The Center for Transformational Leadership hosted a Design Thinking Workshop – Series 1 on 14th September 2024, specifically for second-year CTL members. Students from various departments participated enthusiastically in the session. The workshop was led by Mr. Sakthivel Shanmugam, Senior Engineer at Markers Lab, who highlighted the key differences between “Business,” “Start-ups,” and “Entrepreneurship.”
Mr. Sakthivel introduced the concept of design thinking, explaining how it revolves around a human-centered approach to innovation that integrates customer empathy, creative problem-solving, and strategic execution. He guided participants through the stages of empathizing with customers, defining problems based on their needs, ideating solutions, creating prototypes, and testing those prototypes to find the most effective solution. He also shared valuable insights into marketing strategies, emphasizing how understanding and meeting consumer demands is essential for success.
One memorable quote from Mr. Sakthivel was, “Don’t love your idea, love your problem,” encouraging participants to focus on solving the problem rather than abandoning it if an idea fails. Real-life examples and videos were used to help students grasp the core principles of design thinking. The session also provided an overview of market opportunities and steps for growth. The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A, where students explored topics related to start-ups, design thinking, and entrepreneurship.
