Think Lab Activity 5: Challenging Assumptions
- Poulomi Sen
- Sep 21, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 28, 2020
Your assumptions are your windows on the world; scrub them off every once in a while or the light won't come in. For this activity of think lab we were taught to break down some pre-conceived notions we all carry regarding certain objects; in this case it was food. We all have a set way of viewing certain food items and when somebody can go beyond and create something new it can be a major breakthrough for the product and how the customers view it. We were made to think in a way to acquire this strength which can help us in the future. Like usual the day was divided in 2 segment: Warm Up Activity and Main Activity.
WARM UP ACTIVITY
For the warm up activity we started with familiarizing ourselves to the process of challenging assumption. We started with listing the assumptions around Tea: Hot, Rain, Sweet, Conversation Starter, Pakora, etc. to list a few. We also discussed about the assumptions around Dosa and its form: Flat, Medium Size, Always Folded Like a Roti, etc.
After the assumptions were listed and we saw how major companies had challenged these assumptions and created out of the ordinary products. This led us to our activity of the day where we were allotted a food item and we had to challenge assumptions around it.
MAIN ACTIVITY
As the day progressed we were divided into groups of four where my group consisted of: Harshul Grover, Sanya Jain, Namrata Gogoi and myself. The allotted food item was Pan and soon after the groups were formed we listed the schedule of how the things will play in action. We started of with listing the assumptions around pan as well as the health benefits of it through peer discussion and research. While we were listing down the assumptions we also started highlighting the assumptions we were likely going to challenge.
Soon after we had done mind mapping we had planned on brainstorming ideas which we already started during the listing process. We decided to make Paan Shots wherein we change the triangular shape of the object to a more cylindrical and instead of being wrapped in a tissue it would be served in a shot glass keeping the cultural resemblance of the item added with a western twist.
Since three out of four members of the group were not comfortable with using a digital media for the poster and logo making, we decided to take up that challenge and work using illustrator with the supervision of our peer
We started with a hand drawn idea of our desired logo which was then converted into a digital logo and after discussing with each other, we landed up with our final logo. We followed the same process to compile our poster as well where we had compiled all of our work done throughout with a catchy tagline.
OUTCOME:
Group Achievement:
Good communication and sharing of ideas
We went out of our comfort zone and used a digital media for this project through peer learning
Well coordinated
Time was well managed
Group Struggles:
None
LEARNING MANTRA
Keep It Desi All The Way
Reflection:
While undertaking this activity over and above I learnt about the health benefits as well as other aspects of Paan. By challenging the assumptions that we listed, I also learnt to think out of the box in both conventional and non-conventional manner. The skill set thus developed will be fruitfully utilized by me in the upcoming projects. I also gained the confidence to use digital media and this activity made me overcome my reservation of using it and boosted my confident doing so. Furthermore, I ended up making the cover page of my Essence of Color project on the digital platform. The open environment of then project enabled us to plan our own work as well as every individuals contribution, together as a team. Beyond the activity there was great insight on advantages of planning and organizing our work flow. My strongest take away was how to work as a team by valuing and listing all the ideas and coming to a common consensus. By tyhe end of the project I realized, learning is an ongoing process and the knowledge gained will be with me for eternity.
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