Running head: REPURPOSE SCHOOLBAG 1

Final Report

Light After Dark: Repurpose Schoolbag

26 March 2018

Capella University
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Table of Contents
Light After Dark: Repurpose Schoolbag.........................................................................................3
Design Thinking Process.................................................................................................................3
Empathize.....................................................................................................................................3
Define and Create.........................................................................................................................4
Prototype......................................................................................................................................5
CAST Story System.........................................................................................................................7
Content.........................................................................................................................................7
Audience......................................................................................................................................8
Story.............................................................................................................................................8
Tell...............................................................................................................................................9
Table 1: CAST Story System.....................................................................................................10
Innovative Change Process............................................................................................................10
Questioning................................................................................................................................11
Observation................................................................................................................................11
Experimentation.........................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
Works Cited...................................................................................................................................14
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Light After Dark: Repurpose Schoolbag

The Repurpose Schoolbag is an innovative product founded by a South-African social

startup. The business partners, childhood friends Thato Kgatihanye and Rea Ngwane (Journal,

2017), decided to create this product to solve a social issue in the poor nation of Africa. The

Repurpose Schoolbag is intended to double as a bag to carry a student’s books and school

supplies and houses a solar charging unit to power an attached light to help students study at

night (Journal, 2017). “The Repurpose Schoolbag is designed for dignity and durability by

harnessing wearable solar technology which charges during the day” (Foundation, 2018). Some

rural areas do not have power to households, eliminating the chances for students to be able to

study at night. Thato and Rea had an idea to fix this issue and began the process to begin this

entrepreneurial venture.

This entrepreneurial venture was developed through many facets, beginning its

incorporation. Using the design thinking process, the co-founders of Repurpose Schoolbags

focused on an emphatic approach to develop a product to benefit humanity. Also, Lewin’s

Change Model will be implemented into a theoretic discussion about how Thato and Rea were

pushing for change with their product development. Furthermore, the innovative change process

will be discussed incorporating Dyer’s article, The Innovator’s DNA, and the two leadership

practices questioning and observing. These practices will be used to accomplish the first three

components of the design thinking process aimed at solving problems.

Design Thinking Process

Empathize

The design thinking process is a method which targets problems and figures out ways to

solve them. “It is a way of thinking and working as well as a collection of hands-on methods”
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(Dam, 2018). The first component of the design thinking process is empathy. Emphatic thinking

helps consider the real issue of social problems: people. When products are designed with people

in mind, they are created with care and attention, not for profit. “Do not start with the problem,

start with the people. People are where the interesting data is, and people are an interesting thing

to observe” (Burnett, 2015). Thato and Rea created their product with this mindset, leading to an

improvement in many children’s lives through empathy.

Empathy begins with observation and asking questions. Observing the behavior of people

leads to many questions to be considered when deciding on one process to improve. Collecting

data from observing people is valuable, and this data can turn into new and intriguing ideas

focusing on problem resolution. This is the crucial beginning step because “it really changes the

information you have to design with” (Burnett, 2015). In turn, this process leads to innovation

and creation of solutions to people’s real needs. Identifying a problem is difficult if there is no

problem identified. That is why showing empathy towards people will generate these ideas first

on what problems are existent, shower them with attention and care, and deliver innovative

solutions to these problems. Next follows the brainstorming aspect of the design thinking

process.

Define and Create

The second and third components of the design thinking process are to define the

problem and create ideas through brainstorming. Defining the problem helps create more

potential solutions to people’s real needs. “We ideate, and ideation is just a general term for lots

and lots of ways that we have of coming up with lots and lots of ideas, but they are being with

the more ideas you have, the better your choices will be” (Burnett, 2015). When a solution is

created to a problem, the feeling of accomplishment is high. However, the process shouldn’t stop
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there. More and more ideas should be brainstormed with finding ways to solve societal issues for

children in Africa. As Thato and Rea engaged in this cycle, they may have come up with several

ideas about ways to benefit children before reaching the Repurpose Schoolbags. It is possible

they thought about solar energy battery packs first which could attach directly to children’s

backpacks. Upon further contemplation, they thought it would be more beneficial to design a

backpack with an attached solar battery cell and a light. This is the brainstorming process which

leads to fantastic innovation. The more ideas which flow out from the brain, the more

information is readily available to grad as needed. Once you master the skills central to the

design thinking approach, they can be applied to solve problems in daily life and any industry”

(Linke, 2017). Always consider new methods for process improvement to better the chances of

solving life’s problems. The smallest idea may lead to an innovative solution, which in turn

could benefit humanity. Next follows a prototype discussion.

