| Week 2 1. What is design thinking? Design thinking is a way of handling problems. It begins with someone or something having a problem and our desire to fix the problem. Once an understanding is reached, begin to brainstorm ideas. Don’t just go with the first thing you think of, but also avoid paralysis by over analysis. The different ideas will have different strengths and weaknesses. Make a selection with the strengths you like and begin to create the solution and put in place. Finally, the solution should be tested in a real example and feedback should be given. I think an example of design thinking would be adding a step above the power-box on the way down from CIWS, a room only accessible by the ladder. All of the engineers like to step on the box. I use design thinking a lot when I play Magic the Gathering and I am building a deck. In order to play proactively and anticipate, I have to understand what my opponents will use and how they begin to gain advantage. Then I must adjust my cards and the sequence to gain the most advantage. Deck-testing could be considered prototyping because deck-testing is using a version of your idea against an opponent. The deck-testing could also be considered a usability test. The Validation with a human factor is making a verdict on which list of cards to play ( you only get to use 60 and there are 100’s!) and winning games against other powerful decks. 2. How has design thinking influenced a product I use?One of the most popular ways to play magic is to draft a deck by opening booster packs with your friends. Magic the Gathering involves design thinking when the creators decide which words to print on each card, what rarity each card should be, what color cost each card should have, and ultimately is the card fun to play with AND against. The game of MTG is played with cards that are divided into 5 colors. Each card is purchased in a booster pack that contains 15 cards, but the cards in the pack are not purely random. The pack is guaranteed to contain a card of At least Rare or better, AND 2 cards of at least uncommon or better. The makers of the game have to keep all of this in mind, and more when thinking of new card ideas. The ideas are then tested in private research by talented players who are seeking to come up with the best strategies and combos. Sometimes even the creators don’t realize all of the possibilities until the cards have already been printed! But the cards are chosen and finally released to the public for nerds like me to have fun. |
| 3. What are the connections between opportunities and planning? The planning is dependent on the opportunity. The module discusses some ways of analyzing our ideas for the opportunity then determine which planning is needed. The PEST analysis focuses on the larger picture of the world and what the world may think about the solution. The 5 forces analysis is centered around acknowledging your competition and the strategies they might employ. A strong Mission or vision can help set a solution apart from a brand that brings no thought or attention when mentioned. Even presenting the solution to the public is an act of art and science because the packaging and availability can impact the volume that consumers purchase. While trying to plan a solution for an opportunity, it is important to bear in mind the value chain. If the product becomes too expensive to ship or maintain (refrigerated items, spoilable items, etc.) then the competitors can gain an advantage against your solution. As an ODU student, we have access to a very nice resource: The entrepreneurial center. I have had a few meetings there to receive help on ideas. I remember the nice lady who helped me there was very good at the process of how to turn an idea into reality whereas I am only good at wishful thinking. 4. What opportunities have I missed? In life, I have missed too many opportunities to count. I have been in college for 10 years because I would rather goof off than do work at home. It’s the strangest thing because I work very hard at work. Just not at home for myself. In investing, I was approached to invest in Bitcoin all the way back in 2011 but I didn’t know anyone who used it for anything legal. In business, I had a friend that wanted to start a sort of behavior therapy chain and a little after he mentioned it to me it became a very popular and trendy business. The opportunity I missed the most will always be how I treated my mom. She did everything for me and I was heartless to her, then she died suddenly a few years ago. |
| 5. Can a successful venture be unethical? Successful ventures can be unethical. Like when I was scammed out of a thousand dollars. I feel that sucking up as much money as you can for the sake of business isn’t ethical. Instead, try to make your company help people and the planet more than it hurts. Give people purpose and healthy lifestyles, or educate people, or help them travel. There is never a lack of resources, only a lack of resourcefulness. |