startup 8
TWO DIFFERENT COPIES
You’ve learned about a problem, gained empathy for those who experience the problem, and seen frustrations that arise from using alternative solutions. NOW IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO OFFER SOMETHING BETTER!
This assignment asks you to describe your solution. Rather than constrain your creativity with a template that requires you to answer OUR questions, we ask you to provide a brief description of your solution accompanied by a “pre-totype” (low fidelity prototype) drawing you can share with others that illustrates your product or service offering.
- Your written description should explain your solution and list important features with expected benefits they’ll provide (relative to currently available, frustrating solutions).
- Your ORIGINAL, HAND-DRAWN illustration of your product, including text with arrows pointing to key features OR a description of your service using a “cartoon strip” format with multiple illustrations (stick figures and speech bubbles are preferred like those at the geeky xkcd comic site, such as this example – https://xkcd.com/1016). You will share these illustrations in class, so be sure that they are clear enough for others to see and serve as effective visual aids while you describe your solution to others.
Instructions
- Write a description of your solution in a NEW Word file (we’re not providing a template for this assignment!) that includes an overview AND a list of features (attributes of the solution) and benefits (pain relievers and gain creators experienced by others). This MUST be between 100-150 words. You may include bullet lists of features and benefits (complete sentences are not necessary).
- Illustrate your solution so that others can gain a basic understanding just by looking at your “pre-totype” drawing. Use labels and speech bubbles to embellish your picture(s) and be prepared to present your drawing to others in class as you describe your solution. Imagine how well people could understand your offering just by looking at your illustration.
- Complete your written responses in a Word document, draw your pre-totype on letter-sized paper (portrait orientation), TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR DRAWING, and copy/paste it as a page in your document (try to make it fit the whole page for easy viewing).