Prototype

The fourth stage in the design process is building a prototype of a product. It may seem

easy to have a product design explained, then talk to people to see if they like the idea, figure out

if it is really a need by them, then build a prototype to match this data. However, not always is

data compiled for this purpose, nor is data sometimes available to help in the design process.

Then, a new way of thinking must come up to address the needs of products without this little bit

of help. What is most intriguing about data is “that people search for certainty and trying to find

data about this thing that does not exist yet, this future that they want to build the property for…”

(Burnett, 2015), is a common approach which can lead to inaction. “You have to admit that it is

impossible to get data about the future. It is simply impossible” (Burnett, 2015). Data can only

do one thing, and that is reflect on the past. If you want to know how well the Pet Rock did, then
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look up data to see how much sales the company had versus how much overhead. The

company’s financial report should display nice data to review. However, when trying to create a

new product, there is simply no data available that can predict how well the product will do on

the market.

Secondly, an important concept to understand with the prototype is that at some level

along this phase it is going to fail. This representation of the brilliant ideas put into the product

will fail at some level and won’t meet the mark by someone. “You will fail, and 90% of your

prototypes will fail to solve the problem you were proposing” (Burnett, 2015). However, these

are productive failures in a sense that the feedback received is now data which can be used to

figure out what is not good with the product, and furthermore how to improve the product for the

next prototype. This trial and error stage sets the foundation for the next prototype, which may

ultimately be the best one yet. If not, then the next one will be even better, and so forth. Finding

the bad in something never makes it fail. It creates opportunity for improvement to make a

product better.

The Repurpose Schoolbag at first impression was a good concept idea with the emotional

context in play. However, after responses from fellow students, it appears some components of

the Repurpose Schoolbag were not fully functional for the product. Firstly, the recycled material

which structured the backpack was a positive. Secondly, the design was standard for the market,

and people did enjoy the looks and style. Thirdly, the solar charger attached to the backpack was

thought to be okay, but many people believed it should be detachable, which I agree with.

Finally, the lantern sits inside the pack while it is charged, and it is a bulky item, heavy, and

takes up too much internal space. Feedback described it as not for conventional use. After

receiving feedback data, the schoolbag should now have a detachable solar battery cell which
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can be taken off from the pack after charged, then the lantern will stay at home which the solar

battery cell will charge after it is removed. Furthermore, a smaller light will be woven into the

fabric so at nighttime when children are walking home, they can still be seen. The first prototype

had many deficiencies, but now, after careful reconsideration and data from my fellow cohorts,

the second prototype is significantly improved.

CAST Story System

An effective communication strategy which will help to overcome complacency and

create passion for the Repurpose Schoolbag product is the CAST story system. This system

utilizes four components to express ideas through verbal and visual communication. The four

components of the CAST story system are Content, Audience, Story, and Tell (Sykes, 2012, p.

13). Next follows detailed information of the four components of the CAST story system.

Content

Content describes what is going to be communicated to the intended audience. This can

be one individual, a small group of five, or even a theater full of 1,000 people. No matter how

small or large your audience is, what is in the content is important. “Many presentations have too

much content that is not relevant to the decision or change being proposed” (Sykes, 2012, p. 13).

