PEER-GRADED ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION

DESIGN THINKING FOR INNOVATION.  BY: Shailesh Jain

1.  Challenge:

I am the general manager of a Music Record Label in Colombia. Our company has one  of the largest independent music catalogs in Latin America. Technological and cultural  changes have made people consume music digitally through mobile applications such  as Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, etc. The sale of physical formats such as vinyl records  and compact discs has fallen to almost nothing. However, there is a musical product  that we want to keep as tangible, it is the "14 Dancing Cannon shots". This is a  compilation of the best musical themes during the year. This music compilation is highly  expected in the December season because they represent the arrival of the end of the  year holidays.  The challenge then is: Can the product be released in a different physical format from  CDs and vinyl records and at the same time incorporating a technological development  that also induces consumption on digital music platforms?

2. Selection:

The chosen tool was Visualization. Since it was about making a creative proposal of a  musical format different from the traditional ones, it was important for the  communication that there be a non-verbal description of what the people involved in the  process   wanted    to    express.    As    Lorena Hidalgo    explains    in    the    video.   it tries to awaken parts of our mind in which We relate the images with our ideas, the  creative part and artistic talent to improve, not only the generation of new own  perspectives, but also facilitate communication with peers. So this was a requirement  communicated to all project participants.

3. Application:

In order to generate a more effective integration between the different departments of  the company, an integration that has been affected by working at home due to the  COVID 19 epidemic, several work teams were made in order to make a proposal. . For  this, a methodology based on the PAGES tool (Acronym for Parts, Actions, Goals,  Events and Self Concept) was proposed. This methodology is well described in the  course.  In order for everyone to know this tool, I gave them an introductory lecture and gave  them examples of how to use it. The departments that participated were: Marketing  Department, Artistic Department, Sales Department, Children's content department, IT  and technology department. They were given a week to think and use visualization  resources in order to present the proposal. After all the teams presented their ideas,  each of them chose a representative. With these representatives, a "super team" was  created in order to take the best of each of the proposals and make a final proposal,  which would be presented for adjustments to all the participants jointly.

4. Insight:

The results were surprising, even though each department inevitably biased its  concepts according to their expertise, at the end an idea was reached in which everyone  felt represented. The fact of presenting the proposal graphically led each team to look  for ways to communicate, either by extracting images from the Internet, some with  freehand drawings, etc. that allowed a better communication that could be assimilated  by people of different types of knowledge. Since the challenge consisted in thinking “out  of the box” there was a lot of freedom and risk in the approaches, some of them quite  “flown”  Managers always have a certain prevention in giving too much participation, because  sometimes actions and processes must be carried out with some rigidity to fulfill the  mission entrusted by the shareholders who own the company. From this “democratic”  exercise there was a feeling of empowerment and greater belonging on the part of the  employees. Furthermore, the contribution from different areas was effectively reflected  in the richness of the result.  To illustrate a bit the result of the exercise, I attach these images that represent the  resulting proposal and that was developed in the final session.

5. Approach:

For certain projects that involve innovation and creativity, it is important that each  person in key departments of the company get involved with the ideas because, from  their own perspectives, there are aspects that must be considered and that give more  security in the success of a project. Since we are a small company in number of  employees, practically all of them were involved in the exercise and this led to continued  interest in the development of this product, which by the way, is not finished yet. It is  expected that it is released in October 2021. In future developments there will be a more  participatory and “democratic” approach to obtain this type of unexpected but innovative  results.


PEER - GRADED ASSIGNMENT : REFLECTION DESIGN THINKING FOR INNOVATION . BY : Shailesh Jain 1 . Challenge : I am the general manager of a Music Record Label in Colombia . Our company has one of the largest independent music catalogs in Latin America . Technological and cultural changes have made people consume music digitally through mobile applications such as Spotify , Deezer , Apple Music , etc . The sale of physical formats such as vinyl records and compact discs has fallen to almost nothing . However , there is a musical product that we want to keep as tangible , it is the " 14 Dancing Cannon shots " . This is a compilation of the best musical themes during the year . This music compilation is highly expected in the December season because they represent the arrival of the end of the year holidays . The challenge then is : Can the product be released in a different physical format from CDs and vinyl records and at the same time incorporating a technological development that also induces consumption on digital music platforms ? 2 . Selection : The chosen tool was Visualization . Since it was about making a creative proposal of a musical format different from the traditional ones , it was important for the communication that there be a non - verbal description of what the people involved in the process wanted to express . As Lorena Hidalgo explains in the video . it tries to awaken parts of our mind in which We relate the images with our ideas , the creative part and artistic talent to improve , not only the generation of new own perspectives , but also facilitate communication with peers . So this was a requirement communicated to all project participants . 3 . Application : In order to generate a more effective integration between the different departments of the company , an integration that has been affected by working at home due to the COVID 19 epidemic , several work teams were made in order to make a proposal . . For this , a methodology based on the PAGES tool ( Acronym for Parts , Actions , Goals , Events and Self Concept ) was proposed . This methodology is well described in the course . In order for everyone to know this tool , I gave them an introductory lecture and gave them examples of how to use it . The departments that participated were : Marketing Department , Artistic Department , Sales Department , Children 's content department , IT and technology department . They were given a week to think and use visualization resources in order to present the proposal . After all the teams presented their ideas , each of them chose a representative . With these representatives , a " super team " was created in order to take the best of each of the proposals and make a final proposal , which would be presented for adjustments to all the participants jointly . 4 . Insight : The results were surprising , even though each department inevitably biased its concepts according to their expertise , at the end an idea was reached in which everyone felt represented . The fact of presenting the proposal graphically led each team to look for ways to communicate , either by extracting images from the Internet , some with freehand drawings , etc . that allowed a better communication that could be assimilated by people of different types of knowledge . Since the challenge consisted in thinking “ out of the box ” there was a lot of freedom and risk in the approaches , some of them quite “ flown ” Managers always have a certain prevention in giving too much participation , because sometimes actions and processes must be carried out with some rigidity to fulfill the mission entrusted by the shareholders who own the company . From this “ democratic ” exercise there was a feeling of empowerment and greater belonging on the part of the employees . Furthermore , the contribution from different areas was effectively reflected in the richness of the result . To illustrate a bit the result of the exercise , I attach these images that represent the resulting proposal and that was developed in the final session . 5 . Approach : For certain projects that involve innovation and creativity , it is important that each person in key departments of the company get involved with the ideas because , from their own perspectives , there are aspects that must be considered and that give more security in the success of a project . Since we are a small company in number of employees , practically all of them were involved in the exercise and this led to continued interest in the development of this product , which by the way , is not finished yet . It is expected that it is released in October 2021 . In future developments there will be a more participatory and “ democratic ” approach to obtain this type of unexpected but innovative results .