Reflection – Learning Launch

By Suliman Ansari

Challenge

During the COVID-19 crisis in the months of April- May 2021, me and my friends  currently in 12th grade, decided to help people in need due to the raging pandemic  in whatever way we could. We started very small with a team of 5-6 high school  students.  I am a founding member of a voluntary organisation,  Volunteers.Lionsgate Foundation (https://www.park-baker.com/tags/explore/blogpost.php) which along with my friends  came up specifically in the month of April 2017. Our challenge was to help as many  people as possible to find medical facilities, ICUs, oxygen cylinders, hospital beds,  medicines etc. who were distressed due to sufferings, either themselves or of their  family members. This exercise was specifically challenging as i) magnitude of the  crisis was huge, ii) we were confined to our homes due to the pandemic, iii) our  team needed to expand to reach out to more people, iv) gather real-time leads  about resources. Also, it was a time intensive requirement to be present round the  clock. Timely collection of information and its dissemination was of essence as the  cases were peaking at that time and it was distress situation.

Selection

My friends and I had been discussing about design thinking tools and how to use  them for our projects which we had been doing for our schoolwork.  With respect  to the challenges at hand, during our various brainstorming sessions, the learning  launch tool seemed to be the perfect fit because we were basically operating in  isolation from each other and the outside world and we needed to quickly ideate,  test and prototype it.  We decided to use the learning launch tool effectively for  our benefit and helping us out in the time critical challenge we were facing.

Application

Initially, the cases were being redirected to us by another voluntary organisation  who had more reach than us but very less manpower. As our first learning launch,  we decided to reach out to the patients/people in need ourselves but to succeed,  we had to focus on scaling up our operations and follow a streamlined workflow.

Our ideas were to cash-in on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram  for maximum outreach and establish an effective workflow by dividing  responsibilities to avoid redundancy and wasted effort. We were able to gather  over a hundred volunteers through social media circles. The team’s outreach  touched 15,000 accounts in two days during the peak and at that time we were  handling over 20 critical cases per day. It was initially a challenge to handle more  than 200 individuals and follow a streamlined workflow. We put our idea to test by  dividing our volunteers into set of threes, with each shift having at least a  responder, a researcher, and a verifier.

The Responders talked to people in need through social media channels and asked  for important details regarding patients. This information was transferred to our  database which researchers and verifiers could access. Researchers would then  find leads using reliable websites and resources before sending the details to the  database.  The leads were then taken up by Verifiers and verification done in real  time as requests came in, so you could be sure that you have received latest  information.

It took some time to get used to the workflow and we had to orient the volunteers  when they decided to join our group, but the wheels were turning as expected.

However, we realised that not everyone was on Facebook or Instagram. Therefore,  during our second learning launch, we branched out by setting up WhatsApp  helpline, a website, and a database of resources which we verified in real time. The  idea of the workflow with respect to the responder, researcher and verifier was  working effectively and was tested successfully in the first learning launch itself,  therefore we decided to follow the same workflow. We were able to help over  1500+ people with reliable leads about hospital beds, medicines, oxygen etc.

Insight

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified ideas, assumptions and  designed a workflow to test these assumptions. Additionally, we also learnt that  unlike our perception, as many people are not accessing social media platforms and  we needed to launch various other avenues for greater reach. Moving forward,  while attacking any more challenges, we shall utilize this insight and incorporate it  into any future launch designs. Also, other design tools such mind mapping or  storytelling could help us in our future endeavours of fund-raising for people under  financial distress for medical help.

Approach

Given that this was an unprecedented challenge, we think that out of all design  thinking activities/tools, the learning launch is the appropriate tool. As previously  mentioned, our team needs to review the insight gained from our first two  launches and incorporate this insight into future launch designs.


Reflection – Learning Launch By Suliman Ansari Challenge During the COVID-19 crisis in the months of April- May 2021 , me and my friends currently in 12th grade , decided to help people in need due to the raging pandemic in whatever way we could . We started very small with a team of 5 - 6 high school students . I am a founding member of a voluntary organisation , Volunteers . Lionsgate Foundation ( https://www.park-baker.com/tags/explore/blogpost.php ) which along with my friends came up specifically in the month of April 2017 . Our challenge was to help as many people as possible to find medical facilities , ICUs , oxygen cylinders , hospital beds , medicines etc . who were distressed due to sufferings , either themselves or of their family members . This exercise was specifically challenging as i ) magnitude of the crisis was huge , ii ) we were confined to our homes due to the pandemic , iii ) our team needed to expand to reach out to more people , iv ) gather real - time leads about resources . Also , it was a time intensive requirement to be present round the clock . Timely collection of information and its dissemination was of essence as the cases were peaking at that time and it was distress situation . Selection My friends and I had been discussing about design thinking tools and how to use them for our projects which we had been doing for our schoolwork . With respect to the challenges at hand , during our various brainstorming sessions , the learning launch tool seemed to be the perfect fit because we were basically operating in isolation from each other and the outside world and we needed to quickly ideate , test and prototype it . We decided to use the learning launch tool effectively for our benefit and helping us out in the time critical challenge we were facing . Application Initially , the cases were being redirected to us by another voluntary organisation who had more reach than us but very less manpower . As our first learning launch , we decided to reach out to the patients / people in need ourselves but to succeed , we had to focus on scaling up our operations and follow a streamlined workflow . Our ideas were to cash - in on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for maximum outreach and establish an effective workflow by dividing responsibilities to avoid redundancy and wasted effort . We were able to gather over a hundred volunteers through social media circles . The team ’s outreach touched 15,000 accounts in two days during the peak and at that time we were handling over 20 critical cases per day . It was initially a challenge to handle more than 200 individuals and follow a streamlined workflow . We put our idea to test by dividing our volunteers into set of threes , with each shift having at least a responder , a researcher , and a verifier . The Responders talked to people in need through social media channels and asked for important details regarding patients . This information was transferred to our database which researchers and verifiers could access . Researchers would then find leads using reliable websites and resources before sending the details to the database . The leads were then taken up by Verifiers and verification done in real time as requests came in , so you could be sure that you have received latest information . It took some time to get used to the workflow and we had to orient the volunteers when they decided to join our group , but the wheels were turning as expected . However , we realised that not everyone was on Facebook or Instagram . Therefore , during our second learning launch , we branched out by setting up WhatsApp helpline , a website , and a database of resources which we verified in real time . The idea of the workflow with respect to the responder , researcher and verifier was working effectively and was tested successfully in the first learning launch itself , therefore we decided to follow the same workflow . We were able to help over 1500 + people with reliable leads about hospital beds , medicines , oxygen etc . Insight By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified ideas , assumptions and designed a workflow to test these assumptions . Additionally , we also learnt that unlike our perception , as many people are not accessing social media platforms and we needed to launch various other avenues for greater reach . Moving forward , while attacking any more challenges , we shall utilize this insight and incorporate it into any future launch designs . Also , other design tools such mind mapping or storytelling could help us in our future endeavours of fund - raising for people under financial distress for medical help . Approach Given that this was an unprecedented challenge , we think that out of all design thinking activities / tools , the learning launch is the appropriate tool . As previously mentioned , our team needs to review the insight gained from our first two launches and incorporate this insight into future launch designs .