The document discusses design thinking as a human-centered approach to problem-solving, emphasizing its necessity in today's rapidly changing landscape marked by disruptive innovation. It outlines key components of design thinking, including empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing, along with a case study on Aravind Eye Care. The author advocates for rethinking professional education to align with contemporary job market demands and entrepreneurial ecosystems, highlighting the integration of technology and skills development.

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Design Thinking

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Why Disruptive Innovation?
• There is ‘disruption’ everywhere
– Automobiles = > EV, Autonomous
– Alternate Energy
– WFH
– Digital University
– ……
• India’s Techade
– Best time for ‘startups’
– Education sector needs to step up – must provide new
age skills

4. WANTED! - “Disruptive Innovation”
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What is Design Thinking?
• Design Thinking is a human-centric approach to problem-
solving and solution finding.
• By focusing on the human (user, customer, stakeholders, …)
first, we seek to understand people’s needs and come up with
effective solutions to meet those (unmet) needs.
• It is what we call a solution-based approach to problem-
solving
Design Thinking = Human Centred Innovation

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The Design Thinking Mindset

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Design thinking in action
Aravind Eye Care
• Empathy that led to Inspiration -
– Poverty and remoteness of clientele
• Discuss with consumers – human-centered exploration
• Classical options too expensive
• Ideation – nothing was impossible for Dr V!
– Develop new options
• Manufacture own parts
• Reduce cost to consumer from $200 to $4
• Bus patients to centers – A Telemedicine opportunity !
• Implementation
– 2.3 million patients seen in under a year
– 270,000 surgeries performed
A DESIGN THINKING solution inspired by “plight of the sightless poor, in remote
difficult to access Bharat” - A shining example for thinking about AtmaNirbhar
Bharat
“… translate existing evidence and knowledge into effective action” – www.aravind.org

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Why design thinking?
• Disruptive Innovation is the need of the hour
– ‘Digital disruption’ - Amazon disrupting retail to
online content disrupting journalism, ….. no industry is exempt.
• The COVID Crisis has further forced “digital disruption” on us
– WFH
– Telemedicine
– Digital Education
• Old, tried & tested methods don’t work any more. We have to challenge
assumptions and explore new pathways and ideas
• We have a “wicked problem” to solve
– No clear solution in a highly VUCA future
– We have no choice but to start from “first principles”

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The 5 components of Design Thinking
Empathis
e
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Agile
Iterations

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Empathize
Empathy is the foundation of the whole design thinking
process. Using a beginner’s mindset (i.e. starting with first
principles) and immersing yourself in the user’s experience is a
great way to uncover deep needs and insights.

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Empathy Map
An Empathy Map is used to understand the customer/user better, perceive
his/her feelings, and empathize with his/her actions
An Empathy map contains the following:
1. WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER/USER SEE? – What does his environment
look like? – Where is the customer? What does he see?
2. WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER/USER HEAR? – What does the
user/customer hear? – Who influences him? Who speaks with him?
3. WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER/USER THINK & FEEL? – What emotions
drives the customer/user? – What do the customers/users think? –
What does it say about them and their attitudes?
4. WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER/USER SAY & DO? – What does the
customer/user say? – What are all the things the customer/user must
do? – Where does the user behave in a contradictory way?
5. The PAINS AND GAINS – What are his/her biggest problems and
challenges? – What are the opportunities and benefits he/she might
have

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Empathy Map

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Persona Development
What is Persona Development?
Persona development is a process of humanizing your target user, giving
voice and character and making them real. Persona are fictional characters
created to represent your group of target users who exhibit similar
behaviours, patterns, motivations and goals.
Development of personas support storytelling (e.g a day-in-the-life), foster
user understanding and evolve design. Personas tell stories and stories are
part of every community. Stories help organize and convey information in a
compelling manner and evoke emotions and responses.
Memorable Personas => Asian Paints’ Gattu. Amul Girl.

