SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Department of Management Studies organized Design Thinking Certification workshop on January 03^rd 2024 for 3^rd Semester MBA Students. Design Thinking certification proved to be an enlightening experience for the MBA students of New Horizon College of Engineering under the adept guidance of Mr. Ramani Venkat. It took place in the seminar hall of Department of Management Studies. The session commenced with a thought-provoking demonstration, where Mr. Venkat ingeniously distributed a ₹50 note, challenging students to transcend passive participation and seize opportunities actively.

Students were then organized into teams of ten, laying the foundation for an interactive and collaborative learning environment. The subsequent assignment involved case studies – three distinct scenarios presented on a single sheet of paper. The challenge was not only to decipher the individual problems and solutions but, more importantly, to identify common threads and similarities in the problem-solving approach.

The results were enlightening, revealing a consistent empathetic perspective among different teams in approaching client problems. This underscored the workshop’s central theme – the human-centric nature of design thinking and its ability to foster innovative solutions rooted in empathy.

Furthermore, the workshop highlighted the notion that effective solutions need not be convoluted. Mr. Venkat emphasized the power of simplicity and cost-effectiveness, encouraging students to explore streamlined yet impactful problem-solving strategies.

A comprehensive exploration of the design thinking process ensued, elucidating its various stages and nuances. Mr. Venkat underscored the pivotal role of asking the right questions in shaping innovative solutions. This was exemplified through an activity involving the framing of questions for a hypothetical chocolate factory facing distribution challenges.

The activity prompted diverse teams to explore facets such as packaging, transportation logistics, purpose, and destination. The array of questions reflected the creativity and depth of thought each team brought to the table. The exercise served as a practical demonstration of how precision in questioning can unravel novel perspectives and lead to innovative problem-solving.

As the day concluded, anticipation and enthusiasm lingered for the continuation of the workshop on the following day. The MBA students departed with a newfound appreciation for the practical application of design thinking methodologies, armed with insights that extended beyond the theoretical realm and into the dynamic landscape of problem-solving.

In the second day i.e 5th January 2024 he explained some theories about marketing & sales & emphasized on the importance of marketing as a career. After that activities took place where all the 10 teams had to present their self-made presentations. Mostly the presentations involved selecting a problem and later finding the solution for that. A quiz contest was also conducted via Google forms.

Finally, he awarded medals to the best team who created the most creative presentation and to the students who received top scores.

In a nutshell, the workshop was really worth attending and it duly helped us with valuable inputs