IDEATION IN EQUATION, EVERYTHING GOES!

Young Innovators currently undertaking Design Thinking escapade at the University of Nairobi’s technology hub, C4DLab were today immersed into in-depth ideation on their Nov/Dec challenge.

The kids who boast of an opportunity and platform to showcase their innovative ideas, to solve some of the challenges facing the African continent, came up with different ideas on their current challenge – Water Purification.

Guided by their various mentors, the kids hatched up interesting thoughts on the water filtration modes they would prefer using, to the purification method they will use in the entire phase of the design thinking adventure.

From diagrams to descriptions, one after another, the kids gave their thoughts citing the various reasons for their choices as opposed to the other divergent views.

Given that the C4DLab’s Making Innovators challenge takes into account the design thinking processes, the kids weren’t restricted on which ideas they ought to give, everything is considered a brilliant idea and that means, everything goes into the equation!

Solving what Professors solve


A picture of sticky notes definition of the Water Purification challenge.

Even though an idea might be very brilliant, its actualization is what matters. Ideaation stage is perhaps the most challenging part in design thinking process, as the definition of the design challenge requires synthesis of observations about the target users from the Empathy stage.

This kind of synthesis is often associated with professors and researchers. The kids are however cheerful and inspired that at their miniature ages, they are solving problems that respected varsity professors do.

The kids stated the materials they will use, how their water purification method will work and how the final product will look. They already have the final product they want to create at the back of their minds even before the prototyping stage; this shows the beauty of ideation stage.

String Telephones

Innovators testing their string telephones.

The day could be very dull if there wasn’t something exiting to cheer up the exhausted minds of the kids. Nothing could have achieved this better than the string telephones.

Having been provided with two plastic coffee cups and a string, the kids, grouped in pairs made string telephones. It was such a wonderful experience.

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