Designing a Culture of Customer Centricity: A Product Design Workshop by Aashish Solanki
Unveiling Product Design & Entrepreneurship
Recently, our founder and CEO, Aashish Solanki was invited to Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (organized by Headstart Network Foundation) to conduct an extensive workshop on Product Design & how it helps build truly customer-centric products.
The immersive workshop touched upon multiple topics including, but not restricting to:
- Designing New-Age Products: Crafting solutions that seamlessly fit into the ever-evolving market puzzle;
- User-Centered Design: Placing the user at the core of the design process for heightened relevance and impact;
- Design Thinking: Embracing a holistic approach to problem-solving, fostering creativity and innovation;
- Design for Tomorrow: Anticipating and adapting to future trends and challenges.
Most people believe that the 5 steps of Design Thinking (vis-a-vis – Empathy, Defining the problem, Ideation, Prototype, & Testing) are limited to creating a new product. But, as a business leader/entrepreneur, your job is not just building customer-centric products, but also inculcating a culture of innovation & experimentation across your enterprise.
This workshop was designed to elevate participants’ understanding of design principles, serving as a gateway to a world of design thinking and analysis.
The Workshop in Action
The workshop showcased the practical application of design thinking in product design. It served as a testament to this broader vision. The session demonstrated how design thinking isn’t confined to product design alone but extends to fostering a culture of innovation across the organization.
The workshop at IIM-Kozhikode witnessed a diverse audience, ranging from product design experts to entrepreneurs and startup owners—all eager to integrate design thinking into their approaches. The insights from the workshop sparked a new wave of passion for design across industries and verticals in India. This new generation, eager to harness the transformative power of design and design thinking, created an atmosphere filled with enthusiasm and curiosity.
Witnessing such wholesome zeal among participants to delve into the intricacies of product design affirmed that design is the future, and going forward the wave of design will only increase. The eagerness to learn and leverage design thinking principles among entrepreneurs is promising for the future—a future where design can be a driving force behind innovative solutions and business strategies.
Words and Takeaways from the Attendees
The resounding takeaway was the realization that the trajectory of design is aligned with the evolving needs of entrepreneurs and startups.
In the words of Aisha Sameeha,
“What is Design thinking?
- Reframes problem statements through continuous research and learning.
- Brings innovation, fostering improvements in productivity.
- Serves as a creative way of learning, unlearning, and relearning—an art with a clear-cut goal.
He encourages design thinkers to create art with a goal, not merely for entertainment.”
“Thanks Aashish for this insightful session. Truly your session has broadened my mind, to move ahead and conquer the world of design thinking”
“In an engaging session, Aashish Solanki Co-founder of NetBramha – Global UX Design Studio shared valuable insights and hands-on experiences, unraveling the nuances of Product Design”
said Sana Thayyil
The exploration of the dynamic journey from ideation to implementation through design thinking made the workshop come alive. In the ever-evolving realm of product design, it’s inspiring to see the design community proactively staying at the forefront of innovation.
