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Design Thinking Challenge

BUSI3590
Closed
Ontario Tech University
Ontario Tech University
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Amanda Gaudet
Associate Teaching Professor
(12)
5
Timeline
  • May 7, 2021
    Experience start
  • May 8, 2021
    Project Initiation
  • June 12, 2021
    Experience end
Experience
4/4 project matches
Dates set by experience
Preferred companies
Anywhere
Any
Any industries
Categories
Accounting Information technology Leadership Marketing strategy Media
Skills
competitive analysis business consulting marketing strategy data analysis research
Student goals and capabilities

Business owners constantly face difficult questions that can take months to decide. The Design thinking process is a method of efficiently solving critical business questions using empathy and understanding to design, prototype, and gain effective customer feedback. This process combines business strategy and behaviour science this project, students will apply problem solving design skills in a collaborative team to provide a tested solution to your organization’s issue.

Students
Undergraduate
Any level
90 Students
Project
36 hours per Student
Students self-assign
Teams of 4
Expected outcomes and deliverables

Example projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Developing a new product or service.
  • Understanding and improving website design.
  • Designing a new business branch.
  • Optimizing the customer journey for a specific target market.
  • Designing an online store.
  • Most topics can be looked at in the design thinking method and provide innovative ideas and solutions that are full thought out by understanding the customers and end user needs and feelings.
Project timeline
  • May 7, 2021
    Experience start
  • May 8, 2021
    Project Initiation
  • June 12, 2021
    Experience end
Project Examples

Nearly any organizational design challenge can be solved through this methodology. Based on your organizational needs, groups of students will follow the stages of the Design think process to effectively prototype ideas and solutions and validate an innovative solution over an intensive 6 week period

Design Thinking phases include:

  • Understand the problem: Get an initial understanding of the problem
  • Observe users: Observe users, visit them in their (work) environment, observe physical spaces and places
  • Interpret the results: Interpret the empirical findings
  • Generate ideas (Ideate): Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate as many ideas as possible (expand the solution space)
  • Prototype, experiment: Build prototypes and share them with other people (narrow down the solution space again, experimental phase)
  • Test, implement, improve: Test, implement, and refine the design (narrow down the solution space again; solution-driven phase
Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

Weeks 2-6 - Available for half hour to hour session during week for student feedback (Can be flexible on day/time) - Will be set out prior to course start

Provide a dedicated contact who is available to answer periodic emails or phone calls over the duration of the project to address students' questions.

Weeks 2-6 - Available for question response via e-mail - Instructor will assemble questions and send out 2X weekly. 24 hour business response time is requested

Be available for a quick phone call with the instructor to initiate your relationship and confirm your scope is an appropriate fit for the course.

Week 6 - Review final presentations and judge for winners

Weeks 2-6 - Review submissions from students for next phase (approx. 1/2 hour commitment)

Week 1 (May 7) - Either pre recorded video or live for class for 15-20 mins between 9am-12noon

Prior to Class start - Inital call to go over process