Unleashing Innovation: A Design Thinking Workshop at MilUX

Intoduction

Imagine a world where every decision, from developing new military equipment to improving soldier welfare, is driven by the needs and experiences of the people who use them. This is the promise of Design Thinking, a user-centred approach to problem-solving that prioritises user needs and perspectives.

Last week, Uma Odedra facilitated a Design Thinking workshop, bringing together a diverse group of MilUX colleagues to experience the power of this innovative methodology firsthand. Drawing inspiration from leading institutions like Stanford d.school and IDEO, the workshop condensed the core principles of Design Thinking into a single, high-impact day. We incorporated the concept of Design Sprints, a time-boxed approach developed by Google, to accelerate the innovation process and deliver tangible results within a short timeframe. Condensing the process allows for “failing fast” or, as Matt Odell likes to say, “learning fast.” But this is a conversation for another day!

Participants were divided into two teams and tasked with tackling real-world challenges:

• Team Savvy embarked on a mission to empower young people to make informed financial decisions, addressing a critical concern highlighted by the Money and Pensions Serviceabout the financial literacy gap among young adults in the UK.
• Team Accessible focused on improving the social experiences of individuals with mobility issues, aligning with the inclusivity goals of organisations like Scope, which advocate for inclusivity and accessibility for all. Accessibility and disability: UK research and statistics.

Over the course of the day, the teams immersed themselves in the five key stages of Design Thinking: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test. They delved into user research, identified key challenges, brainstormed a wealth of creative solutions, and ultimately brought their ideas to life through the creation of interactive prototypes.

Empathise

The first phase was to understand the needs of the users. We used the 4 Quadrant Empathy Map to understand what our users say, think, do and feel. We also used Cards for Humanity to add more dimension to the users. Check out their website.

Define

We worked to understand and reframe the problem or opportunity space for the users. We used the “How Might We…” approach to do this.

Ideate

We took inspiration from 10×10 (10 ideas in 10 minutes) and Crazy 8’sto create ideas and challenge assumptions.

Prototype

Both teams created a tangible prototype from one of their ideas.

Test

We recruited users from the Andover office of The IncuHive Group. Team Savvy tested a paper prototype of a board game, and Team Accessible tested a prototype of a web app using the MarvelApp.

Thank you Dmitrijs Meiksans and Alex Fielderfor giving up your time to come and test our prototypes.

The energy in the room was palpable as teams collaborated, debated, and iterated on their ideas. Witnessing their enthusiasm and the innovative solutions they generated was truly inspiring.

The thing that really surprised me was that I assumed that the answer was an app, because the answer is nearly always an app, isnt it?  But actually, the soluton was a physical game. One that could spark a conversation between a child and an adult. The whole process challenged our natural inclination to solutionise before understanding the user or the problem fully. Isabella Marriott

Looking Ahead: A Future of User-Centric Defence Innovation

This workshop is a powerful demonstration of how Design Thinking can unlock creativity and drive innovation. By embracing user-centred methods, we can collaborate with other businesses in the defence sector to develop mission-critical solutions at the speed of relevance.

MilUX is committed to leveraging its expertise in design thinking and user-centred design to help the defence sector deliver innovative and effective solutions that are truly user-centred. By understanding the needs and perspectives of military end users, we can create a future where our armed forces are equipped with the best possible tools and technologies.

About our facilitator, Uma Odedra:

Uma Odedra is a User Experience Researcher with a passion for Design Thinking. Her journey began in 2016 when she experimented with introducing Design Thinking principles to her young daughter. While prototyping wasn’t feasible for a 3-year-old, this early exploration instilled in her the importance of understanding user needs and brainstorming creative solutions.

Encouraged by her friend and school teacher Jen, Uma developed a structured Design Thinking curriculum. This led to collaborations with Design Club CIC at West London Free School and Multiverse , culminating in successful programmes for both schoolchildren and apprentices. These experiences, spanning education and the workplace, have solidified Uma’s commitment to helping organisations unlock their creative potential and develop user-centred solutions.