Reflection – Learning Launch    I do not have a challenge where I can apply this new knowledge on “live” at this time so I will  describe a challenge which I had before attending “Design Thinking for Innovation” course  and do a retrospective that, based on the knowledge gained from the course.     Challenge:   COVID-19 struck in February 2020 and there where a lock down and requirements for social  distancing at our company, just as in most other places. As time passed, we started to think  about how the returning to the office might be – would it be safe, how many people could  be at one location, how do we ensure that we could return to office in a safe way and  maintain social distance. My team, a group of eight people, was involved in the task to find a  way to do this. Could we create something that will help us plan the return in a safe way?    Selection:  The group I work in is an innovation lab which do experiments with new technologies yet  used within our company. We are familiar with and using all the four tools or methods  mentioned in the assignment - Visualization, Storytelling, Mind mapping and Learning  Launch (we use the term pilot at our company). For this challenge we used mostly  Visualization and Learning Launch1. We use Visualization as one way to create greater  understanding of the subject area and drill down into details, but in this reflection I will only  describe the way we used Learning Launch. The development of the experiment was limited  to my group’s resources, so we needed a way to continuously validate, further develop or  freeze the experiment. Learning Launch was a way for us to be able to use scarce resources  effectively. We needed users, which had limited time, to test our prototype to enable us to  quickly gain new knowledge and iterate the idea to see if it worked.     Application:  The approach we came up with after an initial ideation was to create a custom iPhone app.  As we work with fast experiments, we needed to test what functionality works for the users  and what doesn’t. We also needed to evaluate the technology solution. We created a  prototype within two weeks together with our stakeholder’s - workplace related services  and HR. We started a number of short continuous learning launches. The first learning  launch was based on an app where the users should check in manually and the app  visualised presence in the building. The prototype was more of a walking skeleton with few  features and we deployed the app to selected people in our vicinity. After looking at the  result and usage we soon realized that manual check-in was not the way to go – it was not a  user-friendly solution, the users forgot or didn’t check in and out - but the idea with an app  was still possible to further explore, so we needed automation. As my group had existed for  a couple of years, and had done quite a few technical experiments, we looked back and one  of the experiments related to near field sensors. That  experiment had been frozen, but we decided to return to  it and try the technology for this challenge.     In the next learning launch we had implemented sensors  which the app could register to a database though an API.

1 Learning Launch Tool (https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-innovation/lecture/F04r6/learning-launch-tool)

We had selected a few users on different office floors in the building. The users would  automatically be checked in while passing a sensor. We tried different kinds of sensors and  after feedback and looking at the results we found a way to designing a technical solution  with IoT beacons. The test became more effective because the users did not have to spend  time testing, just carry around their phone. We also learned that we had to put additional  check-out sensors in certain common places that people used to leave the office space to  keep correct counting.     During the third learning and final learning launch we gained feedback from users that a  planning tool also was needed. So, we created the possibility to pre-schedule planned  presence in the office building for up to two weeks, enabling users to see planned presence  and decide if it was appropriate to go to an office space a specific time. The final app was  implemented on all our colleagues work phones and is in use since late 2020.    Insight:  Learning launches - pilots2 as we call them, are very useful to try different experiments on  real users and other stakeholders. In the course I gained a more comprehensive view of  Learning Launches, at the time I hadn’t attended this course but appreciated the method as  we used it. Now I’m realizing what potential strength this tool has, especially in combination  with the other tools mentioned in the course.  Parts that we didn’t use - such as metrics  during the learning launches would be really useful. To ask questions like “Under what  circumstances would this be a bad idea”, “Will the customer buy this?” etc. could be really  valuable. I think we had some of the parts as mentioned in the course, we learned and  iterated to create a solution that could meet the goal, we did it through small, fast  experiments and a fail-fast approach and evaluated if we should continue or drop the  experiment.     Approach:  Looking back, I realize we already used lots of tools and methods within design thinking but  in a more ad-hoc manner rather than as a flow. I think that the way design thinking works is  a well thought context of things, that by themselves are useful, but when used together  makes greater impact. I would definitely use term Learning Launch going forward instead of  pilot, but with the knowledge gained now I will do them more structured and well thought  out – not in an ad-hoc manner. This goes for the other tools within design thinking as well. I  have used visualization, describing the challenge, created customer journeys etc. I have  used storytelling to sell ideas or explaining - but I have not made a challenge into a cause,  that is new to me and I find it extremely powerful and useful to drive change and gain  insights. I will definitely use design thinking and add the knowledge in this course to the  tools going forward.