For example, when presenting the schoolbag to an audience for safety feedback, the focus should

be solely on safety and not stray into abstract subjects. You wouldn’t want to ask the audience

questions about the cost of the product at this point. That is an issue unrelated to safety. The

people in the audience will stray away from the focus on safety and start to think of ideas on how

to lower the cost of the product, resulting in a bad experiment. Therefore, sticking to simplicity

and focusing on presenting material only relevant to the immediate topic is the best way to

effectively communicate with your intended audience. Next follows ideas on the audience.
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Audience

Having a thorough understanding of your audience is the key to telling your story. “You

need to understand the people you’re telling your story to” (Sykes, 2012, p. 13). What they need

to know is what you should present to them. The speaker must communicate in a way which will

not only tell the story of the product but getting the point across and having it understood. One

method to better communicate to your audience is using verbal and non-verbal cues. During a

presentation to an audience for the Repurpose Schoolbag, the speaker is constantly using his/her

hands in ways to navigate the audience to understand the importance of the content. They may

raise their hands high when something is highly important; put one, two, or three fingers up

when making note of a specific count; smile when something is engaging or encouraging; serious

when something must be remembered. All these non-verbal cues help to motivate the audience to

direct their attention towards focal areas of the speech. If an audience is losing focus, the speaker

can raise their voice to wake them back up and pay attention. These methods can greatly improve

the communication between the speaker and audience. Next follows the story.

Story

Being clear of the content to be presented and the audience you are presenting to are the

steps leading towards creating an appropriate story structure. “Using the format of a story, rather

than simply presenting information, makes it easy for your audience to identify with your goals,

remember your ideas, and agree with your suggestions” (Sykes, 2012, p. 13). Having structure in

the story you are telling gives the audience cues about what is to be expected, when the speech is

almost done, and when the appropriate time is to cheer. Consider how an elementary school play

is structured. The audience is given a pamphlet at the beginning of the play which shows an

outline of the information to be presented. The audience can follow along and read who is going
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to have important parts in the play, and what is going to happen next. This eliminates confusion

and tension from the audience’s mind and reduces overload of information, so the focus can stay

on the content. Presenting the Repurpose Schoolbag to an audience is no different. Telling the

story of the product should be done in the same way. Outline the story of the product before the

presentation, then stay on track with how you formulated it. Do not steer left or right, as this may

cause you to collide with an unsuspecting object. Stay in your lane and keep the direction going

in a straight line. Next follows the final component, tell.

Tell

Once the story has been identified, there needs to be practice in telling the story to the

audience before it is conducted. “Work out how the story will be conveyed in different formats

and test that it has the intended impact” (Sykes, 2012, p. 13). A visual story can be told in

various ways, and the audience must be able to understand the intended message. A significant

note to be told is that the way you believe a message is conveyed may be misconstrued by your

audience. If you think the audience is going to respond positively to the message, you must also

prepare for a negative reaction. Doing so will give you the firepower to react. Reaction should be

ready to engage at any time, meaning if the audience doesn’t get the message, or if they act

differently than your intended response, you should be able to change your presentation method

on the spot to better sync with the audience. Visually telling the story of the Repurpose

Schoolbag helps address what the audience may think is positives or negatives, then delivers a

functioning outline to prepare for the audience unknowns. Next follows the innovative change

process.
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Table 1: CAST Story System

Innovative Change Process

There are numerous leadership practices which can help support Thato and Rea within

their organization. “Three of the best leadership practices for supporting innovation are

questioning, observing, and experimenting” (Dyer, 2009). Through these innovative practices,

the co-founders can further define their organizational structure, goals, and purpose. Also, these

components can be applied through the design thinking process. As a leader, I would use

questioning, observation, and experimentation to ensure empathy, redefinition, and

brainstorming of ideas are structured within the organizational framework. Next follows the first

leadership practice; questioning.

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Questioning

For the Repurpose Schoolbag, I would use questioning as a method to identify questions

for business-related issues. This would constitute empathy as the products are designed for needy

children. By finding the right questions (Dyer, 2009), you may discover answers which wouldn’t

have been recognized as needs prior to the innovative questioning. I would question how the

products intend to improve the social stratosphere surrounding Africa, the impact on the

environment when producing products, the ethical treatment of employees who produce the

products, etc. I would look for problems along the supply chain and ensure any unethical

situations are met with responsible solutions. Furthermore, I would create questions to problems

that are non-existent in a method to be preemptive if these problems ever occur. Next follows

observation.

