START UP Ambassador, Dora, attended the START UP Creativity and Innovation workshop, designed for future entrepreneurs who are looking to find their next great idea.
Attending business related events can feel like an exclusive club, reserved only for those who study Business related degree or have ground breaking business plans and ideas. But the START UP team here at Newcastle University run a series of workshops covering all stages of business development, starting from the idea generation. Being interested in entrepreneurship, I attended a Creativity & Innovation workshop that equipped me with various tools and techniques to think creatively and evaluate potential business ideas.
Design Thinking
We started by exploring ‘Design Thinking’ and how it is implemented throughout the whole journey from idea through to its realisation. Understanding five key steps in implementing the idea (Emphasise, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test), we focused on first three steps. Exploring methods to emphasise with the problem, we also looked at the importance of carefully evaluating the problem and understanding the difference between problems that are really uncomfortable to live with, and the ones that are just nice to be solved. A key takeaway here is the importance of in-depth understanding and evaluation of the problem before thinking about its solution, as some solutions are just nice to have and people might not be ready to pay to get it solved.
How it all starts? The Aha! Moments
After that we looked at successful entrepreneurs and how they came up with their ideas. Analysing their journey, it was clear that regardless of their age, gender, education etc., it all started with discovering a problem they wanted to solve. We actually all have these moments in our everyday life and the crucial point is to start noticing the problems that we can potentially solve with a product or service.
Collaboration Across Disciplines
One of the highlights of the workshop was the diversity of students attending. I had the chance to meet students from Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, Public Relations and others ranging from undergraduates to PhD. The mix of perspectives made our discussions richer bringing lots of insights. This further highlights that entrepreneurship isn’t just for students on business courses and creativity and innovation actually thrive when different skill sets come together.
A Hands-On Approach to Ideation
The slides were followed up with small practical tasks that enabled us to put the knowledge in practise straight away. We did an empathy mapping exercise, followed by quick ‘ideas sprint’ where we were challenged to think of 8 solutions in 8 minutes. This time limit really pushed my brain to stop overthinking and put down everything that came to my mind. Furthermore, I was surprised by the variety of ideas generated by other students and methods they used to capture those. Some students focused on quick sketches, others wrote headlines, and some developed detailed explanations. Seeing these different approaches reinforced that there’s no single "right" way to come up with a business idea.
Is the workshop for you?
If you are interested about entrepreneurship, but unsure of an idea or you have an idea, but you are not sure how you will develop it, you will definitely find something useful in this workshop! Moreover, it’s a great opportunity to get familiar with the START UP services, resources and funding opportunities available to you and ask any questions. Next Creativity and Innovation Workshop is running on 26 March and you can sign up now.
Otherwise, I you already have an idea, check out the other workshops covering Market Research or Pitching your business.
You can also begin your entrepreneurial journey by booking a 20-minute initial appointment with a START UP Consultant. A member of the START UP team will meet with you to discuss your ideas, goals and what stage you're at. They will signpost you to any relevant events and resources and if you're ready, refer you to a Business Adviser.