Let’s dig deeper into what a two-day Cookhouse co-creation sprint looks like.

At Cookhouse Labs, it is my job to create a safe space for project participants so they can feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences. So, we always start our sprints with a unique introduction exercise to establish everyone’s identity outside of typical organizational roles so that we can connect as humans and foster a sense of community.

Next, we will have a crash course in design thinking. Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and collaboration. It involves understanding users' needs, generating innovative ideas, and iteratively prototyping solutions. This will be the framework for everything we do.

Setting the Groundwork

We begin the day with our expert sessions to uncover technology trends in AI, Sales, and Commission Management and learn how commission structures and technology can impact behavior to create more profitable outcomes. This will lay the groundwork for addressing the challenge and using our collective experience to find a solution.

After lunch, we will focus on:

• The Problem Statement. We will discuss the challenge, gather opinions, and define a customer-centric approach to building a solution.
• Personas. Crucial to the design process, personas represent user types who might interact with a product or service. They help humanize the design and lead to more targeted and practical solutions.
• Journey Maps. Define the user experience with a product or service. By mapping out each step of the user's journey, we can identify pain points and unmet needs, and leverage them as opportunities for improvement.
• Solution Ideas. The team will determine possible solutions and vote on the best solution to carry forward to day 2.

We end the day with a team dinner, a chance to celebrate day 1, enjoy a great meal, and further explore the challenge in a relaxed setting.

Building a Solution

Day 2 brings the solution to life and defining the critical aspects of the solution.

• Create and Test Processes. It’s time to validate the solution and create a low-fidelity prototype. Prototypes offer a simple way to explore ideas, concepts, and functionality and identify potential problems.
• Solution Architecture. What is probable? Anything is possible, but what makes the most sense? We’ll have a chance to validate our solution with our Chief Technology Architect.
• Business Case. Document the business case and how the solution interact with other systems. This will help stakeholders understand the requirements, workflows, and potential challenges.
• Prototype. By the end of the day, the team members share prototypes and the insights they’ve gleaned from testing. Everyone considers whether some features from various prototypes can be integrated to provide a more robust solution.
• The Pitch. Finish the day by pitching the solution as a team.

If you think this is an action-packed two-days – you’re right. We aim to solve big problems in a collaborative and fun way with all the essential components of design thinking. You’ll walk away with access to the documentation for the prototype (minimum viable product) and the freedom to take the idea back to your organization to refine it further. Plus, you will gain a thorough understanding of design thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills, which are equally valuable. As well as new perspectives and learning when it comes to AI.

Are you interested in collaborating with like-minded people who share common objectives? Join us at one of our upcoming co-creation sprints at the SAP Office in New York on October 21-22 or Chicago on October 29-30. Click to learn more: https://www.msg-global.com/2024-10-chl-co-creation-sprint.