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Define
Define an actionable problem statement used to summarize
who a particular user is, the user’s need, and why the need is
important to that user.
It defines what you want to solve before you move on to
generating potential solutions, in order to
1. condense your perspective on the problem,
2. provide a metric for success to be used throughout the
design thinking process.

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Storytelling
We use storytelling to present our insights, ideas, and solutions to
the members of our team and other stakeholders

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Ideate – How might we…..??
Ideation is often the most exciting stage in a Design Thinking project, because during
Ideation, the aim is to generate a large quantity of ideas that the team can then filter and
cut down into the best, most practical or most innovative ones in order to inspire new
and better design solutions and products.
Relevant Techniques: include Sketching, Brainstorming, Prototyping, ……

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Ideate - Brainstorming
7 Rules of Idea Generation
• Stay focused on the topic
• Go for quantity
• Be visual
• One conversation at a time
• Encourage wild ideas
• Defer judgement
• Build on ideas of others

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2x2 Matrix
A 2x2 Matrix is used to categorize and prioritize ideas or identify strategic
opportunities and patterns
• Any type of meaningful axis attribute
may be used.
• The 2x2 matrix can also be used to
change the way of thinking from a
100% idea orientation toward the
recognition of unfulfilled user needs
and strategic opportunities.
• The 2x2 matrix is not only used
predominantly in the context of
prioritizing ideas but in all other
phases as well.
What you can do with the tool:
• Determine quickly which ideas should be pursued and which ideas
should be rejected.
• Carry out the prioritization of ideas according to strategic innovations,
market opportunities, and many other categories.

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Prototyping
Prototyping enables Visual Thinking - expression of ideas or thoughts through
images either drawings, pictures, graphs, … It is a very useful tool when we
work in teams.
Why using the Visual Thinking:
1. The human brain thinks better with images, that is, visualizing an image
takes less effort than reading a word, process it and make an idea of what
that word means. The brains processes visual information 60,000 times
faster than text.
2. The images help to describe the relations between objects which we
maybe could not see and that can give the hint to create new ideas and not
obvious solutions which will make us innovate.
3. It is something innate to the human beings, we draw since we are little
and although we are not big artist, we are very capable of making the basic
drawings to represent concepts which in turn will improve the
communication of ideas.

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Prototype
A picture is equal to a thousand words.
A prototype is equal to thousand pictures
A prototype in design thinking is “A simulation or sample version of a final
product, which is used for testing prior to launch.” The goal of a prototype is
to test products (and product ideas) before spending lots of time and money
into creating the final version of the sellable product.

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Wireframe vs Realistic Prototypes … contd

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Test
Stage 5 in the Design Thinking Process: Test. ... Testing, in Design Thinking,
involves generating user feedback as related to the prototypes you have
developed, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of your users
In the DIGITAL WORLD, projects are never really finished.
The Test stage provides feeds back to the Empathise stage.
So, the DESIGN THINKING PROCESS is a “iterative innovation” cycle

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Solution Interview
With a Solution Interview, we find out whether a solution is accepted by the
user
How much do you
like the ‘solution”
Not bad, I think.
I would pay Rs 1000
for it.
What you can do with a Solution Interview
• Question the underlying task of the project, that is, examine
whether you are focusing on the crucial issues in the project.
• Understand the needs, behaviours, and motivations of users/
customers more deeply.
• Measure the value of the solution for the user.

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A/B Testing
A/B testing, refers to a randomized experimentation process wherein two or
more versions of a variable (web page, page element, etc.) are shown to website
visitors at the same time to determine which version leaves the maximum
impact and drives business metrics. Typpically A refers to the ‘control’ (existing)
group and B to the ‘treatment’ (new version)
If you’re not A/B testing your website, you’re surely losing out on a lot of
potential business revenue.

