Overview of the Workshop
I had a best experience of my life from all modules of that workshop. I really enjoyed it and learnt many helpful things form that workshop. It was interesting at the learning point of view as a student as well as professional person. It was based on the design thinking and it was related developing prototypes for different products that were used in our assignment.
I missed first class of design it module. In second class, I set myself for full attention for learning from teacher and activities held on in that module. Reyaz Jeffrey was my lecturer for that module. Lecturer made some plan of gifting some cash vouchers for few lucky students, who are not missing classes and on time in the classes (Asheim, 2007). Design thinking and process management was the topic of this week module. I learnt a lot about design thinking from that week. Design thinking is a process in which you can create your ideas and convert them in an innovation for solving a problem. It was not like designing work (Brown & Wyatt, 2010).
Design thinking was an approach of creative thinking for the positive impact in the front of society. From design thinking, you introduced innovation for solving commercial as well as social problems (Drucker, 2014). We had an activity in that module, which was based on the video of ‘shopping card design thinking project’. There was some questionnaire also, which was related to that video. Lecturer assigned some assignment, one was poster designing. We were also showed few of the posters of previous class students (Hobcraft, 2017). It was totally based on the idea of creativity and relativity. Both are required for designing of the poster, which was our next assignment given by lecturer. I learnt about design and business with the help of design thinking tools. I also study about some innovation stories for getting more knowledge about the innovation (Kuratko, 2005). I found many differences between business and design in different perspectives, such as methods, processes, values, levels of focus, and understand. We learned that, what is innovation and what is not an innovation in that module (Martin, 2009). Design thinking was not always creative, drawing, fashion, painting, and sculpting. Innovation was just like providing techniques of thinking that critical problem solving approach (Liedtka, Ogilvie, & Brozenske, 2014).
In third week module, we learned about design thinking theories, and revised last week topics. I learnt about many theories of design thinking, such as logic of reasoning, learning theories and co-creation, action research, philosophical worldview, divergent, and convergent (Rowe, 1991). I learnt so many things from those theories, which are providing a solution for a particular problem, such as logical reasoning be used for mathematical measurements and statements to fount out a conclusion of a given problem. There are three parts of reasoning, which are inductive, adductive, and deductive reasoning. Where divergent and convergent thinking provides reality about the problem and develop new solution for the problem. Action research was a process in which experimentation was done on the problem multiple times for finding the solution of that problem. I also learnt that process of creative learning provides reflection, and imagination (Calderhead, 1989). Co-creation theory was based on customer’s requirements. Product should have changes according to the needs of customers. In this module, all the group members enjoyed a poster-making activity. It was awesome for me and it helped me a lot for my project design process. In the end of the module, lecturer gave an introduction about blogs and reflective writing with importance of timely blogging. I also learnt about reflection in that module (Ortlipp, 2008). Reflection provides a brief idea about what happened in the fast and it will be used as an experience for learning. I was start blogging and it was awesome for remembering things, which are done by me in the past, and how they are useful for my future use. We also learned about reflective writing, it is a formal and organized way for written about your learning’s from your experience. It was all about you only. Reflective writing is used for many purposes, such as blogging, academic work, career deployment, decision-making, and personal development. There were good examples taken by the lecturer, which was from Hollywood movie ‘Harry Potter’. In which professor Dumbledore had memories and he used those memories as a reflection for taking decision. Blogs are short and structured entries according to the reflection template, but reflective report have a formal structure, and it was written towards the end of modules. Blogs are the reflective part of each individual activity, but reflective report was reflecting on the complete experience of particular workshops. Reflective reports are the learning in terms of knowledge and personal development. For a better reflective report writing, regularly writing reflective blogs based on modules (de Andrés Martínez, 2012). Those will help you to analyze the overall experience.
Design Thinking Process Management
In the fourth week of that workshop, our topic was design problems. That workshop was based on learning process through solving a particular problem. It involved many things, such as problem solving, identifying problem, visualization, and persona. I learnt about problems from that module. There are so many ways to solving a problem but something effective is very necessary to found a better solution of a problem. We revised many concepts for finding solution of a problem, such as experimentation, observation, prototyping, and visualization. I was always active for the learning process after that process of problem solving. After that workshop, I was always had a mindset for solving a particular problem. We learned a lot from that workshop and it was providing many thoughts related to problem. First found the solution of a problem but always remember the process of by which you got the solution. I also enjoyed the group discussion on the topic ‘Spotting the Obvious’ using pictures on the topic ‘A day at the Beach’. That activity was so beneficial for brought a new vision for the students. I found that pictures are better rather than text and visual aids for understanding about possibilities and realities. In next session of that module, I learnt about Persona of design thinking (Dorst, 2011). It was a tool to understand the requirement of stakeholder. I also learnt that it was depending on your persona to find out their own identity. For increasing understanding with customers, you an idea to get about like, dislikes, needs, characteristics, behavior, and desires of customers.
