Case study presentations
The module started with a task for which we German students had to prepare a presentation on a case study of a design thinking project held at a company. During that phase I learned a lot about design thinking in general and many small details that might be of use in group projects in the future. It was tough to decide on a specific project and sometimes hard to find the right information about it that goes beyond just one article. Often it could only be found what benefits the design thinking approach offers but hardly any information on the specific methods that were used. Nevertheless, it was a good starting point for the course.
VR experience
Next up we were given a VR headset with which we could play around a little. This was a really great experience since it was new to me and very much fun. We had to complete minor tasks and had a meeting with the American student. It was also fun but we struggled a bit with the technology and it was not that easy to get to know everyone. The task we had to complete was a bit to big in my opinion and it hindered us from learning more about each team member but the smaller ore personal tasks were nice.
SAP workshop
Right before the big case study week we had a workshop hosted by design thinking experts from SAP. During the workshop we learned a great deal about the process with handy tips and in a nice atmosphere. We also got to know a new collaboration tool, Mural, which is pretty cool.
Provinzial case study week
We were presented a real life design challenge by Provinzial on which we worked during one whole week. This schedule was great because we as a team could really grow together and we got much work done in those few days. The team spirit was always high and it was a pleasure exchanging thoughts and ideas in a cross-cultural setting. Yet, in some situations I wish we had more time to also get to know more of the other people’s ways of life and to learn about the places they are from. To compensate that our group decided to catch up soon.
All in all, it was a great experience and I learned some nice practical skills in adressing ambigious problems in a team.