Disclaimer: Due to the confidential nature of this project, detailed information cannot be disclosed. However, I've attempted to share my journey unconventionally while respecting these limitations. Hope you enjoy it!
Parent University
SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences is where I completed my Master's in Strategic Design and through whom I had the opportunity to work on this live partnership project over the course of 4 months.
My Team
Julia Brocza, Strategic Designer
Gianluca Dipiero, Strategic Designer
Rohit Gole (me), Strategic Designer
Olivia Victor, Strategic Designer
The Client
A team of passionate design-thinking advocates from the Bundeswehr military and civil departments on a mission to implement change within the German Defence Forces.
Key Stakeholders
The Challenge
How might we create a mobile innovation lab for military changemakers of the Bundeswehr to drive an innovation mindset for solving complex challenges?
My Contributions
Collaborated with my team through research, synthesis, ideation, prototyping and the implementation pitch.
Facilitated an ideation workshop in partnership with my teammate Gianluca.
The research phase was 6 weeks long where we implemented numerous varieties of qualitative research methodologies.
An Online Netnography.
Semi-structured interviews.
Field Immersion at a military leadership training facility.
The synthesis was a brief 2-week phase following which we presented our research insights, findings and opportunity area.
Data clustering.
Stakeholder mapping.
Iceberg model system mapping.
Jobs to be done.
Insight mining using the 5 whys.
The reframed challenge based on research insights.
How might we empower and encourage military and civilian members of the Bundeswehr across different hierarchies to tackle simple daily challenges using an innovation mindset?
This was a 3 week phase we kicked off with an internal brainstorming session followed by a co-creation workshop and then concept testing.
Internal brainstorming session.
Co-creation workshop.
Back to the drawing board.
Concept testing II
Building the MVP .
The project ended with a short demonstration and 3 separate concept pitches to different groups of stakeholders from the Bundesministerium, Airforce and Navy.
Demoing the solution.
Presenting a low-cost scaling strategy.
Creating a solution that shifts mindsets within any organization is challenging—within a vast, structured entity like the military, even more so. Tackling this as a group of international students over five months seemed almost impossible. So on completion, what questions did I find myself asking, and what did I take away?
Success or Failure?
We measured success by gauging the interest and enthusiasm from various stakeholders. Receiving requests for additional pitches—especially from Navy stakeholders interested in revisiting and adapting one of their previous projects with elements of our approach—was a clear indicator of success.
Adapt and thrive!
At one point in our research, interviewees were hesitant to share information. To ease their concerns, we adjusted our approach, shifting from military-specific questions to a more generalized line of questioning. This change made interviewees more comfortable, leading to a wealth of detailed insights.
Perfection is a myth. Better done than perfect!
Were we satisfied with our solution’s appearance? Am I ever fully satisfied with my work? Not quite—there’s always room for improvement.. But completing the task is essential. What we created was a proof of concept, grounded in solid qualitative research, with stakeholders recognizing its potential.
Crafting the UX for the digital transformation of TVS sales operations worldwide.
Extentia x TVS Motors - 2019-21
The money management experience made fast yet mindful, purposeful, and hands-on.
Freelance x Okozukai - 2020
Product launch website. The future of mobility in India.
Extentia x TVS Motor - 2020