INNOVATION MASTERCLASS: SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH DESIGN THINKING

INTRODUCTION FOR INNOVATION MASTERCLASS: SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH DESIGN THINKING

In today’s fast-paced world, innovation is not just a competitive advantage—it is essential for survival. Businesses and organizations that fail to innovate quickly become obsolete, while those that embrace change, creativity, and forward-thinking position themselves for long-term success. Human beings have an extraordinary ability to innovate, and throughout history, this capacity has driven societal progress, from the invention of the wheel to the creation of modern digital technology.

At the core of successful innovation lies creativity, a skill that can be nurtured and developed over time. It’s a journey that requires persistence, openness to new ideas, and the willingness to experiment and learn from failure. However, innovation is not just about generating ideas. It’s about translating those ideas into real-world solutions that solve pressing problems and meet user needs.

This is where Design Thinking becomes key. As a human-centered approach to problem-solving, design thinking encourages empathy, creativity, and collaboration. By focusing on understanding user needs and motivations, organizations can design solutions that are not only innovative but also meaningful and impactful.

In this training, we will explore the nature of innovation, the power of design thinking, and practical techniques for fostering a culture of creativity. Participants will leave equipped with the tools to drive innovation in their organizations, ensuring they stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Understand Human Capacity for Innovation: Explore innovation as a uniquely human skill, learn how creativity can be developed, and recognize the historical impact of human innovation.
2. Recognize Different Types of Innovation: Identify various forms of innovation (e.g., organizational, process, product) and understand how they apply to business contexts.
3. Master the Design Thinking Process: Apply the 5 stages of design thinking to solve problems with a focus on empathy, user needs, and creating valuable solutions.
4. Develop Leadership for Innovation: Learn key leadership behaviors and strategies, including the Three Box Solution, to drive and sustain innovation within teams.
5. Build a Culture of Innovation: Understand the components needed to create and maintain a culture of innovation, ensuring long-term organizational success.

COURSE OUTCOMES

1. Enhanced Creative Thinking: Participants will develop the ability to approach challenges with a creative mindset, using innovation as a tool for problem-solving and growth.
2. Practical Application of Design Thinking:Participants will be able to apply design thinking principles to real-world scenarios, focusing on user-centered solutions to improve products and services.
3. Improved Leadership in Innovation: Participants will gain leadership skills necessary to inspire and manage innovation, fostering a culture that encourages creativity and forward-thinking.
4. Strategic Innovation Approaches:Participants will learn to implement innovation strategies, including the Three Box Solution, to manage present operations while creating future opportunities.
5. Established Culture of Innovation:Participants will be equipped with tools and strategies to build and sustain an innovative culture within their organizations, driving long-term success

TARGET AUDIENCE

All Levels

METHODOLOGY

Lecture, Videos, Group Discussion, Games, Case Studies, Personal Reflection.

COURSE CONTENT

MODULE 1: CREATIVITY THE FIRST STEP TO INNOVATION : ACTIVATING CREATIVITY IN YOU!

• Crafting Creativity: Recognizing creativity as a learnable skill, understanding the creative process, and exploring our innate ability to be creative.
• Traits and Skills: Unpacking personality traits crucial for creativity and identifying the skills essential for fostering a creative environment.
• Creative Odyssey: Embracing creativity as a journey, emphasizing the importance of persistence, and exploring processes to build and strengthen our creative muscles.
• Psychological Influences: Examining how past experiences shape our beliefs and impact our reasoning abilities

Activity: Engage in a variety of creativity exercises, including the whimsical Pet Drawing, Story-telling, and a moment of Personal Reflection.

MODULE 2- THE CHARACTER OF INNOVATION- HUMAN’S UNIQUE ABILITY TO INNOVATE

• The Nature and Process of Innovation- Understand innovation as an activity exclusive to humans
• The Innovative Homo-Sapiens-Discover how humans have innovated and triggered consequences
• Different types of innovation- Organisational Innovation, Process Innovation, Product Innovation, Marketing Innovation, Eco Innovation, Frugal Innovation
• Innovation is a survival tool- Failure to innovate means becoming obsolete

Activity: Group Activity, Group Discussion, Personal Sharing, Case Studies

MODULE 3- DESIGN THINKING PART 1: EMPATHY AND PROBLEM DEFINITION

• Origins and principles of design thinking
• The 5 Stages of Design Thinking
• Creating Higher Value propositions- contributing to development of better products and services
• Focus on human-centered problem-solving
• Techniques for empathy: interviews, observations, empathy mapping
• Identifying user needs, pain points, and motivations
• Developing clear problem statements based on insights

Activity: Real-world Design Thinking Case Studies and Develop problem statement

MODULE 4- DESIGN THINKING PART 2: IDEATION

• Brainstorming Brilliance: Initiating a brainstorming session with basic rules and benefits.
• Techniques Treasure Chest: Exploring various brainstorming techniques, including Alphabet Brainstorming, Brainwriting, The Charette Procedure, Crawford’s Slip Writing Method, Role-Storming, Reverse Brainstorm, and Circle Brainstorming.
• SCAMPER technique
• Pros and Cons Debrief: Reflecting on the pros and cons of each technique through participant experiences.

Activity: Engage in Alphabet Brainstorming and SCAMPER session to unleash creativity and critical thinking focused on the problem statement created earlier

MODULE 5- DESIGN THINKING PART 3: PROTOTYPING & TESTING

• Introduction to rapid prototyping methods (e.g., storyboarding, physical prototypes, digital mockups
• Importance of testing early and often
• Techniques for gathering constructive feedback
• Reflecting on feedback received and refining prototypes
• Overcoming common challenges in implementing design thinking

Activity: Discussion,  Design thinking Games, Personal Reflection

MODULE 6- INNOVATION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES – THE “HOW TO DO” GUIDE

• The Three Box Solution- Manage the present, forget the past, create the future
• Leadership behaviours- Breaking down what is needed to drive innovation
• Innovation Management- The innovation leader’s role, innovation strategy
• Building the culture of innovation- Construction process of the culture of innovation
• Six basic components of an innovative culture- Resources, Processes, Values, Behaviour, Environment, Success

Activity: Group discussion and coming out with concrete strategy, Individual Exercise and Personal Reflections