How I applied Design Thinking : An approach to problem solving in a human   centric way in my MBA competition . 

 Problem statement of the competition : How do we make water conservation efforts   sustainable over a long period of time ? 

 The story is about the competition I participated in and applied the principles of design   thinking in order to find out a solution for water conservation which would be sustained   over a long time .   Here , I am trying to reflect on my experience of this competition on the   basis of the methodology and tools explained in this course . 

 Some of the references that I could relate with are as mentioned below : 

 • What is ? ( Primary research , Empathise and Define phase )   • What if ? ( Secondary Research , Ideate Phase )   • What Wows ? ( Ideate and Prototype phase )   • What Works ? ( Prototype and Test phase ) 

 A methodology to think in a human centric , possibility driven and iterative way 

 Well , have you ever heard of VUCA ? ( Volatile , uncertain , complex and ambiguous ) . That ’s   how today ’s world looks like , where the problems are neither known nor defined . Einstein   had said “ We can not solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created   them . ” The world has become increasingly interconnected and complex and in order to   grapple with the rapid changes happening in the environment and behaviour , design   thinking is one way to look at them in a human centric way . ( Reference : Uncertain times ,   wicked problems ) 

 The problem at hand : 

 The challenge we had was about finding out a way to make water conservation efforts   sustained over a long period in both rural and urban parts of India where there were   drought like situations .   The organisation which held this competition , had a solution called   “ Water ATMs ” which was to provide affordable drinking water to all . These ATMs were   running on some water sources but over the time , they were not being sustained . There   were sources of water , there were mechanisms to preserve , reserve and conserve them but   these efforts were not sustaining for a long time . We were supposed to identify what is it   that is at the core which is making the efforts discontinuous ? What are the users of the   water resources really in need of by following the design thinking approach and formulate a   solution to this issue . 

 Design thinking is applicable to above problem because : 

 • Understanding of the actual people of water resources who were supposed to 

 conservation efforts is required 

 • We need to explore and get agreement from all stakeholders like villagers , NGOs , 

 Government etc . 

 • Past data is unlikely to help us as it is for long time sustainability . 

 • Little existing data is available to analyse . 

 Selection of Tools : 

 As the competition was based on application of design thinking itself , as per my   understanding , we have applied almost all of the tools mentioned in this course while   working on this four round competition . I have described how these tools are applied in the   phases of my application of design thinking in the competition . 

 When I went to understand the actual situation of farmers and users of water ATM , I did   follow Journey mapping of entire water conservation and delivery cycle . Tried   understanding value chain and various stakeholders involved through my field visits . 

 The further phases also involved lot of research of the whole village ecosystem , people   dynamics and socio - economic conditions to unearth the unspoken needs of the users this   required brainstorming , mind mapping and so on … 

 Finally , we also applied ideation and prototyping phase to see what wows ? And what   works ? 

 These tools are : 

 Journey mapping , Value chain analysis , Mind mapping , Brain storming , concept   development , assumption testing , rapid prototyping , customer co - creation , Learning launch . 

 Application 

 The five magical principles of Design thinking : 

 The design thinking approach is built in five stages not necessarily in any sequence rather   they can go parallel . The ultimate goal is to arrive at the solution which is innovative ,   creative and closest to meet the needs of the user .   This approach involves real people   connect , understanding them , feeling their life by being in their shoes , understanding the   values and beliefs which would help us derive insights , lot of brain storming , creativity and   innovation . These stages are as mentioned below : 

 1 . Empathise ( Primary research , Understanding users and the situation : What is ? : 

 Journey mapping , Value chain analysis , ethnography , field visits , unstructured   interviews , focused group discussions )   The first step in design thinking approach is empathising . So , in order to understand the   situation on ground , I went to interact with farmers in Latur , India which is a water   scarce region . Empathising means you try to be in the shoes of users . Observe them ,   listen to their thoughts , stories , experiences , feelings , emotions and figure out what are   the values and beliefs underneath them . I went into the farms , into their homes , had   casual conversations also tried understanding the dynamics of the village , met with the   dignitaries and tried understanding social ecosystem , power dynamics , and hierarchies .   Farmers were overwhelmed when they shared their experiences of facing drought ,   managing debts , shortage of water etc . When I visited some of the water conservation   sites in the nearby farms , they proudly told me stories of how they took part in 

 constructing it , the situation before it and how it changed their life . We derived   emerging themes out of the data gathered . Empathising helped us in understanding   what the farmers were in need of , what they want , how they behave , feel and think ,   why they demonstrate such behaviour . 

