Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge

I am a university student doing bachelor’s in environmental sciences and have great concern for  ecosystem and our environment that is being polluted due to number of anthropogenic activities;  one being the excessive use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and plastic bottles. Our small  organization basically promotes the idea of recyclable and biodegradable products by selling them  in the market at rates lower than usual non-biodegradable items. But the challenge we opted for  after I attended this course of design thinking was to generate a higher profit from our greener  business by making people aware of the importance of the use of biodegradable product items and  compete with the other pollution generating products based on parameters such as quality and  sustainability approach highlighting the key aspects of plastic pollution. So, basically the challenge  was to increase our prices by 20-30% and then almost double the profit by using the below  mentioned design thinking tool.

Selection

The design thinking tool that we selected to promote our greener business idea was the use of  ‘storytelling’. We selected this tool as our business strategy because storytelling conveys the  purpose and businesses with purpose are noticed and win the loyalty of their consumers. So, as we  are doing a greener business, we can convince people by engaging them in our story because issues  related to plastic pollution are faced on both local and regional level and sometimes on the global  level too. Everyone must live in the same environment and would face the health risks generated  from the use of non-biodegradable products. So, we targeted both the intrinsic and extrinsic values  of environment to make people grasp the idea of a greener product and how it will save them from  several health risks leading to sustainable ecosystems and communities.

Application

For the application of this design thinking tool we targeted different audiences and divided our  management team into five groups. We conducted surveys observing the usual practices of people  belonging to varied classes, analyzed their patterns of consumptions of various non-biodegradable  products such as plastic bottles and plastic bags. We came to know that the plastic bottles are  comparatively purchased higher by the people with strong economic status whereas, the use of  plastic bags is similar for every income class.

Then, we conducted clean up drives for plastic pollution engaging people in our story that how  people round the globe are at a higher risk of diseases through all this pollution and how the marine  life and biota gets affected by the plastics making organisms suffocate. People were also taken on  an imaginative journey depicting the fact that how our surroundings will look like if we kept on  polluting our environment as we are doing right now. We made people realize that the aesthetics  of environment for which we don’t even pay a single penny/dollar or rupee has its intrinsic value  that they can easily pay by using the non-biodegradable items that will counter all these problems.  People were encouraged emotionally by stating how some of close relatives and their pets suffered  from the effects of plastics. We told them that how these remain in the environment for very long

periods leading to deaths by adding to the soil pollution and then hazardous chemicals making  their way to human food chains by giving them real-life examples. The surveys and drives also  targeted the market that was involved in selling of non-biodegradable items and convinced them  through green product ideology with minimal or no waste generation hence reducing the abatement  costs automatically.

Insight

By employing the use of this tool, we learnt that storytelling has a major impact on consumer- based products. When we came up with an idea that has a story behind it and was meant to solve  a problem that public is facing at large these days, the consumers and stakeholders understand that  why the product is worth paid for. Moreover, when we work with a community-based incentive  for welfare of people the workers work more passionately and efficiently making the targets easy  to meet in the given time frame. This tool provided us with the competitive advantage and proved  to be the best marketing tool as well because the story or theme on which our greener product was  based on, was relevant to every human being. Our themed incentive-based story attained the  attention of both consumers and stakeholders and people became willing to pay more for our  greener products and even began to prefer it on the ordinary non-biodegradable stuff. So, our  challenge was achieved with surprisingly very good results.

Approach

Now, we are motivated to use this design thinking tool for our future challenges generating more  of such green designs and making sustainable products available to consumers; gaining their trust  through the same tool. Our team has learnt a lot through the applicability of storytelling in our  business employing different design thinking activities to communicate our story. Therefore, we  will be at ease in using this approach and insight attained for our future green product designs.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge I am a university student doing bachelor ’s in environmental sciences and have great concern for ecosystem and our environment that is being polluted due to number of anthropogenic activities ; one being the excessive use of non - biodegradable plastic bags and plastic bottles . Our small organization basically promotes the idea of recyclable and biodegradable products by selling them in the market at rates lower than usual non - biodegradable items . But the challenge we opted for after I attended this course of design thinking was to generate a higher profit from our greener business by making people aware of the importance of the use of biodegradable product items and compete with the other pollution generating products based on parameters such as quality and sustainability approach highlighting the key aspects of plastic pollution . So , basically the challenge was to increase our prices by 20 - 30 % and then almost double the profit by using the below mentioned design thinking tool . Selection The design thinking tool that we selected to promote our greener business idea was the use of ‘ storytelling ’ . We selected this tool as our business strategy because storytelling conveys the purpose and businesses with purpose are noticed and win the loyalty of their consumers . So , as we are doing a greener business , we can convince people by engaging them in our story because issues related to plastic pollution are faced on both local and regional level and sometimes on the global level too . Everyone must live in the same environment and would face the health risks generated from the use of non - biodegradable products . So , we targeted both the intrinsic and extrinsic values of environment to make people grasp the idea of a greener product and how it will save them from several health risks leading to sustainable ecosystems and communities . Application For the application of this design thinking tool we targeted different audiences and divided our management team into five groups . We conducted surveys observing the usual practices of people belonging to varied classes , analyzed their patterns of consumptions of various non - biodegradable products such as plastic bottles and plastic bags . We came to know that the plastic bottles are comparatively purchased higher by the people with strong economic status whereas , the use of plastic bags is similar for every income class . Then , we conducted clean up drives for plastic pollution engaging people in our story that how people round the globe are at a higher risk of diseases through all this pollution and how the marine life and biota gets affected by the plastics making organisms suffocate . People were also taken on an imaginative journey depicting the fact that how our surroundings will look like if we kept on polluting our environment as we are doing right now . We made people realize that the aesthetics of environment for which we do n’t even pay a single penny / dollar or rupee has its intrinsic value that they can easily pay by using the non - biodegradable items that will counter all these problems . People were encouraged emotionally by stating how some of close relatives and their pets suffered from the effects of plastics . We told them that how these remain in the environment for very long periods leading to deaths by adding to the soil pollution and then hazardous chemicals making their way to human food chains by giving them real - life examples . The surveys and drives also targeted the market that was involved in selling of non - biodegradable items and convinced them through green product ideology with minimal or no waste generation hence reducing the abatement costs automatically . Insight By employing the use of this tool , we learnt that storytelling has a major impact on consumer- based products . When we came up with an idea that has a story behind it and was meant to solve a problem that public is facing at large these days , the consumers and stakeholders understand that why the product is worth paid for . Moreover , when we work with a community - based incentive for welfare of people the workers work more passionately and efficiently making the targets easy to meet in the given time frame . This tool provided us with the competitive advantage and proved to be the best marketing tool as well because the story or theme on which our greener product was based on , was relevant to every human being . Our themed incentive - based story attained the attention of both consumers and stakeholders and people became willing to pay more for our greener products and even began to prefer it on the ordinary non - biodegradable stuff . So , our challenge was achieved with surprisingly very good results . Approach Now , we are motivated to use this design thinking tool for our future challenges generating more of such green designs and making sustainable products available to consumers ; gaining their trust through the same tool . Our team has learnt a lot through the applicability of storytelling in our business employing different design thinking activities to communicate our story . Therefore , we will be at ease in using this approach and insight attained for our future green product designs .