Looking back at the last 12 weeks
Exploring the Design Thinking Process for Social Innovation: Reflections and Personal Growth
Throughout the course Design Thinking for Social Innovation, we have explored various aspects of the design thinking process, from creative collaboration and holistic thinking to design research, ideation, prototyping, and storytelling. Over the course of ten classes, I have engaged with a range of readings, videos, podcasts, and case studies, and applied my learnings to our team project which looks at creating clean energy using floorboards with a specific focus on night clubs in Lisbon.
The course took us through all stages of creating a project. The stages which I feel were most significant to my learnings were primary research (interviews), prototyping and hands on thinking. I strongly believe that all stages are important, however, these three somewhat brought me out of my comfort zone and helped me think and work in a way which does not come naturally to me.
Adapting to Unpredictability and Embracing Hands-On Approaches
One thing I’ve always known about myself is that I like to work with internal deadlines prior to a hard deadline as I do not deal well with last minute stress, and I always try to stick to them. This method helps me prioritize tasks and focus on what order it needs to be done. I create a detailed schedule, breaking down tasks into smaller pieces that can be accomplished in an outlined time frame. This approach helps me stay on track and allows me to see my progress. However, I struggle with other working styles, particularly those that appear disorganized or unpredictable to me. I find it difficult to work with people who do not stick to schedules. This can cause me to become anxious and stressed, which can affect my own work. I realized that some aspects of finding an idea cannot be organized but must be done through brainstorming. In class we brainstormed about what area of nightlife sustainability we want to focus on. Initially I found myself opposing many of the ideas, simply because I had not had the time to think about them further. In these situations, I had to force myself to be open minded and accept the process. I was fascinated by the ease of my team mates to find multiple topics which they were excited about. I believe this exercise and in particular the overall style of the project helped me to become more open minded and not lock myself on a plan I make for myself.
The paper “Interviewing for Introverts”, which was one of the readings for Class 4, provided me with valuable insights on how to conduct an interview which was very helpful as I had an interview with Clara from Clubtopia scheduled as part of my primary research. Even though I do not consider myself an introvert, the article helped me to prepare for the interview and to lead it effectively. With the help of the tips and techniques discussed in the paper, I was able to quickly establish rapport with Clara and engage in a fruitful discussion about sustainable clubbing. The article was particularly useful in helping me structure the interview questions and probe deeper into Clara’s experiences and perspectives. Overall, the insights from the paper greatly assisted me in conducting a successful interview and gathering important data for my research. I strongly believe that the insights I took with me from that reading will be invaluable for my future as I also have to conduct expert interviews for my master thesis.
During one of our classes, we had an exercise which unexpectedly was very enjoyable for me. The exercise I’m referring to is the one where we accessorized small electronic dogs with straws and cardboard to fight against another group’s dog. We only had 10 minutes to prepare the prototype, which usually would have caused me stress due to the time pressure without proper planning. However, the cuteness of the dogs which opposed the nature of the fighting task made the exercise super funny, and I found myself laughing a lot. This experience helped me to be more hands-on during our actual prototype for our group project. I realized that sometimes it’s better not to overcomplicate things, which helped me to approach our project with more ease. When it came to prototyping the floorboard, I initially wanted to create a floorboard which would light up if someone stepped on it. If I had tried to implement this prototype, I would have had a lot of pressure to figure out how to do it. The exercise showed me that prototypes don’t have to be carefully planned but can be rough and afterwards we still have time to improve it. I believe it was more helpful to have results quickly through the rough prototype compared to have them with a more advanced prototype.
In the previous paragraphs I highlighted different ways of working or tasks with which I struggle. However, one thing I am proud of is that I believe the overall quality of the work I output is high. I try to structure my findings well and deliver quality content on time.
Sustainable Energy-Generating Floorboards: A Journey from Ideation to Exhibition
I was part of group 6, and our project proposed the implementation of sustainable energy-generating floorboards in nightclubs. The goal is to create sustainable energy while also saving club owners money and appealing to young, energy-conscious club-goers. The project aims to test the viability of this idea and whether it can be extended to other environments, such as gyms, train stations, and airports. By utilizing the energy generated from foot traffic, the floorboards have the potential to provide a sustainable energy solution while also reducing the carbon footprint of the establishments in which they are installed.
What I liked most about this project was seeing the different parts from ideation to final exhibition come together. At the beginning of the project I had a clear image of what I thought it would look like. However, with my inexperience in design thinking I had skipped many steps and went straight from planning to what I Imagined the final product to look like. Methods like visual thinking through sketching and learning from feedback were especially helpful for improving our project and adding pieces which I had not thought of before.
Overall, I experienced many challenges and successes during the project which will become invaluable for future projects. Aspects I want to take with me in my professional life are open mindedness to other ways of thinking, enjoying the process instead of seeing it as something I “have” to do and lastly, I would like to get feedback at as many stages of the process as there are always tweaks and twists that can be made.
Final Reflections on the Design Thinking for Social Innovation Course
In conclusion, the Design Thinking for Social Innovation course has been a challenging and fun experience for me. It helped me with personal growth as well as my professional development. The course also helped me gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses in terms of teamwork with team members with different working styles.
I am particularly proud of the work that my team and I have done on our project. The project challenged us to think creatively about the broad topic of sustainability in nightlife, and I believe that our proposed solution has the potential to make a real impact.
Overall, I believe that the skills and knowledge that I have gained from this course will be in my future endeavors, both personally and professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to have taken this course and look forward to applying what I have learned in the future.