Observation

Additionally, I would utilize observation through redefining new ideas and brainstorming

to bring the process to completion with a desired solution. Recognizing problems before they

arise is a practice I would participate in, ensuring that the backpacks reach their designated

target, the children. I would want to observe how many children are affected by this societal

problem, create a plan to fulfill this market need, then produce enough volume for all children

regionally who suffer from poorer economic conditions. The root of the problem lies within the

lack of basic electricity to power their homes. Therefore, solar energy is ideal in this situation as

the children can charge their lights all day while they walk around and have enough light at night

to study. Next follows experimentation.

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Experimentation

Finally, I would use experimentation to generate new information through outlets

including talking to various types of people, visit startups focused on innovation and creativity,

display the prototype schoolbag to people, and ask multiple questions to myself daily, including,

“What is the point of this?” and “What would happen if I did that?” The purpose of performing

these steps is to obtain information which could lead to breakthrough ideas that could forever

change the product. “Two-thirds of the innovation skill set comes through learning – first

understanding a given skill, then practicing it, experimenting, and ultimately gaining confidence

in one’s capacity to create” (Dyer, 2009). With the Repurpose Schoolbag, even with a prototype

built, it can still be reassessed to improve the product. This would actually be more beneficial

than to enter the market with a premature product that if we would’ve known about potential

issues beforehand, we could’ve made the changes before ordering 10,000 units. It is better to

continually experiment with products, no matter where they are in the design process.

Conclusion

The Repurpose Schoolbag was founded upon a societal need discovered by two

childhood friends. Their emphatic nature allowed them to develop an innovative product which

benefitted many children throughout the African nation. Through the design thinking process,

Thato and Rea thought about the impact on human lives first and how their product would

benefit others. They redefined and brainstormed ideas to ensure their product and its purpose

were meeting the needs of people who face harsh economic disadvantages. They also built a

prototype to test the product and gain reactions from the audience. Furthermore, the CAST

system helped create a visual representation of how to present the product to an audience.

Through content, audience, story, and tell, a visual story was created to better prepare the
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speaker on what to relay to the audience and how to relay the intended information. The

innovative change process incorporated questioning and observation to better understand how

organizational changes could be implemented.

The impact of Thato and Rea on poverty-stricken children in Africa can be felt across the

nation. Through empathy, they were able to find a need to be met while instituting welfare for

their fellow humans. True leaders understand these changes must be made and should be adapted

to all practices within their organizations. It is up to Thato and Rea to continue designing their

thinking process and always manage change to better function for the people.
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Works Cited

Burnett, B. (2015) Stanford Webinar – Apply Design Thinking in Your Work. Stanford Center f

or Professional Development. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Dam, R., & Siang, T. (2018, February 18). What is Design Thinking and Why Is It So Popular?

Retrieved March 10, 2018, from

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/what-is-design-thinking-and-why-is-

it-so-popular

Dyer, J. H., Gregersen, H. B., & Christensen, C. M. (2009). The Innovator's DNA. (cover

story). Harvard Business Review, 87(12), 60-67.

Foundation, R. (2018). Why our bags? Retrieved March 10, 2018, from

http://www.rethakafoundation.org/whythebags

Journal, W. S. (2017, March 14). How to Encourage Innovation in Africa. Retrieved March 10,

2018, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-encourage-innovation-in-africa-

1489543260

Linke, R. (2017, September 14). Newsroom. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from

http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsroom/articles/design-thinking-explained/

Sykes, Martin, et al. Stories That Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for

Persuasive Presentations, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2012. ProQuest Ebook

Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.library.capella.edu/lib/capella/detail.action?

docID=1040814.

Worley, C. G., Mohrman S. A., Is change management obsolete? Organizational Dynamics,

Volume 43, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 214-224, ISSN 0090-2616,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2014.08.008.