Having recently joined Pensaar Design, this was my first Design Thinking Summit, and as such, something I’d really been looking forward to. And I’m glad to report that it was all I hoped it would be and more.

A hands-on learning approach where participants get to apply the Design Thinking process to solve a real problem, it allows for a practical application of theoretical concepts.

Given the end consumer is at the heart of everything we do at Pensaar Design, we mirror this thinking even with our Summit. Which is why some of us are embedded within participant teams, so we too can go through the entire process and the coaching as the participants do.

Having been embedded in one of these teams, I got to work on the problem together with my teammates, and to benefit from the different coaching perspectives of our many coaches.

At Pensaar Design we encourage diversity of viewpoints and of ideas, and this finds a representation even in how we curate the teams for the Summit. So a lot of thought goes into how each team is structured, to ensure people from across functions and companies come together on a team, allowing for divergent inputs and the ability to collaborate and build on ideas.

With participants from across functions and industries, the Summit is a fabulous ground for cross pollination of ideas. One gets to meet a cross section of folks and work with them all, to network and build connections.

At the end of the Summit participants have not just understood the elements of the process and how to apply the various tools, but have also been exposed to case studies and industry opinions on DT at work.

Additionally, they’ve built strong networks both within the teams they worked in for the 3 days, and also across the entire body of participants.

All in all, a fabulous experience for all involved, and I for one am eagerly awaiting the next edition of our annual Design Thinking Summit.