Design Thinking for Innovation: Assignment

Example Reflection – Learning Launch Tool

Challenge

A company’s numbers haven’t been great lately: productivity has been down for a while now.  In order to get to the bottom of things, the company hired my team of eight employees to  identify the problem and resolve the issue. To tackle this mission, it was clear from the  beginning that we needed to employ design thinking since the problem is human centered.  Hence, we needed to get a deeper understanding of the employees to find out what is refraining  productivity. After collecting data, we gained important insights: morale is down, employees  feel constricted in their cubicles, others want more privacy, and the long office hours wear  them out, causing decreases in creativity levels.

Selection

After identifying the problem, personas have been created to help generate ideas to solve the  problem for all the individuals in the office. We are now at the experimentation phase where  we will focus on the learning launch tool in order to quickly, and as cheaply as possible, test  our ideas.

Application

Employees are displeased with the office space organization. Even if not all agreed on what  the perfect space would look like, one thing was certain: cubicles are not working. In addition,  the fixed hours were an issue for some.

The team co-created with a few employees some possible solutions. They found that by  adopting a versatile and activity-based office space all employees would gain comfort in the  work environment: phone booth style seatings would provide the privacy some workers lack,  soft seatings would create a home-like feel which could increase productivity, large open  seating spaces would promote co-working and communication, outdoor seatings would create  a creativity boost… Moreover, by appropriating flexible working (allowing employees to work  when, where and how they want to) the company would highly increase productivity levels.

So, the learning launch had the employees work for two weeks in a rented open planned shared  work space that included different activity-based seatings that suit everyone’s tastes and  preferences. In addition, the company helped the team set up a flexible working policy that  would allow employees to have more flexible hours, ditching the 9 to 5 protocol.

Insight

Even though two weeks is a relatively short period of time, the results by the end of the learning  launch were hard to dispute. Morale was up, employees were more happy, more comfortable  and more pleased with their job in general: the hours were less restricting and all were enjoying  the new environment concept. Those psychological improvements lead to enhancing the  productivity levels.

Approach

After the satisfying outcome of the learning launch, the company chose to implement these  changes for good: so, we are currently working on perfecting an open office design and a solid  flexible working strategy.


Design Thinking for Innovation : Assignment Example Reflection – Learning Launch Tool Challenge A company ’s numbers have n’t been great lately : productivity has been down for a while now . In order to get to the bottom of things , the company hired my team of eight employees to identify the problem and resolve the issue . To tackle this mission , it was clear from the beginning that we needed to employ design thinking since the problem is human centered . Hence , we needed to get a deeper understanding of the employees to find out what is refraining productivity . After collecting data , we gained important insights : morale is down , employees feel constricted in their cubicles , others want more privacy , and the long office hours wear them out , causing decreases in creativity levels . Selection After identifying the problem , personas have been created to help generate ideas to solve the problem for all the individuals in the office . We are now at the experimentation phase where we will focus on the learning launch tool in order to quickly , and as cheaply as possible , test our ideas . Application Employees are displeased with the office space organization . Even if not all agreed on what the perfect space would look like , one thing was certain : cubicles are not working . In addition , the fixed hours were an issue for some . The team co - created with a few employees some possible solutions . They found that by adopting a versatile and activity - based office space all employees would gain comfort in the work environment : phone booth style seatings would provide the privacy some workers lack , soft seatings would create a home - like feel which could increase productivity , large open seating spaces would promote co - working and communication , outdoor seatings would create a creativity boost … Moreover , by appropriating flexible working ( allowing employees to work when , where and how they want to ) the company would highly increase productivity levels . So , the learning launch had the employees work for two weeks in a rented open planned shared work space that included different activity - based seatings that suit everyone ’s tastes and preferences . In addition , the company helped the team set up a flexible working policy that would allow employees to have more flexible hours , ditching the 9 to 5 protocol . Insight Even though two weeks is a relatively short period of time , the results by the end of the learning launch were hard to dispute . Morale was up , employees were more happy , more comfortable and more pleased with their job in general : the hours were less restricting and all were enjoying the new environment concept . Those psychological improvements lead to enhancing the productivity levels . Approach After the satisfying outcome of the learning launch , the company chose to implement these changes for good : so , we are currently working on perfecting an open office design and a solid flexible working strategy .