Title: THE CREATIVE PROCESS (DESIGN THINKING)
Course: INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP > Section: LESSON 5: THE CREATIVE PROCESS (DESIGN THINKING)

Welcome to the fifth lesson in the entrepreneurship class. In the previous lesson, we explored various ways of identifying a business opportunity, distinguished a business idea from a business opportunity and evaluated the viability of a business idea. We hope that you now have an idea that you would like to explore and create into a product or service that satisfies a customer’s need. In this lesson, you will learn about the creative process of bringing your idea to life. This lesson focuses on the creative process or the design thinking process that involves developing a business model that will enable you conceptualize the intricacies of developing your business idea into an actual product prototype as expressed in the business canvas model.

5.1 Introduction

Welcome to the fifth lesson in the entrepreneurship class. In the previous lesson, we explored various ways of identifying a business opportunity, distinguished a business idea from a business opportunity and evaluated the viability of a business idea. We hope that you now have an idea that you would like to explore and create into a product or service that satisfies a customer’s need. In this lesson, you will learn about the creative process of bringing your idea to life. This lesson focuses on the creative process or the design thinking process that involves developing a business model that will enable you conceptualize the intricacies of developing your business idea into an actual product prototype as expressed in the business canvas model.

5.2 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to;

5.1.1        Comprehend the concept of design thinking as a component of creative process

5.1.2        Evaluate the stages in the design thinking process

5.1.3        Develop a business model for your business idea using the lean canvas model

5.2.1 Concept of design thinking

Design thinking is a cognitive process from which ideas of a product emerge. It is related to problem solving, decision making, creativity, sketching and developing a prototype. Design thinking is the method of developing designs as a mechanism to provide solutions to existing problems. It is a human centered creative approach that focuses on the needs of the end user. It involves empathy, imagination, intuition to explore possibilities that benefit the end user. Hence, design thinking is not just how a product looks and feels, but also how a product works. The goal of design thinking is to ensure that the entrepreneur provides a product that solves the end users problems and satisfies their needs.

E-tivity 5.2.1 Concept of design thinking

Numbering, pacing and sequencing | 5.2.1
Title | Concept of Design thinking
Purpose | The purpose of this e-tivity is to enable the you comprehend the concept of design thinking
Brief summary of overall task
Read this book from the link provided

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-642-13757-0

Preliminary pages xiii- xv to understand the concept and rules of design thinking.

Listen to the following video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT3WEGzbcLY

to further understand the concept of design thinking:

After reading respond to the following questions

1. Discuss the concept of design thinking
2. What are some of the potential ideas that can emerge in a design thinking process
3. Provide examples of how the entrepreneur can use design thinking to experiment on their new ideas
4. Using the design thinking approach, what ideas can you develop to solve people’s problems or pains
5. Using the pains and gains value proposition model use the design thinking process to develop a product that can minimize the customers pains while creating some gains so as to satisfy the customer
Spark |
Individual task
1. Read the book chapter provided and listen to the video clip
2. Download the value proposition canvas template by Peter Thomson and use it to fill the answers on section e. above
3. Provide a narrative on the concept of design thinking and examples of how you can use the design thinking process to refine your business idea. Post the discussion on discussion board 5.2.1
4. Fill the value proposition canvas template with a business idea of your choice to establish the pains, gains and customer jobs ( what the customer needs done) and the products and services you are offering, and the gain creators and pain relievers that your product will provide
Interaction begins
1. Post your answer in the discussion forum 5.2.1
2. Read posted work from 2 colleagues
3. Post at least one comment on their work and give constructive criticism
E-moderator interventions
1. Summarize the threads and review the scanned forms
2. Give feedback
3. Provide teaching points
4. Close the E-tivity
Schedule and time | This task will take two hours
Next | Stages in the Design Thinking Process

5.2.2 Design Thinking Process

The design thinking concept involves a series of steps that entrepreneurs engage in when developing products and services that address the needs, pains, fears of the customer. The design thinking process involves five steps: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. The design thinking process involves a series of steps that utilize the aspects of imagination, intuition, logic, creativity, and systematic reasoning to bring out products or services that provide the benefits that satisfy the end user.

 E-tivity 5.2.2 Design Thinking Process

Numbering, pacing and sequencing | 5.2.2
Title | Design thinking process
Purpose | The purpose of this e-tivity is to enable the you evaluate the stages in the design thinking process
Brief summary of overall task
Read this

http://asimetrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/design-thinking.pdf

  On Basic design by Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris to establish the various steps in design thinking.

Listen to the following video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z2YffmNCeo

 on design thinking by Dartmouth X to further understand the steps of design thinking:

Review these slideshows

https://www.slideshare.net/janschmiedgen/design-thinking-54843297

 on design thinking by Jan Schimiedgen to evaluate how design thinking takes place

After reading respond to the following questions

1. Discuss the steps involved in the design thinking process
2. What is involved in the ideating stage of the design thinking process?
3. Following the business idea you explored in the previous lessons, use the design thinking process to be able to identify the design goal that will guide you in developing a product that will satisfy a goal.
Spark | Look at this image (Copyright licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/stage-1-in-the-design-thinking-process-empathise-with-your-users By Teo Yu Siang and identify the steps used in design thinking.
Individual task
1. Read the book chapter provided and listen to the video clip
2. In a paragraph, provide a narrative on the steps involved in the design thinking process. Post the discussion on discussion board 5.2.2
3. Using bullet points, develop a product or service that you can use to satisfy a customer’s need  based on the five steps of design thinking.
4. Post pictures of a product that you have designed and explain the pains that it will relieve for the customer and the gains it will provide to the customer and an outline of how the design process was done.
Interaction begins
1. Post your answer in the discussion forum 5.2.2
2. Read posted work from 2 colleagues
3. Post at least one comment on their work and give constructive criticism .
4. Save your answers on your portfolio
E-moderator interventions
1. Summarize the threads
2. Give feedback
3. Provide teaching points
4. Close the E-tivity
Schedule and time | This task will take a minimum of 3 hours
Next | Developing a business model using the design thinking approach ( lean canvas model)

