Applying	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  to	
  a	
  real-­‐world	
  challenge	
   By	
  Manav	
  Fernandez	
   20th	
  January	
  2017	
   	
   	
   The	
  following	
  document	
  outlines	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  STORY	
  TELLING	
  towards	
  solving	
  a	
   real-­‐world	
  challenge.	
  	
   	
   Challenge	
   Tasked	
  with	
  the	
  challenge	
  of	
  trying	
  to	
  reduce	
  attrition	
  of	
  students	
  from	
  our	
   schools	
  –	
  I	
  decided	
  to	
  use	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  Methodologies	
  to	
  help	
  solve	
  the	
   problem.	
   	
   The	
  business	
  owns	
  several	
  schools	
  providing	
  education	
  in	
  the	
  K12	
  range	
  across	
   various	
  syllabi.	
  Over	
  the	
  last	
  few	
  years	
  there	
  has	
  been	
  a	
  sharp	
  escalation	
  in	
  the	
   cost	
  of	
  living	
  along	
  with	
  a	
  softening	
  in	
  the	
  local	
  economy	
  due	
  to	
  (In	
  the	
  main)	
  a	
   crash	
  in	
  the	
  price	
  of	
  oil	
  –	
  this	
  in	
  turn	
  has	
  led	
  to	
  decreased	
  job	
  security	
  and	
  an	
  all-­‐ round	
  ‘tightening	
  of	
  belts’.	
   A	
  recent	
  survey	
  showed	
  residents	
  across	
  the	
  UAE	
  said	
  their	
  expenses	
  kept	
  them	
   awake	
  at	
  night	
  –	
  rents	
  being	
  the	
  highest	
  stress	
  factor,	
  followed	
  closely	
  by	
  school	
   fees.	
   	
   This	
  problem	
  was	
  leading	
  to	
  several	
  issues	
  –	
  the	
  first	
  and	
  most	
  important	
  from	
  a	
   business	
  point	
  of	
  view,	
  was	
  the	
  attrition	
  of	
  students	
  not	
  necessarily	
  to	
  other	
   schools,	
  but	
  to	
  a	
  home-­‐schooling	
  alternative	
  and	
  in	
  some	
  extreme	
  cases	
  	
   	
   Selection	
   I	
  chose	
  ‘STORYTELLING’	
  as	
  an	
  appropriate	
  tool	
  –	
  because	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  is	
  a	
   human-­‐centric	
  set	
  of	
  processes	
  and	
  the	
  problem	
  surrounding	
  school	
  fees	
  is	
  one	
   experienced	
  by	
  our	
  parents.	
  	
   	
   The	
  idea	
  behind	
  using	
  Storytelling	
  is	
  to	
  help	
  paint	
  a	
  compelling	
  and	
  inspiring	
   picture	
  of	
  a	
  future	
  where	
  the	
  problem	
  being	
  faced	
  has	
  been	
  resolved	
  and	
   replaced	
  by	
  a	
  solution	
  that	
  is	
  utopian	
  and	
  yet	
  achievable.	
   	
   I	
  also	
  wanted	
  to	
  place	
  our	
  brand’s	
  mission	
  and	
  vision,	
  front	
  and	
  centre	
  of	
  the	
   story	
  –	
  making	
  them	
  the	
  protagonist	
  in	
  an	
  attempt	
  to	
  create	
  strong	
  and	
   meaningful	
  bonds	
  with	
  the	
  customers.	
   	
   I	
  believe	
  –	
  a	
  story	
  well	
  told	
  can	
  move	
  the	
  world.	
  Take	
  for	
  example	
  –	
  The	
  Bible	
  or	
   The	
  Koran,	
  stories	
  that	
  have	
  spanned	
  centuries	
  and	
  continents,	
  creating	
   emotions	
  so	
  powerful	
  that	
  wars	
  have	
  been	
  fought	
  and	
  countries	
  have	
  been	
   united	
  under	
  their	
  respective	
  banners.	
   	
