This class was a roller coaster of emotions for me, starting high going low then going back up again. I came in very excited to collaborate with a team and get to work on an exciting project, but as the first couple days began and we learned that our topic was the real estate market, I became a little discouraged because I was not sure what innovations could be had there. I brainstormed and we decided to base our project on the elderly. As we began the research stage of our project, my emotions toward this class were at an all-time low. I was very discouraged and was not gelling with all the members in my group very well. I also was having trouble getting motivated to be passionate about retirement communities and the real estate topic. After doing all my research, one innovation opportunity jumped out to me and that was the retirement communities in big cities space. I got a bit excited to research this space more, but then when we had to do interviews and observations I quickly realized I had no way of observing retirement communities in cities. This again was discouraging, and I think maybe could have been avoided if I realized I would eventually have to do interviews and observations of people in the space I selected. At the projects beginning my group had a bit of trouble coming together and gelling. We had different opinions on the direction the project should go, and there was definitely a bit of built up tension. As the project went on though, we really started to come together. At the end of the ideation stage and the beginning of the prototype stage when we figured out the idea we were going forward with, we really came together as a group. With our shared vision we were very efficient, and as a group we finished this project on a high note.
The ups and downs of this project really helped me grow. I identified three different areas where I think I have made significant growth as a result of this project and class. My creative problem solving, team work and production skills, and my interview skills all made significant gains. My creative problem solving skills were really tested during this project. We did not come up with our final idea until the morning of the prototype stage. Before coming up with our final idea, myself and my fellow group members came up with a million and one innovation ideas relating to retirement communities. I learned a few different brainstorming techniques, and this helped me develop my problem solving skills. Using these techniques, I was able to come up with many productive and potentially feasible ideas. All of our different ideas that we had a group stemming from the use of these techniques eventually led us to our final idea. The problem solving skills that I developed in this class will significantly benefit me down the road.
My teamwork and production skills were tested during this project, but at the end came out stronger. At first I had trouble finding common ground with others in my group. We had trouble at first because no one wanted to say no to each other, then because no one could agree on anything. As I learned to work with my groupmates and see their strengths I was able to adapt and be the best group mate I could be. Techniques we learned such as multi-voting will help me in the future because this was a great way of finding an idea that everyone could be happy with without causing arguments and conflict. My teamwork and production skills are significantly better after learning techniques to continue production when personalities and opinions try to get in the way.
My interview skills are the skill set that increased the most in this class. In my very first interview I read from a script and did not adapt at all to the direction the interview went. It was choppy and I had extended pauses that did not allow me and the interviewee to get into a rhythm or inspire insight. As I got through each interview my skills became more polished and I was able to get more insight out of each interviewee. When the focus group stage came, my interview skills were very polished and I enjoyed having insightful conversations with the members of our focus group which inspired innovation and adaption of our prototype. I did not think that interviewing was a skillset that necessarily was something that I would have to develop, but I was very wrong. My skills still need work, but I am significantly more confident in my interviewing skills at the end of this class compared to what I was at the beginning.
Overall, I am very happy that I took this class. I was able to develop skills in multiple fields that will benefit me down the road when I work in teams again or have to hold interviews. The skills that I developed are things that one must experience to work at so I am overjoyed that I had the pleasure of taking Customer Insights for Innovation.