"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"
Role – Lead Product Designer
Team size – 5 people, including engineers and product managers.
Initiative – In 3 months, explore, research, and pitch an innovative product that could disrupt an industry. Illustrate the design thinking behind it which includes tech feasibility and business viability.
One of the best advice I received was from my former bosses. To be a resource to others, never stop learning.
I researched and chose the MIT Mastering Design Thinking Program because I was intrigued by the problem-solving approach. The course also focuses on financial analysis and product architecture.
Final Project – Create an innovative product.
The top three projects will be presented to MIT leadership. We were one of them.
Process
The Big Picture first – We discussed problems we faced in our own lives or what we noticed in the world. One of my teammates was a parent who was trying to afford tennis lessons for his son. The cost was high and the coaches he tried, didn’t give much feedback. Was he spending his money wisely?
Kid and sports were a good place to start. We used Miro to gather our work as we went through the innovation process.
Outcome
After three months, I read, reviewed, and put the entire innovation-development plan into practice. The five-person team I was on was from around the world and leaders in their fields of tech, sales, and research and development. I enjoyed working with each one of them.
In short:
Team: Awesome and listed below.
What I did: Design Lead, including all product sketches and user journey mapping.
The problem we tackled: Only 5% of the 87M who play tennis are pros. The other 95% play because they love the game. How do they level up without the same resources?
Is it viable?: Yes, and we laid out the numbers, including NPV and AI development.
Below – Our Elevator Investor Pitch Deck (10 minutes). Some selected slides.
