Group Size
?
1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any
Small group (teams of 4-6)
Learning Environment
?
1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special
Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space, Carousel Tables (small working group), Special
QAA Enterprise Theme(s)
?
1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
1Creativity and Innovation
2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation
3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5Reflection and Action
6Interpersonal Skills
7Communication and Strategy
0Digital and Data Skills
Students will:
This is a fun, engaging and interactive module that provides learners with a close-up view of how an entrepreneur - specifically a microbusiness - thinks, acts and views the world and the kinds of competencies, character traits and behaviours they rely on. Through this module, students go on a site visit where they meet owners of microbusinesses within the local enterprise ecosystem. The microbusinesses are based in ‘The Marina Market’ in the heart of Cork city. This indoor market is a community of 24 food traders and 6 retail traders and is a community that is evolving and growing within our city.
Students listen to and hear their stories; conduct an analysis on how these micro businesses initially set up, the supports available to assist them and explore how they influence the local community and economy. Working closely with these microenterprises over the course of 12 weeks, the entrepreneurs task the students with helping them to address an obstacle or challenge they face in this current economic climate. Students explore the link between creativity and entrepreneurship and apply the design thinking process to examine solutions to these problems and generate new ideas for the microbusiness to implement going forward.
This is a group activity. [NOTE: the students participating in the module are 1st years (approximately 250 students) and as such I pre-assign groups]. The groups consist of 4 members [a mix of male/female/gender neutral) and students are allocated to groups based on a Week 1 in-class activity that establishes each students interests, hobbies and personalities in addition to the roles sought by each student within a group – thereby facilitating common ground to establish conversation, friendships and a distribution of strengths and skills within each group – See IMAGE 1 for in-class activity].
Students work in groups to solve a challenge/problem for a ‘user group’. The user group is a local microbusiness in the community and students apply the Design Thinking process in order to problem solve in a more creative manner. The “journey” of the Design Thinking process will be captured in a scrap book and the final outcome presented by each group in a showcase to a panel of enterprise experts, the various microbusinesses, and peers.
The students will follow the process based on the Future of Stuff Breaker Challengehttp://futureofstuffchallenge.org/. Each group will link with one of the microbusinesses in the Marina Market and discuss a challenge/problem that this microbusiness is currently experiencing. [NOTE: it’s extremely important that the group genuinely gravitates towards this microenterprise and cares about providing a workable solution to their problem/challenge] Each group will apply the ‘breaker challenge’ process in order to explore solutions to the challenge/problem, solutions that will positively impact the microbusiness going forward.
Assignment Brief
For this assignment students are required to develop a real and workable solution with respect to a microbusiness problem that needs solving. The journey to reach this path is just as important for this assignment and this journey will need to be recorded in the scrapbook.
Requirements:
The Steps of the Process that each group will need to follow are as follows:
STEP ONE: EMPATHIZE
Successful entrepreneurs design solutions to meet the real needs of real people. You can’t design for people if you don’t understand them – what they want, what they need, who they really are. The best way to develop this understanding is by practicing empathy – that is, spending some time walking around in the shoes of someone whose problem needs solving, observing them. How do they think? How do they feel?
Getting to these insights is the heart of the human-centred approach to design. NB: In this phase students need to shed their preconceptions about what they want to create and allow themselves to see the world from the perspective of others.
(Source: http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/page/empathy.php)
For grading purposes each group will need to:
1 (a): Capture their approach to identifying the microbusiness that they decided to focus on. Explain their reasons why they selected this microbusiness. They can do this using written / visual documentation: photography, video, TikTok, Podcasts, post-its etc. It’s up to them – free creative autonomy.
1 (b): Link with a microbusiness in The Marina Market to interview / observe and schedule a time to meet. Capture the details with regard to whom they interviewed / observed, when and where. [Remembering to capture everything seen/heard by taking pictures, writing down specific quotes, phrases and information, drawing things they want to remember, maybe taking videos….they decide.]
1 (c): Capture how they approached the interview/s; what tools/resources/techniques were used etc
1 (d): Capture the interview questions - a short list of open-ended questions asked to the interviewee/s.
Live Example
Students went on a site visit to the Marina Market for a day, where they visited each of the traders, and spoke to them about their microbusiness. The students had an opportunity to delve into the stories of these enterprises and connect with a microbusiness that they felt they wanted to, and could, help. [See Image 2 to see students at the site visit, which made the local papers]. Students captured the experience and examples of documented work that address the assessment criteria including photographs, storyboards, podcasts, TikToks, video recordings and audio recordings, illustrating a wide range of skills and interests from the different groups. [See Image 3 and Image 4 for some examples]
STEP TWO: SYNTHEZIZE
What do you do with your empathy work? You’ve got notes, memories, photos, audio, video. What’s the next? You need to gently impose some order on the chaos in order to make sense of what you found. Going through exercises to identify human needs at work will enable you to see the issue in a whole new way. (Source: http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/page/synthesize.php)
For grading purposes each group will need to;
2 (a): Create a user profile template.
2 (b): Create a user (POV) point of view template. The goal is to explain why this microbusiness’s needs really aren’t being met – show an understanding of what’s really going on.
