Skip to main content

Week 4: Why is design thinking an important skill in social innovation?

Hi again! This semester sure is moving quickly. I know that is something I always seem to say during semesters, but it always amazes me at quick time passes. This week we discussed Design Thinking and how to use that to address issues. I found it interesting that we can have such a thing as design thinking. It seems to me to be a bit of a formula of how to solve a problem. Sure, some steps are a bit circular until you get to the right solution, however, what comes next is still the next step. I like this little bit of step by step process because I feel it helps to offer a bit of order in a place where things can spread out in so many directions. In particular, we read an article that took a good hard look at using this method to address poverty creation. When we think of poverty, we don't always think about how or why it is there and what factors go into the creation of it. For some reason, we tend to think of poverty as something that happens after a bad situation, not a result of parts of society. We think of a lost job, a death of a loved one or an accident. Not that low-income people are stuck, and that begets more stuck low-income people and that this is a failure of the system of society we live in. And when I write 'we' I recognize that I am referring to people like me, doing ok in life, and not being able to fully see the picture that others are in. People like me who find it a shock to learn that some families can't feed their kids even one meal a day. I see myself as someone who is learning to see this whole other world that others are living in.
This brings me to this week's prompt:
Week 4 Prompt: Why is design thinking an important skill in social innovation?
What I gained the most this week is how design thinking is aimed at finding the real issues and working to repair those in a methodical fashion. The steps are simple in that you go from one to another. However, you may spend a great deal of time dedicated to one step and fine-tuning the goal so that you are addressing the right thing. In addition, the design thinking can also be used in not only root cause situations but in the more common 'band-aid' type solutions, to make them more effective and reach more people. While most effective in the root causes, I appreciate the versatility of the design thinking. We can use it in our personal lives as well. I think that this type of method encourages you to think outside the box to follow tangents to determine if they could be just the solution you are looking for. However, by following the method, you are able to come right back around again to discover the next option and see where it leads. Once you have found the right one you know where to head next with what you have found and stay on track to get to the end product or plan. Like I said, I really like the bit of organization that it brings to the web of seeking a solution. A bit of organized chaos, in a sense.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 2: What connections do you see between Jeffrey Thompson’s article, the Gospel, and social innovation?

Moving right along, already in week 2. This week we learned more about how not everyone should be a social entrepreneur but that everyone can have a part in working in and with the solutions that social entrepreneurs create. We can be a help and work to overcome obstacles, help build or volunteer our time/services. I appreciate this because I am starting to see that this may be where I am best suited to be. Which I am ok with. I think that what I am trying to do is to be involved. This week’s prompt is: What connections do you see between Jeffrey Thompson’s article, the Gospel, and social innovation? It is clear that becoming a social innovator is a sort of calling all in itself. However, what I found interesting is that just like in the gospel, we all have a part to play. Heavenly Father will place us in the right place for us to be. For example, I have several times been called to teach in primary. In fact, I have only ever had two callings outside of primary, and both were eith...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 12: Reflect on your own personal development in regards to self-reliance.

This week we learned about being self-reliant and how we can help others learn to be self-reliant. I really liked how Mohammed Yunus likened the poor to a bonsai tree and illustrated that everyone is capable to grow to great things. I think that we often forget how much circumstances influence our ability to grow to our full potential. As I think upon this, I reflect on how this is something that I hope my children will understand about people. Just because someone comes from a place that may seem unfavorable doesn’t mean they are unfavorable. I feel this also goes along with respect. Respecting others and their experiences that have led them to where they are and where they are going. Self-reliance isn’t something that only the poor need to learn about. Many a wealthy person has mismanaged resources and found themselves without. Being self-reliant helps us to prepare for these mishaps and to gain the self-confidence that we can pick ourselves up again. It is this knowledge of ourse...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 7: How can sharpening your business skills help you help others? What skills are most important?

This week we learned more about business canvas models, lean start-up, and keys to success for social innovators. I appreciated the 5 Keys to Success for Social Entrepreneurs that Lluis Pareras listed in his TEDx talk. In particular, key point 3 where you should shout your existence to everyone and not hide any inventions you have made up for fear that someone would steal it. I think this hit me the most because if you are more concerned about theft then are your priorities really in the right place for the social issue you are trying to help. However, this was also coupled with key point 1 which was to focus on social impact and money at the same time. I spent some time thinking about these two in order to reconcile them against one another. What I came to understand is this. Sure, protect your inventions from theft but don’t allow the fear to stop you from seeking help and feedback on your inventions. This is a major way that we improve our product and make it better. We must be w...
Post a Comment
Read more