   In	
  a	
  world	
  where	
  businesses	
  tend	
  to	
  be	
  strategic	
  and	
  rational,	
  emotions	
  evoked	
   by	
  a	
  powerful	
  storytelling,	
  bring	
  real-­‐life	
  color	
  and	
  drama	
  and	
  thereby	
  become	
   easy	
  to	
  remember.

Application	
  	
   In	
  order	
  to	
  make	
  the	
  tool	
  work	
  –	
  I	
  assigned	
  different	
  kinds	
  of	
  families	
  or	
   segments	
  to	
  various	
  colleagues.	
   Suresh	
  and	
  Smita	
  are	
  in	
  their	
  late	
  20s	
  and	
  have	
  one	
  daughter	
  –	
  Aranya	
  who	
  is	
  six	
   years	
  old.	
  Suresh	
  works	
  as	
  a	
  mid-­‐level	
  executive	
  and	
  earns	
  USD$	
  70,000/-­‐	
  per	
   year	
  while	
  Smita	
  who	
  is	
  pregnant	
  with	
  their	
  second	
  child	
  is	
  currently	
  a	
  stay-­‐at-­‐ home	
  mom.	
   	
   We	
  looked	
  at	
  John	
  and	
  Julie;	
  who	
  run	
  their	
  own	
  business	
  –	
  a	
  small	
  furniture	
   store,	
  importing	
  furniture	
  from	
  around	
  the	
  world.	
  They	
  have	
  three	
  children…	
   Timothy	
  –	
  14,	
  John	
  JR	
  –	
  11	
  and	
  Angela	
  –	
  9.	
  Their	
  family	
  income	
  is	
  USD$	
   220,000/-­‐	
  per	
  annum	
  but	
  as	
  business	
  owners	
  their	
  income	
  is	
  at	
  risk	
  in	
  the	
   current	
  economy.	
   	
   Similarly	
  we	
  created	
  several	
  profiles	
  and	
  segments,	
  mapping	
  as	
  many	
   permutations	
  and	
  combinations	
  of	
  customers	
  at	
  different	
  life-­‐stages,	
  cultural	
   background	
  and	
  income	
  levels	
  –	
  and	
  examined	
  their	
  stories	
  in	
  as	
  much	
  depth	
  as	
   possible.	
  The	
  team	
  worked	
  at	
  imagining	
  where	
  they	
  lived,	
  where	
  they	
  shopped,	
   how	
  much	
  they	
  ate	
  etc.	
  	
   	
   While	
  doing	
  this	
  we	
  tried	
  to	
  understand	
  their	
  triggers	
  and	
  motivations	
  in	
  order	
   to	
  find	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  help	
  solve	
  their	
  problem.	
   	
   Insight	
   Research	
  showed	
  that	
  most	
  parents	
  –	
  66%	
  chose	
  a	
  school	
  based	
  on	
  its	
   reputation	
  and	
  referral,	
  a	
  further	
  40%	
  chose	
  the	
  school	
  after	
  a	
  visit	
  to	
  the	
   premises	
  and	
  a	
  meeting	
  with	
  the	
  leadership	
  team.	
  Given	
  regulations	
  and	
  costs	
  –	
   it	
  isn’t	
  possible	
  to	
  reduce	
  fees	
  however	
  –	
  we	
  realized	
  it	
  would	
  be	
  possible	
  to	
   reward	
  customers	
  for

a) Referral	
   b) Length	
  of	
  tenure	
  –	
  the	
  longer	
  they	
  stayed	
  with	
  us	
  the	
  more	
  valuable	
  they

are	
  to	
  the	
  business

However	
  the	
  key	
  insight	
  was	
  that	
  we	
  have	
  a	
  large	
  customer	
  base	
  all	
  of	
  whom	
   shop	
  for	
  necessities,	
  luxuries	
  and	
  at	
  dining	
  and	
  entertainment	
  venues.	
  Instead	
  of	
   trying	
  to	
  reduce	
  fees	
  to	
  reduce	
  attrition,	
  we	
  could	
  give	
  them	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  enjoy	
  all	
   the	
  things	
  they	
  needed	
  in	
  everyday	
  life.	
   	
