Challenge & Selection

Storytelling is a signiﬁcant tool used by many people to sell their products, make their  ideas look real and it also helps you to express yourself in a way that can make you be  acknowledge from diﬀerent people coming from diﬀerent backgrounds. The power of  storytelling is that it helps the audience to connect in a much broader plane. We all came  from diﬀerent backgrounds so it was hard for us to ﬁnd common areas where we could  elaborate on our ideas. Then, as a team we decided to base our app on a story and  present it using storytelling. My friends and I have been going to a cafe where people with  down syndrome work. Our biggest challenge faced was to ﬁnd a way to communicate  with each other. So, as a group we decided to use storytelling and help them visualize  and reﬂect on their feelings as well as getting to know each other better. They were very  reluctant to listen to our stories and very excited to share their owns. To even broaden the  focus, we decided to create a weekly session where we spent at least two hours sharing  our stories with each other. Then, we combined storytelling with visualization and asked  them to draw their stories and dreams. Our main goal in doing so was to help them  develop their communication skills because they were really shy when we ﬁrst met and  make them feel special and understood.

Application

Storytelling is long used to teach and share values, reﬂect and inﬂuence behavior. As time  past we have realized that storytelling has helped the people at the cafe to be more open.  Also, we have seen that they were more enthusiastic to work and the workplace, the  place where they were once brought by their parents, have turned into a place where they  have fun and came happy every morning. This not only made the cafe a much happier  place but also improved their communication skills with customers and get them to a  state of mind where they were much more conﬁdent. They were more open towards  people they haven’t met and this made us very happy as a group to see that our activity  has made an impact. The owner of the cafe realized how storytelling have made them feel  special and in a state that they felt their emotions and ideas were valued. Storytelling not  only played a fundamental role in improving their communication skills but also helped  them to express their ideas in a better way and build on empathy, trust and acceptance.  As we all shared our stories together we came up with creative ideas. We designed  workshops to make engagement between customers and workers.

Additionally, as a group we wanted to make them feel special after spending weeks  together so we talked to their parents and learned about their biggest dreams. After  learning about them we made their biggest dreams come true by taking them to theme  parks, fashion storesi factories and museums according to their preference. We wanted to  start this as a local project from where we live and hope to see it spread out. It was very  special for them as their long awaiting dreams have become true.

Insight & Approach

It was a life-changing experience for me. It made me appreciate small things in life and  also what I have. In addition, this social service encouraged me to get out of my comfort  zone. As we did this activity with my friends I built long lasting friendships and the people  at the cafe became my second family. This activity was not only an opportunity for them

to socialize but also was a huge opportunity for us as we shared our dreams and stories  that made us realize many minor details in our lives that went unnoticed in busyness. It  was a moment of reﬂection on things that I appreciate and value.

I shared our activity with the owner of the cafe and told him to continue this with diﬀerent  students from diﬀerent schools to make them feel the same emotions we felt. This little  practice has made huge contribution to their life as well as ours. As students we have  experienced the importance of storytelling as it created an emotional link to help us  communicate better and build resilience, while they felt very special that their dreams and  ideas were being valued. In short, storytellings property of taking humans to the centre  endangers understanding and empathy.

Design Thinking for Innovation course not only showed me how these tools can be used  in entrepreneurship but also how it can be applied to such places. Also, I have learned the  importance of storytelling in uniting people and sharing their ideas. I always imagine to  become an entrepreneur today in social service and this course has eﬀectively showed  me how to use such a signiﬁcant tool to make my dreams become real.


Challenge & Selection Storytelling is a signiﬁcant tool used by many people to sell their products , make their ideas look real and it also helps you to express yourself in a way that can make you be acknowledge from diﬀerent people coming from diﬀerent backgrounds . The power of storytelling is that it helps the audience to connect in a much broader plane . We all came from diﬀerent backgrounds so it was hard for us to ﬁnd common areas where we could elaborate on our ideas . Then , as a team we decided to base our app on a story and present it using storytelling . My friends and I have been going to a cafe where people with down syndrome work . Our biggest challenge faced was to ﬁnd a way to communicate with each other . So , as a group we decided to use storytelling and help them visualize and reﬂect on their feelings as well as getting to know each other better . They were very reluctant to listen to our stories and very excited to share their owns . To even broaden the focus , we decided to create a weekly session where we spent at least two hours sharing our stories with each other . Then , we combined storytelling with visualization and asked them to draw their stories and dreams . Our main goal in doing so was to help them develop their communication skills because they were really shy when we ﬁrst met and make them feel special and understood . Application Storytelling is long used to teach and share values , reﬂect and inﬂuence behavior . As time past we have realized that storytelling has helped the people at the cafe to be more open . Also , we have seen that they were more enthusiastic to work and the workplace , the place where they were once brought by their parents , have turned into a place where they have fun and came happy every morning . This not only made the cafe a much happier place but also improved their communication skills with customers and get them to a state of mind where they were much more conﬁdent . They were more open towards people they have n’t met and this made us very happy as a group to see that our activity has made an impact . The owner of the cafe realized how storytelling have made them feel special and in a state that they felt their emotions and ideas were valued . Storytelling not only played a fundamental role in improving their communication skills but also helped them to express their ideas in a better way and build on empathy , trust and acceptance . As we all shared our stories together we came up with creative ideas . We designed workshops to make engagement between customers and workers . Additionally , as a group we wanted to make them feel special after spending weeks together so we talked to their parents and learned about their biggest dreams . After learning about them we made their biggest dreams come true by taking them to theme parks , fashion storesi factories and museums according to their preference . We wanted to start this as a local project from where we live and hope to see it spread out . It was very special for them as their long awaiting dreams have become true . Insight & Approach It was a life - changing experience for me . It made me appreciate small things in life and also what I have . In addition , this social service encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone . As we did this activity with my friends I built long lasting friendships and the people at the cafe became my second family . This activity was not only an opportunity for them to socialize but also was a huge opportunity for us as we shared our dreams and stories that made us realize many minor details in our lives that went unnoticed in busyness . It was a moment of reﬂection on things that I appreciate and value . I shared our activity with the owner of the cafe and told him to continue this with diﬀerent students from diﬀerent schools to make them feel the same emotions we felt . This little practice has made huge contribution to their life as well as ours . As students we have experienced the importance of storytelling as it created an emotional link to help us communicate better and build resilience , while they felt very special that their dreams and ideas were being valued . In short , storytellings property of taking humans to the centre endangers understanding and empathy . Design Thinking for Innovation course not only showed me how these tools can be used in entrepreneurship but also how it can be applied to such places . Also , I have learned the importance of storytelling in uniting people and sharing their ideas . I always imagine to become an entrepreneur today in social service and this course has eﬀectively showed me how to use such a signiﬁcant tool to make my dreams become real .