Innovation Workshop @TISS

These tough economic times call for innovative solutions for challenging assumptions and thinking out of the box. This powerful critical innovation workshop will help you unleash the power of your thinking potential. Participants will gain the critical thinking skills you need to become a more effective problem solver, decision maker, communicator and manager. By learning how to systemise the process of innovation, you’ll be able to think strategically, see the bigger picture and consider all sides of an issue - everything you need to become a better problem solver and an innovator. This workshop is one more step forward by the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in transforming society with the powerful tools of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

What is Systematic Innovation?

Systematic Innovation is a powerful approach for identifying break through opportunities and envisioning innovative solutions through immersive experience with customers. Design thinking can be applied to develop new products and services, overhaul existing business processes and launch new businesses. It involves multi-disciplinary teams from cross functional areas to go through an immersive process of empathizing with the customers, defining a challenge, ideating creatively, iterating the solutions rapidly with customer feedback and developing a business model for implementation.

Topics:

Immersive research

Customer insights

User scenarios

Rapid prototyping

Creative ideation

Challenge definition

Key Learnings

Articulating value for customer through insights from immersive experience.

Identifying opportunities and applying creative ideation to solve ‘pain points’

Thinking through the solution with rapid iterative prototyping and feedback.

The Practical Challenge

Around 25 participant from different colleges participated in the workshop. In workshop we learn and apply systematic innovation process by immersing themselves in a realistic challenge related to livelihood. Are there ways to help them improve their livelihood? Our task is to find innovative solutions.

We worked in small groups to visit locations in and around the TISS campus to obtain insights and to ideate, prototype mock-up solutions and obtain customer feedback on their early solutions. The outcome at the end of the workshop was presented as a solution.

Social project chossen by different teams are welfare of security gaurd, small vendors, grocery stores owners and housekeeping staff. Participant using systematic approach first find out the problem (Define Phase). After that through brainstroming and from experince every team give solution for the chossen problem.

This workshop give me chance to wide my networkt and different view to see oppertunities in small things.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

The provided text describes a "Critical Innovation Workshop" organized by the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, focusing on equipping participants with systematic innovation and critical thinking skills to address real-world challenges.

Workshop Objectives and Foundational Philosophy​

The article effectively communicates the workshop's core objective: to unleash participants' thinking potential for more effective problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and management, especially in challenging economic times. The emphasis on "challenging assumptions and thinking out of the box" immediately sets a tone of transformative learning. The mention that the workshop is "one more step forward by the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in transforming society with the powerful tools of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" clearly aligns it with a broader social mission, which adds a layer of purpose beyond just skill development.

Systematic Innovation and Design Thinking Approach​

A key strength of the description is its clear articulation of "Systematic Innovation," which it defines as a powerful approach for identifying opportunities and envisioning solutions through customer immersion. The explicit connection to Design Thinking is well-made, detailing its application in developing new products/services, overhauling processes, and launching new businesses. The breakdown of the Design Thinking process into its multidisciplinary, cross-functional stages—empathizing, defining, ideating, iterating, and developing a business model—provides a comprehensive understanding of the methodology taught. This systematic approach differentiates the workshop from generic creativity sessions.

Content, Key Learnings, and Practical Application​

The "Topics" section concisely lists the core components of the workshop, such as immersive research, customer insights, rapid prototyping, and creative ideation, which directly correlate with the Design Thinking phases. The "Key Learnings" further reinforce the practical skills participants are expected to gain, like articulating value, identifying pain points, and iterating solutions with feedback.

The "Practical Challenge" section is particularly compelling. By detailing a hands-on, realistic challenge related to "livelihood" and the specific examples of social projects chosen (welfare of security guards, small vendors, grocery store owners, housekeeping staff), the article demonstrates the workshop's commitment to applied learning and social impact. The process of working in small groups, visiting locations around the TISS campus for insights, ideating, prototyping mock-up solutions, and obtaining customer feedback brings the theoretical concepts to life, making the learning experience tangible and outcome-oriented. The mention of applying the "Define Phase" (finding the problem) and then brainstorming for solutions illustrates the practical execution of the systematic innovation process.