2 (c): Create a user empathy map. All templates for 2a-2c are available at http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/
Live Example
Students generated user profiles and empathy maps of the entrepreneur and their microbusiness as part of step 2. [See Image 5 for examples of the empathy maps]
STEP THREE: IDEATE
It's time to make the leap from challenge / problem to solution. Ideation is the process of generating ideas. Ideation, at its core, is about getting your inner critic out of the way so that your creativity can burst through and make magic. Ideation isn't just that "eureka" moment when the solution occurs to you. It's also the hundred other ideas you don't pursue. Good ideas, stupid ideas, crazy ideas, expensive ideas, impossible ideas – all of them are fair game in this phase. (Source: http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/page/ideate.php)
For grading purposes each group will need to;
3 (a): Generate ideas and identify the idea generation technique that worked for them.
3 (b): Compile shortlisted ideas with a very brief explanation for each shortlisted idea.
3 (c): Select one idea that could be a possible solution. Explain why they chose this idea over the others, what was their inspiration?
3 (d): Describe any issues that arose in relation to the ideation process?
Live Example:
Students generated ideas within their groups – techniques they used included brainstorming, ‘four’ thinking hats, sketching, word banking and Lego serious play. [See Images 6, 7, 8 & 9, & 10 for examples of student engagement in the ideation process. Ideas are discussed further in the final step – The Pitch].
STEP FOUR: PROTOTYPING
Prototyping allows you to fully explore the idea that you have selected in stage three (you may have more than one idea/concept that you want to evaluate, it’s up to you). You prototype because you need to explore your options -- to try things and fail, further informing your design process.
Prototyping is a way to do your due diligence on the concepts that came out of ideation. Get your hands dirty! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures. (Source: http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/page/prototype.php)
For grading purposes you will need to;
4 (a): Map the user journey (one-page user journey map) if it is a service-based idea / OR develop a prototype if it is a tangible product idea; it need only be a sketch, a drawing, lollipop sticks, pipe cleaners etc. Their choice!
4 (b): Test their user journey OR prototype on the microbusiness and capture the feedback from the microbusiness [you can use video or written documentation.]
4 (c): Make changes to their user journey OR prototype based on the microbusinesses feedback and capture the changes [they can use video, drawings, photography etc.]
Live Example:
Students produced social media campaigns, posters, brochures, sourced renewable materials / props to support their idea (further discussed in final step ‘The Pitch!’. [See Images 11 & 12 for examples of student user journey maps. Ideas are discussed further in the final step – The Pitch].
STEP FIVE: BUSINESS MODELLING
Ready to turn your idea commercial? Now that you’ve done some testing around feasibility and desirability, you’ll take a closer look at your solution’s viability from a commercial viewpoint. You’ll use tools borrowed from business model canvas methodology to rapidly cycle your business model, just like you did with your prototypes. This phase will help you evaluate and tune how your idea looks as an actual business.
(See: http://futureofstuffchallenge.org/page/business.php)
For grading purposes each group will need to;
5 (a): Fill out a Business Model Canvas (1-page template that will be supplied).
Live Example
Students completed BMC templates that included a sustainability grid. Students were encouraged to address one of the SDG’s in the development of their product or service idea for the microbusiness.
STEP SIX: PITCH THE IDEA
Time to use the skills of persuasion to gain the support of seed investors, business incubators, and others to help move your idea forward. Your pitch should have two dimensions: the visual narrative you create through your presentation, and the oral narrative used to tell the story. Lest we forget, it’s about STORY and the design process is a built-in story!
For grading purposes each group will need to;
6 (a): Set the scene by briefly telling the story of the process of stages 1-5 using whatever methodology they like.
6 (b): Pitch their idea in a live showcase to a panel of experts and their chosen microbusiness using whatever methodology they like.
6(c): Groups have 15 minutes including Q&A
Live Example:
Ideas that students contributed for businesses include:
In addition, students have contributed ideas that benefit all the microbusinesses in Marina Market by widening the demographic and customer base attracted to the space including:
Pitch day is the highlight of the module calendar and a celebrated event. [See Images 13 & 14 below showing some student getting ready to pitch]
Scrap Book
The purpose of the scrapbook is to allow students to reflect on their journey with the microbusiness, to illustrate their thoughts, feelings and activities. This is an authentic, unique and creative methodology that enables the students to reflexively assess their journey and facilitates assessment of the entire learning process of this activity.
Impact: (reflections; learner feedback; result on client or impression upon stakeholders)
Image 1: Team Building and Idea Generation exercise workshop day pre their Design Thinking Journey
Image 2: Site visit to The Marina Market
Image 3: Images, storyboards, typed/handwritten documentation as part of Step 1
Image 4: Images, storyboards, typed/handwritten documentation as part of Step 1
Image 5: Empathy maps as part of Step 2
Image 6: Lego play for idea generation as part of Step 3
Image 7: Lego play for idea generation as part of step 3
Image 8: Student drawing of brainstorming for idea generation as part of step 3
Image 9: Team ideation as part of step 3
Image 10: Ideation technique implemented as part of step 3
Image 11: Customer User Journey
Image 12: Customer User Journey
Image 13: Pitch Day
Image 14: Pitch Day
References:
Books
Papers
Websites