 2 . Define ( Secondary research , Understanding users and the situation : What is ? : 

 Brainstorming , Mind Mapping Assumption testing , Triangulation ) 

 Then came the defining phase , all of us as a team who participated , sat together to discuss   the emerging themes we derived . The values and beliefs of the farmers and we tried   narrowing down the challenge into nitty grit ties of what they want .   In order to substantiate   the on ground visits , we also did extensive secondary research about the geography , history ,   social - political structures , government policies and schemes . We also visited some of the   NGOs operating in that region , who took part in community initiatives for constructing   water conservation sites . All these perspectives helped us in understanding the ecosystem   of farmers better and better . We were able to understand their needs .   What is it that is   coming across while sustaining the conservation bodies ? This question was giving us broad   line areas to focus on . So based on the insights of qualitative and quantitative data , we   defined our problem statement under three sub categories . 

 3 . Ideate ( What wows ? : Visualisation , Assumption testing , Brain storming , concept 

 development ) 

 Here we go in the most exciting stage ! Generating ideas of what can be done ? We sat   together with sticky notes , sketch pens , card board and pins to set ourselves ready for   an Ideathon !   We picked up each theme of the problem statement and the timer was   made on for 10 mins . All of us started jotting down our ideas about what can be done in   order to fulfil the needs of the user . Here the focus was not on quality but quantity . We   were not supposed to think whether this is the best possible idea ? Whether it will work   or not ? Just jot it down ! We did it . We conducted three rounds for the three themes of   problem statement and yeah the card board was full of colourful sticky notes and ideas . 

 4 . Prototype ( What wows ? and what works ? : Brainstorming , Learning launch , Rapid 

 prototyping ) 

 Now this was the stage to make our hands dirty . Out of the ideas that we gathered we   did triangulation and could arrive at a solution which needed to be organic in nature .   The reason why water conservation bodies were not being sustained by the farmers for   longer period was because they were never part of it . They did n’t know how and why it   is going to be helpful for them and even if they knew there was n’t a constant motivation   to sustain that benefit . Hence after iterative discussions with many stakeholders we   decided to finalise Co - operative model for water conservation bodies . This was a   complete community driven structure where in right from the planning till the daily   maintenance of the water conservation structures , everything was to be done by the   farmers in a complete democratic and organic way . The partnership was between   farmers and NGOs or the organisations looking forward to help them through any 

 means . We formulated the model . We listed rules and regulations governing its   functionalities and the ways in which this partnership can be mutually beneficial . We   ensured that there is a monetary income being derived and distributed across all the   stakeholders in a fair and transparent manner . This completes the prototyping . 

 5 . Test ( What wows and what works ? : Customer co - creation , learning launch , Rapid 

 prototyping )   The last but not the least was the phase of testing our prototype . We had a little   challenge in testing as ours was a solution to the system and it needed lot of time to   actually implement , test whole of it with real people .   What we could do was to discuss   our plan with the stakeholders and understand their perspective of what they feel about   it . Now in design thinking way , the cycle goes on in iteration , we take feedback from the   users , see how the acceptance for the solution is and make the changes accordingly . 

 None the less , it was all fun and lot of learning all through , enriching in every sense . 

 Insights : 

 • I understood how design thinking approach is best suited to resolve the issues of 

 uncertain times ( VUCA world ) 

 • I understood how , every idea counts , and how we can positively leverage the 

 individual differences in the phase of ideation and co - creation . 

 • It helped me understand how small solutions and Learning launches help us fail 

 early , learn and improve quickly to meet the exact design we desired of . 


