Design Thinking Training – IBM Innovation Team
Client:
IBM
Project Date:
July 2019
Objectives:
Equip IBM Innovation Team interns with foundational design thinking skills and provide hands-on experience, thereby preparing them to effectively contribute to IBM's innovation projects.
Situation & Tasks:
As the IBM Innovation Team continually seeks fresh perspectives and new ideas, integrating interns into the process is invaluable. However, for these interns to be effective and make meaningful contributions, they needed a solid grounding in IBM's design thinking methodologies and a clear understanding of the team's project landscape.
Actions:
Workshop Design: Curated a comprehensive workshop agenda, focusing on the core principles of design thinking, tailored to IBM's specific innovation approach.
Hands-on Activities: Integrated real-world case studies and interactive exercises, allowing interns to apply design thinking concepts practically, fostering deeper understanding.
Team Collaboration: Promoted teamwork by grouping interns to collaboratively tackle mock innovation challenges, mirroring the dynamics of real IBM projects.
Feedback Loops: Instituted regular feedback sessions, where interns presented their solutions, received constructive critiques, and iterated on their ideas, mimicking the iterative nature of design thinking.
Guest Speakers: Invited experienced members from the IBM Innovation Team to share insights, experiences, and tips, offering interns a glimpse into real-world projects and expectations.
Post-Workshop Assignments: Assigned real or simulated IBM projects for interns to apply their freshly acquired design thinking skills, reinforcing learning and bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Results:
The workshop successfully prepared a batch of IBM Innovation Team interns, equipping them with the design thinking toolkit and mindset required. Interns transitioned into their roles with greater confidence, contributing meaningful insights and solutions to ongoing IBM projects, validating the effectiveness of the bootcamp experience.
