The Big Idea Center's ChangeMaker Series kicked off on February 22. This new program is a 5-session body-of-knowledge masterclass program designed for students at any level and in any discipline who are interested in exploring what innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) can mean for them. Key concepts, disciplines, frameworks and tools of I&E are brought to life through guest speakers who have all been on their own changemaking journeys. In the first session of our ChangeMaker Series, students learned about the foundational theories of Lean Startup as they were joined by inspirational guest panelists. These guest panelists – who all started their changemaking journey here at Pitt – shared stories of what it means to be a changemaker as well as their own unique innovation and entrepreneurial paths.
Design thinking is a problem-solving roadmap that begins with empathy and thrives on reiteration to create innovative solutions. It is a flexible process of understanding needs, ideating, prototyping, and testing. Design thinking places users at the center of the design process and pushes you to challenge your assumptions by requiring research and testing to validate them. With user needs at the center of focus, practicing design thinking allows you to get closer to your customers and meet them where they are. Below are examples of design thinking methods to get you closer to your customer and help you align big ideas with customer needs.
Innovation as an Invention: Not too long ago, I merely thought of innovation as an invention of a new product. In my case, I always associated “innovation” with Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. When you think of the term “innovation”, what images form in your mind’s eye? The printing press? The sprawling expanse of the internet? The life-changing discovery of Penicillin? How about the momentous unveiling of the new iPhone by Steve Jobs? All these inventions stand as testaments to some of humanity's greatest innovations, and yet, my own journey revealed to me that innovation holds a value beyond its surface as a new invention. At its core, innovation revolves around providing meaningful value to people.