   As	
  a	
  solution	
  we	
  decided	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  rewards	
  program	
  by	
  partnering	
  with	
   merchants	
  across	
  the	
  country.	
  These	
  merchants	
  ranges	
  from	
  travel,	
  dining,	
   entertainment	
  venues	
  to	
  supermarkets,	
  insurance	
  providers	
  and	
  even	
  healthcare	
   brands,	
  all	
  offering	
  discounts	
  and	
  added	
  value	
  benefits	
  to	
  our	
  parents.	
   	
   Building	
  this	
  rewards	
  programme	
  into	
  our	
  narrative	
  showed	
  a	
  tremendous	
   increase	
  in	
  value	
  provided	
  to	
  our	
  students’	
  families	
  and	
  built	
  a	
  bond	
  that	
   transcended	
  the	
  transactional	
  nature	
  of	
  the	
  relationship.

We	
  were	
  able	
  to	
  tell	
  a	
  story	
  of	
  how	
  we	
  cared	
  for	
  our	
  students	
  and	
  therefore	
   found	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  give	
  back	
  to	
  them	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  enrich	
  their	
  lifestyles,	
  wallets	
  and	
   contribute	
  to	
  their	
  emotional	
  wellbeing.	
   	
   A	
  measure	
  of	
  our	
  success	
  was	
  the	
  increase	
  in	
  enquiries	
  and	
  visits	
  to	
  the	
  schools	
   and	
  the	
  number	
  of	
  referrals	
  that	
  began	
  converting	
  to	
  enrollments	
  increased	
  by	
   20%	
  in	
  just	
  the	
  first	
  six	
  months	
  of	
  the	
  programme	
  going	
  live.	
   	
   Approach	
   While	
  the	
  results	
  were	
  very	
  positive	
  –	
  I	
  would	
  do	
  one	
  key	
  thing	
  differently	
  if	
  we	
   were	
  to	
  do	
  this	
  again.	
   Due	
  to	
  a	
  lack	
  of	
  understanding	
  of	
  the	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  process	
  by	
  the	
  wider	
   organization	
  we	
  chose	
  to	
  restrict	
  the	
  process	
  to	
  the	
  marketing	
  team.	
  I	
  would	
  look	
   to	
  including	
  more	
  stakeholders	
  –	
  especially	
  the	
  parents	
  and	
  principals	
  from	
   various	
  schools	
  to	
  participate	
  in	
  the	
  process.	
  This	
  may	
  have	
  led	
  to	
  us	
  finding	
  the	
   insight	
  much	
  faster	
  and	
  given	
  ownership	
  of	
  the	
  story	
  to	
  key	
  actors.	
  	
   	
   Another	
  possible	
  approach	
  would	
  have	
  been	
  to	
  use	
  ‘mind-­‐mapping’	
  as	
  it	
  may	
   have	
  led	
  us	
  to	
  a	
  more	
  expansive	
  way	
  of	
  thinking	
  and	
  therefore	
  could	
  have	
   possibly	
  generated	
  more	
  creative	
  ways	
  to	
  help	
  solve	
  the	
  problem.	
   	
