My Submission for completion of design Thinking for Innovation by University of Virginia  on Coursera.

-  Rashid Kt

Challenge    I am a member of a company with a product range from cosmetics, soaps, detergents, soda ash  and so on. The company has positioned itself as a niche in the low-end detergent and soap  market. However, now the challenge is to retain upper middle-class consumers who will  occupy the high-end market eventually. The project is to launch new products for the high-end  market.     Selection     I have already considered various design thinking tools like visualisation, brainstorming, mind- mapping and their pros and cons. There are lots of ways but the most appropriate one for this  challenge is Learning launch. Briefly speaking, the tool of leaning launch revolves around the  fact that a business plan may not be the immediate reaction to any idea. In reference to the  video lecture by Michael Ebert, business plan is a traditional approach where we tend to assume  financials projections like returns based on our judgement. But in the end, they’re just guesses.  And we end up tweaking them until we hit the rate. Instead, going for an experiment and testing  a hypothesis is an assertion.     Application    The experiments done were fast and cheap. I made a hypothesis: Launching new products for  the high-end market will help to retain the upper middle-class consumers. A group of persons  in form of the upper middle-class had this specific problem in form of a need for products that  solve their high-end needs.   The learning launch of the new product we did surveys to find out these needs by quickly  engaging with the customers and testing our assumptions. After the process, we applied the  selected tool of learning launch in the following two ways that meets the need better than  current:

1. A Fabric wash market with immense potential due to the benefits that the soap melts

less in water, had better stability and thus longer duration i.e. improvising the quality.

2. Instead of door-to-door selling, using channels like online platforms, retail stores and

supermarkets where the upper middle-class comes to shop.

Insight    By applying the Learning launch tool, we looked at the market with a completely different  paradigm. We looked from different perspectives and took the company to a higher level  because after the tests, data confirmed it. It was an important step before launching a whole  range of products and changing the company’s products portfolio.   This is what the customers want, we as a company can do it and the economics can sustain it  due to the need in market place. This creates the WOW zone.    Approach

I had considered all the advantages and disadvantages of leveraging the several design thinking  tools for this challenge. Learning launch is the most appropriate tool. It gave insights on the  basis of these two launches. All future launches will reflect these insights.   If we have to select an alternate tool, the second choice would be mind-mapping. I’d lay out  the data for everybody to see and ask them to leave notes individually for any learning that  they believe should be incorporated. Clusters would be formed and insights would be  generated.


My Submission for completion of design Thinking for Innovation by University of Virginia on Coursera . - Rashid Kt Challenge I am a member of a company with a product range from cosmetics , soaps , detergents , soda ash and so on . The company has positioned itself as a niche in the low - end detergent and soap market . However , now the challenge is to retain upper middle - class consumers who will occupy the high - end market eventually . The project is to launch new products for the high - end market . Selection I have already considered various design thinking tools like visualisation , brainstorming , mind- mapping and their pros and cons . There are lots of ways but the most appropriate one for this challenge is Learning launch . Briefly speaking , the tool of leaning launch revolves around the fact that a business plan may not be the immediate reaction to any idea . In reference to the video lecture by Michael Ebert , business plan is a traditional approach where we tend to assume financials projections like returns based on our judgement . But in the end , they ’re just guesses . And we end up tweaking them until we hit the rate . Instead , going for an experiment and testing a hypothesis is an assertion . Application The experiments done were fast and cheap . I made a hypothesis : Launching new products for the high - end market will help to retain the upper middle - class consumers . A group of persons in form of the upper middle - class had this specific problem in form of a need for products that solve their high - end needs . The learning launch of the new product we did surveys to find out these needs by quickly engaging with the customers and testing our assumptions . After the process , we applied the selected tool of learning launch in the following two ways that meets the need better than current : 1 . A Fabric wash market with immense potential due to the benefits that the soap melts less in water , had better stability and thus longer duration i.e. improvising the quality . 2 . Instead of door - to - door selling , using channels like online platforms , retail stores and supermarkets where the upper middle - class comes to shop . Insight By applying the Learning launch tool , we looked at the market with a completely different paradigm . We looked from different perspectives and took the company to a higher level because after the tests , data confirmed it . It was an important step before launching a whole range of products and changing the company ’s products portfolio . This is what the customers want , we as a company can do it and the economics can sustain it due to the need in market place . This creates the WOW zone . Approach I had considered all the advantages and disadvantages of leveraging the several design thinking tools for this challenge . Learning launch is the most appropriate tool . It gave insights on the basis of these two launches . All future launches will reflect these insights . If we have to select an alternate tool , the second choice would be mind - mapping . I ’d lay out the data for everybody to see and ask them to leave notes individually for any learning that they believe should be incorporated . Clusters would be formed and insights would be generated .