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: How I applied Design Thinking : An approach to problem solving in a human   centric way in my MBA competition . 

 Problem statement of the competition : How do we make water conservation efforts   sustainable over a long period of time ? 

 The story is about the competition I participated in and applied the principles of design   thinking in order to find out a solution for water conservation which would be sustained   over a long time .   Here , I am trying to reflect on my experience of this competition on the   basis of the methodology and tools explained in this course . 

 Some of the references that I could relate with are as mentioned below : 

 • What is ? ( Primary research , Empathise and Define phase )   • What if ? ( Secondary Research , Ideate Phase )   • What Wows ? ( Ideate and Prototype phase )   • What Works ? ( Prototype and Test phase ) 

 A methodology to think in a human centric , possibility driven and iterative way 

 Well , have you ever heard of VUCA ? ( Volatile , uncertain , complex and ambiguous ) . That ’s   how today ’s world looks like , where the problems are neither known nor defined . Einstein   had said “ We can not solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created   them . ” The world has become increasingly interconnected and complex and in order to   grapple with the rapid changes happening in the environment and behaviour , design   thinking is one way to look at them in a human centric way . ( Reference : Uncertain times ,   wicked problems ) 

 The problem at hand : 

 The challenge we had was about finding out a way to make water conservation efforts   sustained over a long period in both rural and urban parts of India where there were   drought like situations .   The organisation which held this competition , had a solution called   “ Water ATMs ” which was to provide affordable drinking water to all . These ATMs were   running on some water sources but over the time , they were not being sustained . There   were sources of water , there were mechanisms to preserve , reserve and conserve them but   these efforts were not sustaining for a long time . We were supposed to identify what is it   that is at the core which is making the efforts discontinuous ? What are the users of the   water resources really in need of by following the design thinking approach and formulate a   solution to this issue . 

 Design thinking is applicable to above problem because : 

 • Understanding of the actual people of water resources who were supposed to 

 conservation efforts is required 

 • We need to explore and get agreement from all stakeholders like villagers , NGOs , 

 Government etc . 

 • Past data is unlikely to help us as it is for long time sustainability . 

 • Little existing data is available to analyse . 

 Selection of Tools : 

 As the competition was based on application of design thinking itself , as per my   understanding , we have applied almost all of the tools mentioned in this course while   working on this four round competition . I have described how these tools are applied in the   phases of my application of design thinking in the competition . 

 When I went to understand the actual situation of farmers and users of water ATM , I did   follow Journey mapping of entire water conservation and delivery cycle . Tried   understanding value chain and various stakeholders involved through my field visits . 

 The further phases also involved lot of research of the whole village ecosystem , people   dynamics and socio - economic conditions to unearth the unspoken needs of the users this   required brainstorming , mind mapping and so on … 

 Finally , we also applied ideation and prototyping phase to see what wows ? And what   works ? 

 These tools are : 

 Journey mapping , Value chain analysis , Mind mapping , Brain storming , concept   development , assumption testing , rapid prototyping , customer co - creation , Learning launch . 

 Application 

 The five magical principles of Design thinking : 

 The design thinking approach is built in five stages not necessarily in any sequence rather   they can go parallel . The ultimate goal is to arrive at the solution which is innovative ,   creative and closest to meet the needs of the user .   This approach involves real people   connect , understanding them , feeling their life by being in their shoes , understanding the   values and beliefs which would help us derive insights , lot of brain storming , creativity and   innovation . These stages are as mentioned below : 

 1 . Empathise ( Primary research , Understanding users and the situation : What is ? : 

 Journey mapping , Value chain analysis , ethnography , field visits , unstructured   interviews , focused group discussions )   The first step in design thinking approach is empathising . So , in order to understand the   situation on ground , I went to interact with farmers in Latur , India which is a water   scarce region . Empathising means you try to be in the shoes of users . Observe them ,   listen to their thoughts , stories , experiences , feelings , emotions and figure out what are   the values and beliefs underneath them . I went into the farms , into their homes , had   casual conversations also tried understanding the dynamics of the village , met with the   dignitaries and tried understanding social ecosystem , power dynamics , and hierarchies .   Farmers were overwhelmed when they shared their experiences of facing drought ,   managing debts , shortage of water etc . When I visited some of the water conservation   sites in the nearby farms , they proudly told me stories of how they took part in 

 constructing it , the situation before it and how it changed their life . We derived   emerging themes out of the data gathered . Empathising helped us in understanding   what the farmers were in need of , what they want , how they behave , feel and think ,   why they demonstrate such behaviour . 

