Challenge 

 I was an external partner of a stock company that would launch an updated version   of its online trading platform . The challenges were to investigate the company ’s   customers ’ needs and to improve the “ feels - like ” of the trading platform , so as to   increase the number of members of the updated platform and moreover company ’s   share in the online trading stock market . 

 The team of this project was composed by fifteen members . The team included   financial analysts , IT design experts and employees from company ’s online   marketing department . The available resources from company ’s side were limited ,   since its employees should at the same time serve the existing customers and   participate in the development of the new platform . Fortunately , the employees of the   external partner were fully dedicated to the project and thus the timeframe of six   months that we had , till the launch of the new platform , was feasible . 

 Our main concern was to discover customers ’ needs and the most effective and   appropriate ways to serve them . Also , we had to design a user friendly trading   platform . 

 Selection 

 We have selected the learning launch design thinking tool , since it is a methodology   for testing quick and with low cost an idea and prototyping . This tool could be   described as a learning experiment that is conducted quickly and inexpensively to   gather reliable data from the appropriate market place . We believed that with the   selection of this tool , we would gather data from a sufficient sample of company ’s   existing customers , that would lead us to the right conclusions . 

 Application 

 The first challenge that we had to face was to investigate the customers ’ needs . With   the use of learning launch tool , we tested our assumption that the existing trading   platform was outdated and did not cover effectively the customers ’ needs . Our team   in cooperation with the company prepared a questionnaire , which was sent to the   whole company ’s existing clientele . In addition , we conducted a survey to online   financial newspapers and magazines and internet sites , so as to discover the needs   of potential customers . Moreover , we asked the company ’s salespersons to complete   this questionnaire , since they have a personal relationship with customers and know   very well what the Market wants . The questionnaire included demographic questions   and questions about the trading products , the variety , the commissions that   customers were willing to pay and the gains/ losses that they were willing to accept   from their investments . The surveys were conducted within a one - month timeframe   and had as a prize ten free subscriptions in the updated platform for one year . 

 The second challenge that we had to face was to improve the “ feels - like ” of the   trading platform , that is to design a user friendly trading platform . More specifically ,   we used the learning launch tool so as to test our assumption that the environment of   the platform was complicated and required a good knowledge of the products and the   Market . Our team members searched a lot in the Internet for similar successful   trading platforms and became members to them . As we used these platforms , we 

 discovered what we did and did not like and what was and was not efficient in their   environment . From our experience , we obtained a completed view of what we   wanted to be included in the updated platform and we started prototyping .   Furthermore , we conducted some meetings with the company , so as to understand   how the company had thought about the environment of the new platform and if our   prototype was feasible with the limited available resources . Finally , we have   concluded to a prototype and we launched a demo version of the new platform . To   this demo version only the company ’s employees and some “ good ” customers had   access , so as to test it and submit their proposals for improvements . 

 Insight 

 With the use of learning launch tool , we ended up with our assumptions and through   the learning experiments that we conducted we tested these assumptions . More   specifically , with the surveys that we ran and the research that we made , we have   confirmed the accuracy of our original assumptions and we managed to design an   efficient prototype of the trading platform . With the use of the demo version of the   platform and the improvement recommendations that we received from the test   users , we ended up with the final full version of the trading platform . Through this   methodology we designed an efficient platform , within the minimum timeframe and   with the minimum cost , and we minimized any potential future losses . 

 Approach 

 I believe that the learning launch was the most appropriate design thinking tool ,   based on the challenges that we had to face . As it is already mentioned , our original   assumptions were accurate and the gained insight was reflected in the demo version   and in the final full version of the updated trading platform , that was launched from   the company . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Challenge 

 I was an external partner of a stock company that would launch an updated version   of its online trading platform . The challenges were to investigate the company ’s   customers ’ needs and to improve the “ feels - like ” of the trading platform , so as to   increase the number of members of the updated platform and moreover company ’s   share in the online trading stock market . 

 The team of this project was composed by fifteen members . The team included   financial analysts , IT design experts and employees from company ’s online   marketing department . The available resources from company ’s side were limited ,   since its employees should at the same time serve the existing customers and   participate in the development of the new platform . Fortunately , the employees of the   external partner were fully dedicated to the project and thus the timeframe of six   months that we had , till the launch of the new platform , was feasible . 

 Our main concern was to discover customers ’ needs and the most effective and   appropriate ways to serve them . Also , we had to design a user friendly trading   platform . 

 Selection 

 We have selected the learning launch design thinking tool , since it is a methodology   for testing quick and with low cost an idea and prototyping . This tool could be   described as a learning experiment that is conducted quickly and inexpensively to   gather reliable data from the appropriate market place . We believed that with the   selection of this tool , we would gather data from a sufficient sample of company ’s   existing customers , that would lead us to the right conclusions . 

 Application 

 The first challenge that we had to face was to investigate the customers ’ needs . With   the use of learning launch tool , we tested our assumption that the existing trading   platform was outdated and did not cover effectively the customers ’ needs . Our team   in cooperation with the company prepared a questionnaire , which was sent to the   whole company ’s existing clientele . In addition , we conducted a survey to online   financial newspapers and magazines and internet sites , so as to discover the needs   of potential customers . Moreover , we asked the company ’s salespersons to complete   this questionnaire , since they have a personal relationship with customers and know   very well what the Market wants . The questionnaire included demographic questions   and questions about the trading products , the variety , the commissions that   customers were willing to pay and the gains/ losses that they were willing to accept   from their investments . The surveys were conducted within a one - month timeframe   and had as a prize ten free subscriptions in the updated platform for one year . 

 The second challenge that we had to face was to improve the “ feels - like ” of the   trading platform , that is to design a user friendly trading platform . More specifically ,   we used the learning launch tool so as to test our assumption that the environment of   the platform was complicated and required a good knowledge of the products and the   Market . Our team members searched a lot in the Internet for similar successful   trading platforms and became members to them . As we used these platforms , we 

 discovered what we did and did not like and what was and was not efficient in their   environment . From our experience , we obtained a completed view of what we   wanted to be included in the updated platform and we started prototyping .   Furthermore , we conducted some meetings with the company , so as to understand   how the company had thought about the environment of the new platform and if our   prototype was feasible with the limited available resources . Finally , we have   concluded to a prototype and we launched a demo version of the new platform . To   this demo version only the company ’s employees and some “ good ” customers had   access , so as to test it and submit their proposals for improvements . 

 Insight 

 With the use of learning launch tool , we ended up with our assumptions and through   the learning experiments that we conducted we tested these assumptions . More   specifically , with the surveys that we ran and the research that we made , we have   confirmed the accuracy of our original assumptions and we managed to design an   efficient prototype of the trading platform . With the use of the demo version of the   platform and the improvement recommendations that we received from the test   users , we ended up with the final full version of the trading platform . Through this   methodology we designed an efficient platform , within the minimum timeframe and   with the minimum cost , and we minimized any potential future losses . 

 Approach 

 I believe that the learning launch was the most appropriate design thinking tool ,   based on the challenges that we had to face . As it is already mentioned , our original   assumptions were accurate and the gained insight was reflected in the demo version   and in the final full version of the updated trading platform , that was launched from   the company .
### Output: 