( Savannah, Ga.) Savannah SCORE announces it’s September Top Ten Lecture Series entitled "Applying Design Thinking to Your Business". The presentation will be in the SCORE conference room, 111 E. Liberty Street, Savannah, from 11:30 to 1:00 on September 25. Our expert lecturer will be Giselle Rahn. The program is free, but bring your lunch. Please RSVP by calling our SCORE office at (912)-652-4335.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM: The presentation will explain how industrial thinking is a creative tool to identify consumer needs or unique business opportunities. The practice of design thinking emerged from the client oriented approach industrial designers use to develop products. It shifts the way companies understand their clients needs and their own business practices, and links the two. Several large companies such as IBM, P&G, and Johnson and Johnson have created their own in-house design research teams to guide their strategy and products, with the consumer foremost in mind. Some points to consider:
1. Design thinking is not about making something look good . It is about making something work really well. That something could be a product, a system or an entire business.
2. Design thinking works best when there is a challenge to address. Start with a query, a problem, something to investigate. This serves as a guide to your research plan.
3. Develop and execute your research plan. This approach is valuable because solutions generated are grounded in data, but still have human needs backing them. The research can be either broad or narrow, but it must address the intent of the project.
ABOUT GISELLE RAHN: Giselle is a business strategist. She works with clients ranging from industrial manufacturers to local non-profits, examining their current practices and their market potential. Using research strategies to uncover key elements of the business, she crafts system solutions for weak areas. Giselle holds an MFA in Design Management. Her educational and personal interests have influenced her ability to address client needs by expanding their thinking about ideas and practices. In addition to her business consulting, she is a volunteer with the Savannah Bicycle Campaign.
ABOUT SCORE: SCORE is a national non-profit organization which, in partnership with the Small Business Administration, offers mentor expertise to entrepreneurs desiring to start their own businesses, or to business owners who want to grow or fine tune their existing businesses. SCORE has 33 local mentors and a backup roster of 13,000 mentors nationwide. All services are free of charge. Visit our website at www.savannah.score.org or call the Savannah office at (912)-652-4335 to schedule an appointment with one of our mentors.