 2 . Define ( Secondary research , Understanding users and the situation : What is ? : 

 Brainstorming , Mind Mapping Assumption testing , Triangulation ) 

 Then came the defining phase , all of us as a team who participated , sat together to discuss   the emerging themes we derived . The values and beliefs of the farmers and we tried   narrowing down the challenge into nitty grit ties of what they want .   In order to substantiate   the on ground visits , we also did extensive secondary research about the geography , history ,   social - political structures , government policies and schemes . We also visited some of the   NGOs operating in that region , who took part in community initiatives for constructing   water conservation sites . All these perspectives helped us in understanding the ecosystem   of farmers better and better . We were able to understand their needs .   What is it that is   coming across while sustaining the conservation bodies ? This question was giving us broad   line areas to focus on . So based on the insights of qualitative and quantitative data , we   defined our problem statement under three sub categories . 

 3 . Ideate ( What wows ? : Visualisation , Assumption testing , Brain storming , concept 

 development ) 

 Here we go in the most exciting stage ! Generating ideas of what can be done ? We sat   together with sticky notes , sketch pens , card board and pins to set ourselves ready for   an Ideathon !   We picked up each theme of the problem statement and the timer was   made on for 10 mins . All of us started jotting down our ideas about what can be done in   order to fulfil the needs of the user . Here the focus was not on quality but quantity . We   were not supposed to think whether this is the best possible idea ? Whether it will work   or not ? Just jot it down ! We did it . We conducted three rounds for the three themes of   problem statement and yeah the card board was full of colourful sticky notes and ideas . 

 4 . Prototype ( What wows ? and what works ? : Brainstorming , Learning launch , Rapid 

 prototyping ) 

 Now this was the stage to make our hands dirty . Out of the ideas that we gathered we   did triangulation and could arrive at a solution which needed to be organic in nature .   The reason why water conservation bodies were not being sustained by the farmers for   longer period was because they were never part of it . They did n’t know how and why it   is going to be helpful for them and even if they knew there was n’t a constant motivation   to sustain that benefit . Hence after iterative discussions with many stakeholders we   decided to finalise Co - operative model for water conservation bodies . This was a   complete community driven structure where in right from the planning till the daily   maintenance of the water conservation structures , everything was to be done by the   farmers in a complete democratic and organic way . The partnership was between   farmers and NGOs or the organisations looking forward to help them through any 

 means . We formulated the model . We listed rules and regulations governing its   functionalities and the ways in which this partnership can be mutually beneficial . We   ensured that there is a monetary income being derived and distributed across all the   stakeholders in a fair and transparent manner . This completes the prototyping . 

 5 . Test ( What wows and what works ? : Customer co - creation , learning launch , Rapid 

 prototyping )   The last but not the least was the phase of testing our prototype . We had a little   challenge in testing as ours was a solution to the system and it needed lot of time to   actually implement , test whole of it with real people .   What we could do was to discuss   our plan with the stakeholders and understand their perspective of what they feel about   it . Now in design thinking way , the cycle goes on in iteration , we take feedback from the   users , see how the acceptance for the solution is and make the changes accordingly . 

 None the less , it was all fun and lot of learning all through , enriching in every sense . 

 Insights : 

 • I understood how design thinking approach is best suited to resolve the issues of 

 uncertain times ( VUCA world ) 

 • I understood how , every idea counts , and how we can positively leverage the 

 individual differences in the phase of ideation and co - creation . 

 • It helped me understand how small solutions and Learning launches help us fail 

 early , learn and improve quickly to meet the exact design we desired of .
### Output: 