Participant's Personal Takeaway​

The final sentence, "This workshop give me chance to wide my networkt and different view to see oppertunities in small things," provides a valuable personal reflection. It highlights not just the acquisition of hard skills but also the softer benefits of networking and developing a fresh perspective on everyday observations, which is crucial for an innovator. The slight grammatical error ("wide my networkt") is minor and does not detract from the clear sentiment.

Overall Impression​

The article effectively conveys the value and structure of the Critical Innovation Workshop. It clearly outlines the theoretical framework (Systematic Innovation/Design Thinking), its practical application through a real-world social challenge, and the tangible skills and mindset shifts participants can expect. The focus on social entrepreneurship adds a unique and impactful dimension to the workshop's mission. The description would benefit from a minor proofread to correct small grammatical errors, but its content is strong and well-organized.

The provided text outlines a "Critical Innovation Workshop" organized by the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, aiming to empower participants with innovative problem-solving and critical thinking skills, particularly in economically challenging times.

Workshop's Core Purpose and Vision​

The article clearly articulates the workshop's ambitious objective: to "unleash the power of your thinking potential" and transform participants into more effective problem-solvers, decision-makers, communicators, and managers. This immediate declaration of intent sets a high bar. The connection to the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship's broader mission of "transforming society with the powerful tools of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" imbues the workshop with a significant social purpose beyond mere skill acquisition, which is highly commendable. The emphasis on "challenging assumptions and thinking out of the box" reflects a progressive approach to fostering creativity.

Systematic Innovation: A Structured Approach​

A major strength of the description is its clear explanation of "Systematic Innovation." By defining it as a "powerful approach for identifying breakthrough opportunities and envisioning innovative solutions through immersive experience with customers," the article immediately highlights its practical, customer-centric nature. The explicit link to Design Thinking, a widely recognized innovation methodology, and its iterative phases—empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing with customer feedback—provides a robust framework. This detail assures potential participants that the workshop is grounded in a proven, structured process, moving beyond abstract brainstorming to actionable solution development. The involvement of "multi-disciplinary teams from cross functional areas" further emphasizes the collaborative and holistic nature of the learning.

Content, Learning Outcomes, and Real-World Application​

The listed "Topics" (Immersive research, Customer insights, User scenarios, Rapid prototyping, Creative ideation, Challenge definition) directly align with the Design Thinking methodology, providing a clear roadmap of what will be covered. The "Key Learnings" section reinforces the practical skills gained, such as articulating value from customer insights, identifying pain points, and iterating solutions based on feedback.

The "Practical Challenge" section is arguably the most impactful part of the description. By involving 25 participants from different colleges in a realistic livelihood-related challenge, the workshop moves beyond theoretical instruction. The hands-on experience of visiting locations around the TISS campus, gathering insights, ideating, prototyping mock-up solutions, and obtaining customer feedback demonstrates a truly immersive and experiential learning approach. The examples of social projects chosen (welfare of security guards, small vendors, grocery stores owners, and housekeeping staff) underscore the workshop's commitment to social impact and addressing real-world community problems. This practical application solidifies the value proposition of the workshop.

Personal Impact and Overall Impression​

The concluding personal reflection, "This workshop give me chance to wide my networkt and different view to see oppertunities in small things," effectively summarizes the transformative potential. It highlights not just the acquisition of structured innovation skills but also the development of a broader perspective and networking opportunities, which are invaluable for aspiring innovators and social entrepreneurs. The minor grammatical issues ("wide my networkt," "oppertunities") are negligible in the face of the clear message conveyed.

In summary, the article presents a well-structured and highly appealing overview of the Critical Innovation Workshop. It successfully conveys its strong theoretical foundation (Systematic Innovation/Design Thinking), its practical and immersive learning approach, and its significant social relevance. The clear objectives, detailed methodology, and emphasis on tangible outcomes make this workshop sound like a truly impactful educational experience for anyone looking to develop their innovation and problem-solving capabilities.