Learning Launch

1. Challenge.

I am a member of a student social organisation and for a while we were working on a social project in order to help senior citizens with purchases (such as groceries, drugstore and pharmacy) in the form of a monthly subscription. My own challenge was to research and to find the best form of making an order for seniors and our workers. The project is limited to internal resources as budget and employee time. The problem I have faced was a deficiency of data, because there was no analog on the market, only similar businesses such as food and grocery delivery. So we needed to adapt it to our target group (seniors) and to a new form (subscription/pre order)

2. Selection.

In my opinion, design thinking is one of the most important tools on the way to the unknown. The purpose is to learn, to test and to find the mistakes as early as possible. How we have been told in the course: “Fail early to succeed sooner”. Since it was an innovative project it was necessary to test it and see if it works successfully and engage the customers quickly.

3. Application

So firstly we asked ourselves: “What do we know? What do we not know?  What do we need to know?  How do we learn what we need to know?” We knew that buying groceries and primary necessities is often too problematically for seniors. There is always a list of products that we buy every month, that are basic needs for a human: as toilet paper, household goods  and there is a list of food as well. It’s hard for old people to keep in mind all the list and to bring all that heavy stuff home. Especially during the pandemic it was preferable for seniours to avoid crowded places. What we didn’t know is if these people would be interested and would trust buying essential needs to someone they don’t, we also didn’t know how would it be more understandable and comfortable for seniors to make the order and to receive it. The only way to find the answers was to find the people from our target group and suggest to try our service.

So on our first teem meeting we came up with many ideas and picked a few good ones to offer to our future consumers. Firstly we found our possible customers according to the age, living area and interests. Within a maximum one week we made a test version of an app with a list of products and we also did a paper option for those who can’t deal with the technique easily. In our second meeting we were about to start testing our versions and we set the goal: to find all the fails and disconfirming facts during the testing.

4. Insight

The most important Insight i gained is the understanding of the importance of fails. By applying the learning launch tool we received a lot of feedback, new ideas and changes, we adapted the product to the customers and the market. The purpose was to find as many mistakes and disconfirming facts as possible. The product can’t be perfect and we need to find the “Big lies” to succeed.

After the first testing we changed our offer from only a monthly subscription, by adding also a weekly, according to the needs of customers.  We stayed with both: online and paper version of the order list. We changed our focus to drogeries, household goods and non-perishable food.

Learning Launch

During the testing customers found it helpful and shared it with their friends. After the testing we received more orders and even people who were also interested in such a business but in the other parts of the city. So we generated interest before the actual start of business.

5. Approach

As previously mentioned through the learning process we got to improve our idea and adopted it to the customers and market . Applying design thinking tools our teem got answersMoving forward our business we will be definitely using a learning launch to track and analyse the working process, and to come to innovative ideas. We will cycle it through continuously, to develop a better idea for the future


Learning Launch 1 . Challenge . I am a member of a student social organisation and for a while we were working on a social project in order to help senior citizens with purchases ( such as groceries , drugstore and pharmacy ) in the form of a monthly subscription . My own challenge was to research and to find the best form of making an order for seniors and our workers . The project is limited to internal resources as budget and employee time . The problem I have faced was a deficiency of data , because there was no analog on the market , only similar businesses such as food and grocery delivery . So we needed to adapt it to our target group ( seniors ) and to a new form ( subscription / pre order ) 2 . Selection . In my opinion , design thinking is one of the most important tools on the way to the unknown . The purpose is to learn , to test and to find the mistakes as early as possible . How we have been told in the course : “ Fail early to succeed sooner ” . Since it was an innovative project it was necessary to test it and see if it works successfully and engage the customers quickly . 3 . Application So firstly we asked ourselves : “ What do we know ? What do we not know ? What do we need to know ? How do we learn what we need to know ? ” We knew that buying groceries and primary necessities is often too problematically for seniors . There is always a list of products that we buy every month , that are basic needs for a human : as toilet paper , household goods and there is a list of food as well . It ’s hard for old people to keep in mind all the list and to bring all that heavy stuff home . Especially during the pandemic it was preferable for seniours to avoid crowded places . What we did n’t know is if these people would be interested and would trust buying essential needs to someone they do n’t , we also did n’t know how would it be more understandable and comfortable for seniors to make the order and to receive it . The only way to find the answers was to find the people from our target group and suggest to try our service . So on our first teem meeting we came up with many ideas and picked a few good ones to offer to our future consumers . Firstly we found our possible customers according to the age , living area and interests . Within a maximum one week we made a test version of an app with a list of products and we also did a paper option for those who ca n’t deal with the technique easily . In our second meeting we were about to start testing our versions and we set the goal : to find all the fails and disconfirming facts during the testing . 4 . Insight The most important Insight i gained is the understanding of the importance of fails . By applying the learning launch tool we received a lot of feedback , new ideas and changes , we adapted the product to the customers and the market . The purpose was to find as many mistakes and disconfirming facts as possible . The product ca n’t be perfect and we need to find the “ Big lies ” to succeed . After the first testing we changed our offer from only a monthly subscription , by adding also a weekly , according to the needs of customers . We stayed with both : online and paper version of the order list . We changed our focus to drogeries , household goods and non - perishable food . Learning Launch During the testing customers found it helpful and shared it with their friends . After the testing we received more orders and even people who were also interested in such a business but in the other parts of the city . So we generated interest before the actual start of business . 5 . Approach As previously mentioned through the learning process we got to improve our idea and adopted it to the customers and market . Applying design thinking tools our teem got answersMoving forward our business we will be definitely using a learning launch to track and analyse the working process , and to come to innovative ideas . We will cycle it through continuously , to develop a better idea for the future