University professor María wants to better prepare her economics students for their careers after graduation. She feels some students are not ready for the working world and lack important soft skills like teamwork, communication, and creativity. While internships and seminars help, they are not enough. The professor needs a new way to strengthen students' soft skills as these abilities are difficult for students to develop on their own.

1. Empathy Map + Problem Statement
María Fernanda Andrés
Design Thinking Action Lab
2013
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

2. STAKEHOLDER
University Professor: MARÍA
She is a dynamic an enthusiastic professor that tries to
give students the tools they need after graduation
Faculty of Economics: Economics, Business and
Accountant
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

3. SAY
Some students are more mature than others for this moment in life
A few of them postpone this transition through graduate studies
Students have a hard time to see themselves as entrepreneurs, a job is
enough!
Most of the students do not care about other skills but just the topics they
have to comply to get the degree
Internships tend to stick students to the “get a job” paradigm
It’s hard for some students to interact and work in teams
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

4. DO
More soft skills seminars and camps
Team building orientation
Bring business men/women to talk and interact with the students
We have a group of trained tutors to walk along the students in their
internship process
Find ways to put the students closer with the firms ecosystem
We have the Coffee and Firms Sessions once a month for the interaction
between students and the real firm
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

5. THINK
Students need to adjust to this ever changing world
Creating their own firm could be another alternative!
Life skills trained at school will better prepare the
students for their future
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

6. FEEL
Students soft skills are as important as the academic ones
It’s important to develop soft skills
Sometimes reality plays too hard on the students decisions
Learning by doing is a good way to prepare them
Schools need to integrate more professional work in their programs
Being an entrepreneur is not well seen
Teamwork is important for their working future
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

7. INSIGHTS
Some students are not ready for the working environment
Internships are not the only way. It’s not enough!
Soft skills are important: teamwork, communication,
creativity
It’s important to keep learning all the time
It’s a COMPLEX PHENOMENA
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

8. PROBLEM STATEMENT
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

9. PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROFESSORS
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

10. PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROFESSORS need a way to
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

11. PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROFESSORS
strengthen soft skills of
students
need a way to
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

12. PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROFESSORS
strengthen soft skills of
students
need a way to
because
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13

13. PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROFESSORS
strengthen soft skills of
students
they need to fit in the culture and these
abilities are too hard to develop by themselves
need a way to
because
lunes, 5 de agosto de 13