Design Thinking Jam @ Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor
Students of Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, mostly from programs E-business and Management of Informatics and e-business, showed great interest in Design Thinking (DT) once again. Few of them already attended local and regional SAP UA Design Thinking Jams or Inno Jam events organised during SAP Forum Slovenia 2013, CeBIT 2013 and EMEA Academic conference 2013. Interest for DT has risen among their fellow students and we were invited to organise DT Workshop at the faculty level. This time proposition for study case came from professor’s side: “How can IT modernise the study?”
Firstly colleague Natasa Rojec-Spindler from E&C Solution Center presented DT methodology and meet students with the challenge of the day. Right after, 17 students who attended the workshop were randomly divided in two groups while answering quite funny informal questions. During next few hours students had to collaborate within groups while searching for the solution according to DT phases. They had to work also under time pressure, while their time frame for each phase was very limited. Interesting outcome was that each group defined different personas and consequently also different point of view. One group “step in the shoes of student” and another “in the shoes of professor”. After additional hour students came out with fresh and perspective prototypes. Meeting point of both prototypes was on-line application platform which would enable students and professors to exchange important information, easier availability of curriculum materials as e-learning, and even possibility of on-line exams. But both groups also upgraded their prototypes with mobile application for professors and students use.
Both prototypes were firstly presented to other group and to one of the professors on the day of workshop. On following Monday prototypes were also presented in front of 207 fellow students during the traditional event at Faculty of Economics and Business: “Why every economist should know what abbreviation SAP stands for?” According to survey attendees of DT Workshop left it filled with new knowledge which will help them to solve their future business problems with effective and people-oriented approach.
Special thanks goes to colleague Nataša Rojec Spindler form SAP E&C Solution Center for great guidance through the workshop once again and dr. Simona Sternad and Faculty of Economics and Business for hosting the event and showing us great support one more time.