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Lean Canvas
We use the LEAN CANVAS to translate a problem into a solution that takes
into consideration both the customer needs and our own business context.
• The completed lean canvas documents the ultimate
“problem/solution fit.”
PROBLEM SOLUTION UNIQUE VALUE
PROPOSITION
UNIQUE
ADVANTAGE
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS
• Customer Archetype
KEY METRICS CHANELS
COST STRUCTURE REVENUE STREAMS
• Top 3 problems
• How can I convert
the problems to
opportunities?
Top 3 features in a
minimum viable product • Single clear
compelling
message that states
why you are
different and worth
buying
• Elevator Pitch
Cant be easily copied or
bought
E.g. Web hits,
Conversions, Cost of
customer acquisition, …
Path to customers
• Fixed costs
• Variable costs
• Revenue model
• Lifetime revenue
• Margins
1
1 2
3
4
6
7
5 5

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Design Thinking
A new “Institute for Professional Education”

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Why we must re-think Professional
Education?
Higher Education was being disrupted before the COVID crisis:
• Extreme negativity about the work readiness of college
graduates
• Less than 50% of engineering seats filled
• Generic degrees – no relation with degree and work.
• The concept of “seat time = learning” is becoming obsolete
• Teaching has become impersonal – all students in a class of
50 expected to learn in the same way?
• Delinked from the “variety / flexibility” required in real life.
Enter
NEP 2020

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NEP - Highlights
No Rigid Separation between Arts & Sciences, between Curricular and extra-
Curricular activities, between Vocational and Academic streams
Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit
Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options
Setting up of National Research Foundation (NRF)
Expansion of open and distance learning to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)
Internationalization of Education
National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free
exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment,
planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of
education
National assessment center - PARAKH
NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs

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Empathizing with stakeholders of the
institute
. A degree/ certification with strong credentials in the “job” market
• Strong career relevant technical knowledge and life skills.
• A vibrant campus life to build life-long bonds
• Placement support
• ROI
Align Education with National Agenda – HECI, Start Up India, Digital India, …
• Atma Nirbhar Bharat – Innovation (one of the 5 Is) -NRF
• Will propose new Phygital Norms – Use Technology
• Online Exams & Admissions norms - CUET, NTA, …
Critical Thinking , Good Communication, Adapatbility & Flexibility
• Strong Job relevant technical skills – programming, Machine Learning
Career Network – those when they were in college, and also from other
batches
• Career Counselling and assistance, even after they have passed out
• Short term certification courses , which will bolster their career from time
to time.

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Define the Problem from the stakeholder’s
POV
• More digital, anytime experience
• Prepare them for “jobs of the future” – AI, Machine
Learning, Robotics, …
• Provide a good “start up” ecosystem
Students POV
• Want students to have soft skills such as
communication, teamwork and critical thinking,
Flexibility and Adaptability
• Competence in “current technologies” - AI, Machine
Learning, Robotics, …
Employers POV
• Alumni network which fosters life-long connections
• Options for Life-Long Learning - short certification c
ourses, preferably delivered online, so that they can
“learn while they earn”
Alumni POV
• Looking for measureable educational outcomes
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Regulators’ POV

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Ideate, Ideate, Ideate …..!
Digital Platforms
• Google Classroom,
• Open Source – build your
own
Content Partners
• Swayam, NPTEL,..
• Coursera, EdX, …
IT Infrastructure
• ERP – easy compliance
(NAAC)
• LMS
• Alumni Network -
https://www.capterra.com/alumni-m
anagement-software/
Develop a curriculum for Life Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Flexibility & Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence
Set up an in-house incubator
• LEAN Start Up
Take Industry – Institute
Interaction to a level
• Internships
• Research
• Consulting

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Let’s prioritize our projects
I
m
p
a
c
t
• Google
Classroom
• Life Skills
Curriculum
• Swayam, NPTEL,
Coursera, EdX
• Lean Start Up
incubator
• Online platform –
admissions,
exams, ..
?????
• ERP
• Alumni Network
Platform
Effort

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Prototyping – with student projects
• Create student projects from ideas generated
• Faculty & External Mentors can guide students
• Lean Start Up methodology
• Innovate Systematically
• Lean Start Up and Design Thinking are very
well aligned . Both suggest “agile, iterative”
development