   -­‐end-­‐


Applying Design Thinking to a real-­‐world challenge By Manav Fernandez 20th January 2017 The following document outlines the use of STORY TELLING towards solving a real-­‐world challenge . Challenge Tasked with the challenge of trying to reduce attrition of students from our schools – I decided to use Design Thinking Methodologies to help solve the problem . The business owns several schools providing education in the K12 range across various syllabi . Over the last few years there has been a sharp escalation in the cost of living along with a softening in the local economy due to ( In the main ) a crash in the price of oil – this in turn has led to decreased job security and an all-­‐ round ‘ tightening of belts ’ . A recent survey showed residents across the UAE said their expenses kept them awake at night – rents being the highest stress factor , followed closely by school fees . This problem was leading to several issues – the first and most important from a business point of view , was the attrition of students not necessarily to other schools , but to a home-­‐schooling alternative and in some extreme cases Selection I chose ‘ STORYTELLING ’ as an appropriate tool – because Design Thinking is a human-­‐centric set of processes and the problem surrounding school fees is one experienced by our parents . The idea behind using Storytelling is to help paint a compelling and inspiring picture of a future where the problem being faced has been resolved and replaced by a solution that is utopian and yet achievable . I also wanted to place our brand ’s mission and vision , front and centre of the story – making them the protagonist in an attempt to create strong and meaningful bonds with the customers . I believe – a story well told can move the world . Take for example – The Bible or The Koran , stories that have spanned centuries and continents , creating emotions so powerful that wars have been fought and countries have been united under their respective banners . In a world where businesses tend to be strategic and rational , emotions evoked by a powerful storytelling , bring real-­‐life color and drama and thereby become easy to remember . Application In order to make the tool work – I assigned different kinds of families or segments to various colleagues . Suresh and Smita are in their late 20s and have one daughter – Aranya who is six years old . Suresh works as a mid-­‐level executive and earns USD$ 70,000/-­‐ per year while Smita who is pregnant with their second child is currently a stay-­‐at-­‐ home mom . We looked at John and Julie ; who run their own business – a small furniture store , importing furniture from around the world . They have three children … Timothy – 14 , John JR – 11 and Angela – 9 . Their family income is USD$ 220,000/-­‐ per annum but as business owners their income is at risk in the current economy . Similarly we created several profiles and segments , mapping as many permutations and combinations of customers at different life-­‐stages , cultural background and income levels – and examined their stories in as much depth as possible . The team worked at imagining where they lived , where they shopped , how much they ate etc . While doing this we tried to understand their triggers and motivations in order to find a way to help solve their problem . Insight Research showed that most parents – 66 % chose a school based on its reputation and referral , a further 40 % chose the school after a visit to the premises and a meeting with the leadership team . Given regulations and costs – it is n’t possible to reduce fees however – we realized it would be possible to reward customers for a ) Referral b ) Length of tenure – the longer they stayed with us the more valuable they are to the business However the key insight was that we have a large customer base all of whom shop for necessities , luxuries and at dining and entertainment venues . Instead of trying to reduce fees to reduce attrition , we could give them a way to enjoy all the things they needed in everyday life . As a solution we decided to create a rewards program by partnering with merchants across the country . These merchants ranges from travel , dining , entertainment venues to supermarkets , insurance providers and even healthcare brands , all offering discounts and added value benefits to our parents . Building this rewards programme into our narrative showed a tremendous increase in value provided to our students ’ families and built a bond that transcended the transactional nature of the relationship . We were able to tell a story of how we cared for our students and therefore found a way to give back to them in order to enrich their lifestyles , wallets and contribute to their emotional wellbeing . A measure of our success was the increase in enquiries and visits to the schools and the number of referrals that began converting to enrollments increased by 20 % in just the first six months of the programme going live . Approach While the results were very positive – I would do one key thing differently if we were to do this again . Due to a lack of understanding of the Design Thinking process by the wider organization we chose to restrict the process to the marketing team . I would look to including more stakeholders – especially the parents and principals from various schools to participate in the process . This may have led to us finding the insight much faster and given ownership of the story to key actors . Another possible approach would have been to use ‘ mind-­‐mapping ’ as it may have led us to a more expansive way of thinking and therefore could have possibly generated more creative ways to help solve the problem . -­‐end-­‐