner feels unsure his gift is meaningful”

• Insights = discoveries, connections, ideas that you might use when creating a solution– “My partner views handmade gifts as more meaningful and

personal.”

Step 4: Your point of view

The lynchpin of the process• Statement of challenge – what you are going

to address• Make it juicy and actionable.• Examples:

“Janice needs a way to celebrate holidays in a way that is right for her family surprisingly she wants to hold on to traditions AND she wants to be unique.”

“Arthur wants to express his care and love for his friends. Surprisingly he thinks about his appreciation often but his friends don’t know about it.”

Step 5: Generate alternatives

• Rewrite challenge statement at top.• Create solutions to the challenge• Go for volume.• Remember the Rules:

– Go for quantity– Be wild. Be crazy.– No judgment– Find connections– Be visual!

Step 6: Share solutions; get feedback

Partner B shares first ( 5 minutes); then switch.Guidelines:• This is not a test! • This is an opportunity to learn more about your

partner’s (Client’s) feelings and worldview.• Fight the urge to explain and define.• Listen to your partner’s reactions and questions.• Note likes/dislikes and builds.• Listen for new insights.

Step 7: Iterate

Think what you have learned about your partner AND the initial solutions you generated. From this sketch a new idea.• Could be variation on idea; could be new.• Remember: still addressing the challenge statement

AND you can refine that to incorporate new insights.• Provide as much detail and color around idea as

possible.• How might this solution fit into the context of your

partner’s life?

Step 8: Build

Create a physical prototype of your solution – something your partner can engage and interact with.• Not a scale model.• An experience your partner can react to.• One aspect your idea – or all of it. Your choice• If it’s a service or system, create a scenario that

allows your partner to experience this innovation.• Move with urgency and intention!

Step 9: Share and get feedback

Share your prototype; let your partner play with it.• Let go of it physically and emotionally. It is not

precious.• Listen to the feedback and what worked.• Don’t defend and explain; see how your partner

uses and misuses it.• Jot down what worked; what could be

improved; questions; ideas.

Step 10: DebriefSit quietly for 5 minutes and write down your reactions…

1. Think about what we did:• Your conversation with your partner• Synthesizing the conversation• Writing the challenge statement• Coming up with initial ideas• Discussing ideas• Prototyping

• Getting feedback to prototypes

Think about what the experience was like and what you learned from it:• What was easy for

you? Why?• What was challenging?• What hung you up?

How did you get around it?

• What are your insights about design thinking?

Think about what this means going forward….

Step 10: DebriefSit quietly for 5 minutes and write down your reactions…

1. Think about what we did:– Your conversation with your partner– Synthesizing the conversation– Writing the challenge statement– Coming up with initial ideas– Discussing ideas– Prototyping

2. Think about your reactions:– What you liked?– What was challenging?– What was successful? What wasn’t?

3. Think about what happens next– What happened tonight that will inform your next experience?– What do you see or do or feel differently?

What are core values of design thinking?

Hallmarks:• Empathy• Experimentation and prototyping• Bias toward action• Show don’t tell• Power of iteration

Design Thinking

Empathicobservation


Ideate

Prototype

Test/Refine

1. inspiration

2. Creation 3. implementation

Homework

• Choose a partner.• Challenge:

– Identify a challenge in the real world that you want to work on together….an experience you want to reimagine and change.

– Over the next two weeks, work through the ENTIRE PROCESS.

– At next class, we’ll share your prototypes and your experiences.

– You may be outrageously successful; you may fail; what’s important is the experience.

Design Thinking

Empathicobservation


Ideate

Prototype

Test/Refine


solving preferences


Basics: 1/30; 2/6; 2/20

• Defining the challenge• Solution finding

Deep Dive: C.P.S2/27; 3/6 • Design thinking 1

• Design thinking 2

• Speaker + debrief

Design thinking3/13; 3/27;4/3


•Two speakers

Reflection4/10



•Celebration

Last class:5/15


Speakers

April 3• Kinesha Goldson, Owner,

Cameo Macaron

April 10• Sean Belka, SVP Fidelity

Investments, Fidelity Center of Applied Technology

• Bill Jacobson, Enterpreneur, CEO/Founder, Workbar

Mid-term papers: April 10

• Regurgitation of what I’ve saidWhat I don’t want

• Your insights; your experience • What’s been easy? gratifying? challenging? frustrating?• What have you noticed? Connected with?• What impact is it having on your behavior?• What impact do you want it to have on your behavior?

• Integrate it with 3 outsider’s POV (practitioners or academics)

What I want

• Authenticity• Connections• Integration – with reading• Impact on your life• Quality of expression

Grading criteria


solving preferences


Basics: 1/30; 2/6; 2/20

• Defining the challenge

• Solution finding

Deep Dive: C.P.S2/27; 3/6 • Observation and

empathy• Need

finding/challenge statements

• PrototypingDesign thinking3/13; 3/27;4/3


•Ask the Innovator Night!

Reflection4/10



•Celebration

Last class:5/15


innovating in business: class roadmap

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