10. Implications and applications#

This week I was working on the idea for my final project. I used the Design Thinking method to define the needs of my target group and develop an innovative product.

In order to approach my final topic, I formulated various questions.

Since I am very fascinated by the topic OPTICAL FIBERS, I asked myself what can be done with it?

What actually is an innovation?#

When do innovations actually emerge? The drawing shows that an innovation can emerge at the intersection of a need, practicability and profitability. The starting point is the need for a certain thing, a product or a service. Many customers/users are often unable to substantiate the need. This can be found out through the design thinking process and an idea can become a tangible product that is precisely tailored to the needs of the customer.

Design Thinking#

Design Thinking focuses on the needs of the customer. It is important to take the customer’s point of view and develop empathy. On the basis of a clearly defined target group, a product/service can be developed customer-centered. The illustration shows the different phases of the Design Thinking process. The phases have a strong relationship to each other.

Case Study#

The case study is about becoming an expert on a certain topic. This requires thorough research on the various subject areas. My final project is dedicated to the topic optical fibers and how they can find a meaningful, helpful and yet optically appealing application.

Target group#

In the next steps I defined the target group and created a persona representing the needs of the target group.

Persona and customer journey#

The customer journey shows the daily routine of the persona with its negative and positive situations. A need can be derived from this.

Ideas#

The brainstorming method was helpful in answering these questions. The aim is to generate as many ideas as possible in a short time.

Need#

Prototyping and next steps....#

Next, out of these many ideas, an evaluation of the best ideas could be made, e.g. with the help of the dot voting-method. The idea with the most points can then be developed further and tailored exactly to the needs of the persona.

Final Project Ideas#

One of the final ideas could be a textile/ product/ application with optical fibers that is equipped with a proximity sensor and changes color to red when a car drives too close. This could be equipped with the additional benefit of a tracking chip for the children.

Another idea could be a ring illuminated by optical fibers that could be transformed into a wearable fashion piece. The hoop fulfils the safety questions, the need of the persona. When riding a bicycle you could wear it around your hips over your normal clothes.
If necessary, you can add an extravagant skirt to the ring, which would satisfy the persona’s love of fashion.

Interactive fiber optic textile sculpture - Those Who Affected Me - Background story from Malin Bobeck Tadaa on Vimeo.

Malin Bobeck Optical Fiber Textiles from Malin Bobeck Tadaa on Vimeo.