5.2.2 Business Model Canvas

We have already discussed that the concept of design thinking is a user centered approach in which the entrepreneur immerses into the lives of the customers to identify the pains and problems that they could be undergoing and finding solutions to those problems. Hence the design thinking process is a problem- solution exploration process. Once the entrepreneur has developed the value proposition model that we discussed earlier (that explains the pains, gains, and jobs to be done by the customer in addition to the benefits provided by the products and services) the next step is to develop a business model canvas that allows him/her to organize the business plan in a logical way.

E-tivity 5.2.3: Business Model Canvas

Numbering, pacing and sequencing | 5.2.3
Title | Business model canvas
Purpose | The purpose of this e-tivity is to enable the you  develop a business model for their business idea using the lean canvas model
Brief summary of overall task
Review this slide share

https://www.slideshare.net/de-pe/lean-canvas-process-and-examples

by De-Pe on the lean canvas process and its examples

Listen to the following video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGIdAQR2Uo

 by Miguel Hernandez to understand the components of the lean canvas model

Listen to the following simplified  video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFRbl_JGlns

by Miguel Hernandez to further understand the components of the lean canvas process:

After reading and listening to the videos respond to the following questions

1. Identify the nine key components of a lean canvas model
2. Identify the seven questions that you need to ask as an entrepreneur when you are developing the lean business canvas model
3. Think through your business idea that we began developing in lesson 4 and identify the various costs that you will need to incur to start off the business
4. Think through the same business idea and identify the various revenue sources that you will make money from?
5. Download the lean canvas model and fill in the nine components of the business model
Spark |
Individual task
1. Review the slide share provided and listen to the video clips to learn more about the lean canvas model
2. Download the lean canvas model as adapted from the business model canvas and use it to fill the answers above
3. Using the business idea of your choice fill in the nine components of the lean canvas model
4. Scan the filled lean canvas model and post it in discussion forum 5.2.3.
Interaction begins
1. Post your answers and scanned forms in the discussion forum 5.2.3
2. Read posted work from 2 colleagues
3. Post at least one comment on their work and give constructive criticism
E-moderator interventions
1. Summarize the threads and review the scanned forms
2. Give feedback
3. Provide teaching points
4. Close the E-tivity
Schedule and time | This task will need a minimum of  3 hours
Next | Lesson 6: Technology and innovation process ( developing product prototypes)

Cluster

Start of a quiz

Question 1

Design thinking is how products look and feel

- False
Feedback: You are right
- True
Feedback: You are wrong

Question 2

Choose the correct order of the design thinking process

- Define- ideate- empathize- test- prototype
- Ideate- define- empathize- prototype- test
- Empathize-define-ideate-prototype-test
- Ideate- empathize- define-prototype-test

Question 3

Mary realized that her neighborhood did not have a day care center for children in the age group of 6-12 years. She seized the opportunity and started a day care center for kids belonging to that age group. However, she found that despite having the state of the art facilities at her day care center, parents of children in this age group do not consider her daycare as a viable daycare option. Reason being that they are worried that the children will need to walk up to the daycare center on their own after getting off from the bus stop. From the above scenario, which part of the design thinking process did Mary miss out on

- Imagination
- Curiosity
- Empathy
- Ideation

Question 4

Moses has a food company. Which one of the following will provide him with an unfair advantage in the lean canvas mode?

- A co-founder is a television award winning chef
- A food blogger with large number of followers
- A vegan food company that will be the first one in your neighborhood
- You and your co-founder putting in considerable funds to begin the business

End of cluster

End of a Quiz

5.4 References

1. Plattner, H., Meinel, C., & Leifer, L. (2013). Design Thinking Understand - Improve - Apply. Berlin: Springer Berlin. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-13757-0
2. Center, T. K. (2017, August 24). Design Thinking, Lean Canvas | Exploring Entrepreneurial Journalism | Chapter 3.3. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT3WEGzbcLY
3. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://strategyzer.com/canvas/value-proposition-canvas
4. Design Thinking (Basic Design #8) by Gavin Ambrose. (2009, December 10). Retrieved from
5. http://asimetrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/design-thinking.pdf
6. DartmouthX - The Engineering of Structures Around Us. (2016, April 23). How Design Thinking Works. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z2YffmNCeo
7. Schmiedgen, J. (2015, November 07). Design Thinking? Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/janschmiedgen/design-thinking-54843297
8. Mortensen, D. (n.d.). Stage 1 in the Design Thinking Process: Empathise with Your Users. Retrieved from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/stage-1-in-the-design-thinking-process-empathise-with-your-users
9. De-pe Follow. (2011, June 10). Lean Canvas Process and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/de-pe/lean-canvas-process-and-examples
10. G. (2016, August 03). What is the Business Model Canvas? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGIdAQR2Uo
11. G. (2016, August 03). A simple explanation of the Business Model Canvas. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFRbl_JGlns