2 The term pilot according to the course is more of a go-no go decision (“We prefer the term learning launch to the term pilot”, IBM Story 10.38)


Reflection – Learning Launch I do not have a challenge where I can apply this new knowledge on “ live ” at this time so I will describe a challenge which I had before attending “ Design Thinking for Innovation ” course and do a retrospective that , based on the knowledge gained from the course . Challenge : COVID-19 struck in February 2020 and there where a lock down and requirements for social distancing at our company , just as in most other places . As time passed , we started to think about how the returning to the office might be – would it be safe , how many people could be at one location , how do we ensure that we could return to office in a safe way and maintain social distance . My team , a group of eight people , was involved in the task to find a way to do this . Could we create something that will help us plan the return in a safe way ? Selection : The group I work in is an innovation lab which do experiments with new technologies yet used within our company . We are familiar with and using all the four tools or methods mentioned in the assignment - Visualization , Storytelling , Mind mapping and Learning Launch ( we use the term pilot at our company ) . For this challenge we used mostly Visualization and Learning Launch1 . We use Visualization as one way to create greater understanding of the subject area and drill down into details , but in this reflection I will only describe the way we used Learning Launch . The development of the experiment was limited to my group ’s resources , so we needed a way to continuously validate , further develop or freeze the experiment . Learning Launch was a way for us to be able to use scarce resources effectively . We needed users , which had limited time , to test our prototype to enable us to quickly gain new knowledge and iterate the idea to see if it worked . Application : The approach we came up with after an initial ideation was to create a custom iPhone app . As we work with fast experiments , we needed to test what functionality works for the users and what does n’t . We also needed to evaluate the technology solution . We created a prototype within two weeks together with our stakeholder ’s - workplace related services and HR . We started a number of short continuous learning launches . The first learning launch was based on an app where the users should check in manually and the app visualised presence in the building . The prototype was more of a walking skeleton with few features and we deployed the app to selected people in our vicinity . After looking at the result and usage we soon realized that manual check - in was not the way to go – it was not a user - friendly solution , the users forgot or did n’t check in and out - but the idea with an app was still possible to further explore , so we needed automation . As my group had existed for a couple of years , and had done quite a few technical experiments , we looked back and one of the experiments related to near field sensors . That experiment had been frozen , but we decided to return to it and try the technology for this challenge . In the next learning launch we had implemented sensors which the app could register to a database though an API . 1 Learning Launch Tool ( https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-innovation/lecture/F04r6/learning-launch-tool ) We had selected a few users on different office floors in the building . The users would automatically be checked in while passing a sensor . We tried different kinds of sensors and after feedback and looking at the results we found a way to designing a technical solution with IoT beacons . The test became more effective because the users did not have to spend time testing , just carry around their phone . We also learned that we had to put additional check - out sensors in certain common places that people used to leave the office space to keep correct counting . During the third learning and final learning launch we gained feedback from users that a planning tool also was needed . So , we created the possibility to pre - schedule planned presence in the office building for up to two weeks , enabling users to see planned presence and decide if it was appropriate to go to an office space a specific time . The final app was implemented on all our colleagues work phones and is in use since late 2020 . Insight : Learning launches - pilots2 as we call them , are very useful to try different experiments on real users and other stakeholders . In the course I gained a more comprehensive view of Learning Launches , at the time I had n’t attended this course but appreciated the method as we used it . Now I ’m realizing what potential strength this tool has , especially in combination with the other tools mentioned in the course . Parts that we did n’t use - such as metrics during the learning launches would be really useful . To ask questions like “ Under what circumstances would this be a bad idea ” , “ Will the customer buy this ? ” etc . could be really valuable . I think we had some of the parts as mentioned in the course , we learned and iterated to create a solution that could meet the goal , we did it through small , fast experiments and a fail - fast approach and evaluated if we should continue or drop the experiment . Approach : Looking back , I realize we already used lots of tools and methods within design thinking but in a more ad - hoc manner rather than as a flow . I think that the way design thinking works is a well thought context of things , that by themselves are useful , but when used together makes greater impact . I would definitely use term Learning Launch going forward instead of pilot , but with the knowledge gained now I will do them more structured and well thought out – not in an ad - hoc manner . This goes for the other tools within design thinking as well . I have used visualization , describing the challenge , created customer journeys etc . I have used storytelling to sell ideas or explaining - but I have not made a challenge into a cause , that is new to me and I find it extremely powerful and useful to drive change and gain insights . I will definitely use design thinking and add the knowledge in this course to the tools going forward . 2 The term pilot according to the course is more of a go - no go decision ( “ We prefer the term learning launch to the term pilot ” , IBM Story 10.38 )