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-­‐ 


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: 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-­‐
### Output: 