Project Overview: MIT Design Thinking 12 Week Course
In January 2024, I embarked on a transformative journey by enrolling in the MIT Design Thinking course. Spanning 12 weeks, this course was structured to immerse participants in the principles and practices of design thinking, equipping us with the tools to tackle complex problems through creativity and user-centric solutions.
This class explored innovation as a system using the EXPLORE CREATE IMPLEMENT design thinking framework.
Week 1:
Design Thinking Skills - Choosing our Innovation Opportunity
Innovation Opportunity: Our team proposes to reimagine the way delivery boxes are managed in a way that both improves the customer experience and our carbon footprint.
When brainstorming an innovation opportunity, we used the framework PEOPLE BUSINESS TECHNICAL.
PEOPLE: Do the people need it?
BUSINESS: Is there a viable business model behind it
TECHNICAL: Is it technically feasible.
We all brought 3-4 innovation ideas to our meeting, and after a long white boarding session, we picked one!Click to zoom in —>
Week 2:
Identify Customer Needs
In Week 2, we focused on identifying customer needs.
By conducting user interviews we were able to define our different customer types and the primary, secondary and latent needs.
Week 3:
Product Specifications & Tradeoffs
In week 3 learned about the importance of finding the optimal point between customer needs, engineering feasibility and cost. We also learned howto drill down to measurable specifications.
Week 4:
Applied Creativity
In week 4 we learned how to apply the techniques of creativity to developing solution concepts. We engaged in a brainstorming activity to figure out how we were going to solve the customer needs, and developed sketch models of our solution.
Week 5: Storyboarding & Prototyping
In week 5 we learned about creating tangible representations of ideas to explore potential solutions. We learned about different types of prototypes and when to use them. Due to the physical nature of our product, we elected to create story boards of how a in tight go instead of physical prototypes.
Week 6: Design for Goods vs Services
In week 6 we discussed how the product development life cycle is different for goods and services, and sketched out a service experience life cycle map for our project.
Week 7-10: Implementation Considerations - System level design, NPV, DFE, Product Development Life Cycle
Due to the scope of the class, weeks 7-10 taught the theory of system level design, net present value and designing for environment.
Conclusion
The Design Thinking process ensures that the solution is deeply rooted in the needs and desires of musicians and gig organizers. By empathizing with users, defining the problem clearly, ideating innovative solutions, prototyping effectively, and rigorously testing, we can create a user-centered platform that seamlessly connects musicians to gigs, enhancing the experience for both parties.
Elise Swibel
Aspiring Design Strategist