In 2015 VMware Bulgaria contacted us with the request to train a core team of 20 software engineers in the principles of design thinking in order to facilitate everyday problem-solving and improve the team’s innovation capabilities. The design thinking methodology was chosen by the client because of its focus on customers needs, which naturally gives a different angel to problem definition and hence solving.
client brief
Our task was to train a core software engineering team in problem solving and innovative thinking.
client
our approach
We have created a design thinking introduction workshop and matched it with actual work on a real project.
duration
The training program took place between June and July in 2015.
key results
There were 20 engineers successfully trained and 4 ideas were created to improve vCloud Air customer experience pitched to management. At the end of the design sprint four innovative solutions to improve the vCloud Air customer experience were successfully pitched to VMware management. A noticeable mind shift was observed in the group by the Chief Innovation Officer and the training was rated 10/10 by both engineers and management.
success factors
The fact that we worked with a real project topic was crucial for the success of the training, as well as the support from the CEO and the Chief Innovation Officer at VMware Bulgaria.
a smart way to engage engineers with customers needs
Engineers like to tackle technical problems so, we gave them one. As VMware had just launched its vCloud Air on-demand and IaaS subscription services, the topic was naturally chosen for a project case during the training. The training program itself consisted of two phases:
/ Phase 1 – introduction: a 1-day interactive workshop in design thinking to acquaint the group with the main principles and tools used in practice
/ Phase 2 – project-based coaching: a 4-week facilitated design sprint during which the engineers worked on the chosen topic
During phase 2 the group of 20 engineers was split in four teams who worked on solving a specific problem related to the main topic. With the coaches support, the teams went through one design sprint and carried out contextual interviews with real vCloud Air customers, analyzed the “as is” customer journey and tested new ideas through rapid prototyping.
Find out more about our Redesigning mindsets programs and trainings here and how they can be applied for your business and team.