1.What is design thinking?

Design thinking is a process that aims to not only solve problems, but to solve them through gaining an understanding of the problem and testing solutions. Design thinking aims to help problem solvers understand the problem at hand by introducing the focus on context and culture. This focus allows the problem solver to complete the first step and empathize with the problem. With understanding and empathy, the problem can be accurately diagnosed and solved through the ideation, prototyping, and testing phases of the process. Design thinking is a process that involves both a scientific and artistic perspective to get a complete understanding and subsequent solution for the problem.

2. How has design thinking influenced a product I use?

Design thinking influences many products regardless of  whether the designers were aware of the process. Even in my own professional life, I can think of a few products that I have developed in precisely the same way as the design thinking process. In day to day life, we certainly encounter products every day that utilize the process. One example I can think of is my management of our company MDM. Managing the restrictions and features of the devices is a balance act that requires me to consult and put myself in the shoes of the users. With that data, I am able to determine what restrictions and features to provide to my users.

3. What are the connections between opportunities and planning?

Opportunities and planning go hand in hand. Identifying opportunities is all about knowing what you want to do and communicating that with those that you believe your idea will benefit. It is important to understand what the beneficiaries of the idea want out of the opportunity and how it can be used to best benefit them. Planning is the next step after identifying that opportunity and understanding the opportunity. Planning takes all of the information gathered and puts it into action by determining the best possible to plan to follow through on that opportunity.

4. What opportunities have I missed?

I think it is fair to say that everyone has missed opportunities. I have not had many big opportunities that I have missed. I tried to join the Air Force out of high school and after a year of working towards pursuing Cybersecurity, I was unfortunately permanently disqualified on medical grounds. This “missed” opportunity became a blessing in disguise however as I was able to secure a well paying job and I have since been pursuing my college degree in Cybersecurity. Now three years later I am in my final semester here at ODU and have multiple promising career paths to follow. 

5. Can a successful venture be unethical?

I believe that any venture has the potential to be unethical regardless of the success of that venture. Ethics are a complex subject but making ethical decisions is usually a less complex process. One of the biggest quandaries in business ethics is the gap between morality and legality. It is not immoral to intend to make a profit off of a venture, however when that becomes the only intended outcome morality can fade. These ventures can become extremely successful, but even when they are legal, the morality of the venture can be questionable or even completely unethical. For example, the popular multi-level marketing company Amway has been extremely successful over the 63 years since its founding reporting over $8.9 billion in revenue in 2019. This company has also been the subject of decades of controversies relating to all topics from predatory pay plans, price fixing, and fraud. Amway has fought off many cases alleging wrongdoing on their part, and remains a legally clear company that has never admitted any criminal fault nor has it ever been determined to be a pyramid scheme by the US court system. Legally, the company could not be determined to be unethical, but when one considers the actions and policies of the company through a moral standpoint, it is immediately clear that there are some extremely unethical red flags in the company. The company reports billions in revenue yearly, but the majority of Amway representatives rarely make any money and the majority of those that do make money only average around 65 dollars a month. The company makes money off of the recruitment process more so than the actual selling process. It is reasonable to label that practice and the overall company as unethical. While not all successful ventures are unethical, it is difficult to find a successful venture that is not stained with unethical practices.