In fifth week module, we continued the topic design problems. I learnt many things, which are related to personal and knowledge development. We learned about group formation and it was a tough work to forming a team for a particular task. In this week, we discussed about last taught class, which was on design thinking, brain mapping, and mind mapping. Brain storming rules were to say always yes to all in the front of you. Always, thought about new ideas with innovative thinking for problem. I enjoyed the activity in which generate some innovative ideas (Nelson, 2013). I chose the problem, which was related to the vehicle. Problem was that when someone getting out from the car while raining. I chose a solution for that problem was something like a helmet. Our lecturer that does not change or modified previous solution of the problem, just try new innovative ideas for solving problem suggests us all. Analysis was must and required for finding a solution of particular problem. That was a lesson for me from that lecture. I learnt about journey mapping more, when I was trying to found out solution of that problem. There are so many solution of a single problem, but the final solution was in the front of us. Journey mapping was a process in which know about the current experiences of the customers and using them creating new ideas for making that product more innovative for the customers.
Co-creation Theory and Problem-Solving
I leant about value chain, and it was not as simple as I know in my past. It was related to product qualities, which are creating by marketing and other ways (Shamah, 2013). I found that value chain was so important for an organization growth. It involves different activities for creating product so useful or meaningful for the customers. I learnt that value chain complete the analysis part of a company in which different things are included, such as service quality, marketing of product, competitor analysis, and purchase of raw material for the product. The value chain analysis provides helps to found out key resources within the company. It was helpful for cut out the cost margins and improved services for the product within the company. I learnt that value chain analysis involves in all kind of activities in the company including the company infrastructure, human resources department, technical department, marketing plans, development of product, and services provided by customer care service. We learned about mind mapping in that module, which provides pictorial representation of problems. It was a design-thinking tool and it was beneficial for finding solution of a problem. It provides an idea or concept for solving that particular problem.
In next module, my group had an assignment to made collection data of different social media used by the people. Design thinking prototype was necessary for solving of that problem. I leant that for any problem first step was analysis of the problem and collect data on the bases of primary and secondary data related to the problem. Primary and secondary data with their advantages and disadvantages are would be important sources for finding solution of a problem. I found that, observation, interviews, discussions, and surveys are considered in the primary data sources while articles, news, government records, and website pages was considered in secondary data sources (Dunne & Martin, 2006). I leant about ethics to carried are so important for research and so useful for managing different works. I found that ethics are an action on a particular condition based on your understating ( Reynolds, 2018). It is also matter with your behavior at different places, such as society, workplaces. Ethics are a necessary part of a human being for maintains relations for social perspective. Empathy is the word, which strike in mind when we do some work for a good reason. I also learnt about design thinking tool and their usages for the getting needs and desires of customers for a product selection in the real world (Kimbell, 2011).
Value Chain Analysis and Mind Mapping
In next module, I had to deliver the presentation on a social media application, which was concept to synchronize all social media for specific period. I was so nervous in the starting of the presentation but I was happy when I got the responses of other team member about my presentation. Positive responses made me more energetic and it made my confidence high. I learnt that any new idea with some innovative and creative thinking designed was always welcoming. I felt so better when I found solution of smart tent problem using design thinking prototyping models and with help of GPS system for the trekkers among all. I found that always follow the rules and regulation of a procedure to got solution of a problem. I understood that proper deliver of your ideas matter a lot with the qualitative ideas from that presentation in the workshop (Scarborough, 2016). All of my group members were at university before the time for the preparation of presentation. It was so helpful and it reflects at the time of delivery. It was so effective and impressible after the getting feedback on my presentation by the lecturer. I found it would be used in my future presentations for the clients. I learnt a lot for other presentations also just by listening to them.
I learnt about creativity and brain storming through the rapid prototyping model. It provides a better solution of any problem, which was faced by any person. I had information about this type of prototype. It was just forming your ideas and thoughts to found out solution of a problem. Just like shapes, your ideas to found a feasible solution of raised problem in front of us. It was beneficial for saving time and money. I got new ideas from it to solving different problems. It was helpful to reduce unnecessary work for solving a problem (Kirzner, 2015). Brainstorming and empathy are so necessary but rapid retyping was so helpful for shapes your ideas for a given problem. I also leant about wire framing, storyboarding, and sketching from that workshop. Those are so interesting in that workshop. It was time consuming but it provides better results at end stage. I found some interesting things in that workshop, such as paper prototyping, and creativity from different activities held in the workshop. Rapid prototyping provides a better solution with low cost and less time before the ideas into practical.
Data Collection and Ethics
Design thinking process was helpful for innovation for the particular problem. At the end of the workshop, we had to present our assignment two. I was excited for that assignment. I was before time at the university with all my group members. It was my best experience and I learnt about blogs and reflective reports from that module (Lundvall, 2010). I had lot of good experience form that workshop module. They are so beneficial in my present working project and as well as in my future projects also. Now my thinking is always positive for a problem and I really want to solve that particular problem with the help of my creative ideas, which I got from different modules of that design-thinking workshop.
It was really better experience of my life in which I participated with full of my energy, which was helped me in my currents problems. I also learnt about ethics and technology to making my future better in term of employment and personal development from that workshop. I want to share my experiences of that workshop with my friends and different group members, so they can also having these types of betterment in their life. In the end of that workshop, I was so happy to submit my presentation and present it in front of my lecturer, and other group members.
An action plan is a way to decide your future work according to your thoughts. I have an idea for implementing a Customer Service Management System, in which I will use my learning’s, which I have from those modules of design it workshop. I am sure that, I will complete that project in next sixth month.
References:
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