This was the presentation I gave at the Ross Net Impact 2011 conference at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan on the topic of Design Thinking for Social Innovation.

1. Talk: Strategic Philanthropy through Design
Design Thinking for Social Innovation
Sandhya S. Pillalamarri
Purpose Driven Profits: Ross Net Impact Conference
(session chairs Brian Moss and Elizabeth Matzen)
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Oct. 14, 2011

2. The wider context
Understanding the drivers that influence design thinking
2

5. Chulha, healthy
indoor cooking

6. “ Total world deaths from indoor air pollution due to
burning solid fuels are estimated at 1,619,000 each
year.
India alone accounts for 25% of such deaths: almost
500,000 of the victims are women and children”
Source: WHO 2009

8. People‐focused research and design
Understanding our users in their context & environment
8 Pearson Interoperability Framework | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri 8

12. Current issues
It soon became clear from the results of the research that the
key local design requirements called for a cooking solution able
to fulfill the following physical and socio-cultural conditions:
- Adaptability to different biomass fuels (from wood to cow dung),
available in different seasons and locations
- Adaptability to people’s cooking needs when cooking ‘chappati’
(bread), steaming rice, boiling water
- Adaptability to the use of different, non-standard cooking vessels
- Adaptability to various logistic constraints
12 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

17. Testing
and user
feedback

19. - Adaptability of use (different cooking
functions) and appealing design format
- Flexibility of use (biomass / wood) and
burn efficiency
- Easy transportation and cleaning of the
stove and the chimney (modularity)
- material improvements and easier
manufacturing

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21. Benefits of Chulha
‐ Bypass duct for efficient draft
‐ Soot collector for cleaner air
‐ Chimney connector for easy maintenance and
‐ Easy to Use and Install Modular Design
‐ New entrepreneurs
‐ NGOs support
21 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

22. Challenges and achievements
‐ Building community trust
‐ Collaborating with stakeholders with various interests
‐ Beyond ‘deep listen’ to ‘community engagement’
‐Communicating value and benefits
‐ We had to learn to speak a ‘language’ able to
‐ Create convergence of different (political, social and economic) interests
‐ Give a ‘voice’ to ‘vulnerable’ end‐users
‐ Such a ‘language’ could be developed only through a long and patient process of
intensive listening and engagement.
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23. What now and where to?
‐ Saral and Sampoorna are recorded in sketches and technical
drawings. Massive communication and training packages prepared
‐ How to produce, distribute, install, and maintain the stoves
‐ Decentralized model
‐ Trained entrepreneur invests in a mould, makes 50‐60 Chulhas,
sells and installs them within homes
‐ Aim is to shift to a semi‐decentralized model
‐ Where localization takes place at district level: with this
scalability, the entrepreneur can serve up to 30‐40 villages, with
200‐250 households each
‐ Publicity
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24. 24 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

25. How does it work? | People-focused
• User Research • NPI / Opportunities • Measure usability CTQs
• Develop UX concepts • Test Usability CTQs • Test Usability
• Environment • User Prioritized Problems List • Usability Risk Retirement in prototype CTQs in product
• Roles & Responsibilities • User & Functional
UX Process
• Task & Workflow Requirements
Business
Decision Concepts Usability
Design Opportunities UI Design Usability Functional UI Release
Visualization, Reviews
Research Analysis NP Launch Development Test Development
Early UI
Business Design
Requirements Iterative Design
Framework 1 Framework 2 Framework 3
Observational Research Ideation Iterative UI Design & Development
Focus Groups Wireframes (low-fi) Iterative Usability Testing (summative)
User Profile Use Cases Usability CTQ Scorecard
Personas Use Scenarios UX Metrics
Environment Description Usability CTQs Continued UX Support
Competitive Analysis Usability Testing (formative) (benchmarks, competitive reviews,
Task & WF Analysis Rapid Prototyping sales & marketing)
Participatory Design Accessibility Checks
Opportunities Analysis Design, Heuristic, Cognitive Reviews
Innovation Workshops
25 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri 25

26. Design research
To Inform, Inspire, and Drive Innovation
26 Pearson Interoperability Framework | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

27. To Create
27
New Value

28. Innovation: It’s risky
business
4%
The global innovation success
average, across all geographies
and all industries.
28

29. Viability Feasibility
Understanding Business Understanding Technology
Desirability
Understanding People
29
Mitigate Risk

30. What methods generate user-centric
innovation?
30

31. 31
Generative

33. 33
Evaluative

34. 34
Quantitative

35. 35
Qualitative

36. What does it all look like?
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37. Plan &
What does it all look like? Prepare Materials
Pilot Iterate design
& evaluations
Execute
Report results
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38. Key Success Factors
• Design Research
• Ethnographic observation
• Find Allies and Local Champions
• Co‐Creation and Design with local NGOs
• Product is only a means to an end
• Local material, packaging, terminology, fuel
• Iterative testing and validation
• Simple and Easy to Use
• Visual and Aesthetic Appeal
38 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

39. Let’s try it!
Implementing design thinking close to home with
Ross School of Business’ Personas
39

40. Like Clock Work
Gabby wakes up precisely at
5am every day to work out at
the gym. Drives a sensible
sedan that gets good gas
mileage. She also dresses up
for class daily. Extremely
motivated to be seen as
"with-it" by her peers.
Perhaps she’ll be first in line
if there was an App for
saving her time or making
her more efficient.
“I love to be eco-conscious, tell me how. Does it take too
much time? Should I sign up for the green club at Ross?”
Too Busy to Cook!
Gabby eats out a lot and is often seen
Gabby the ‘Gunner’ grabbing something quick out of the Ross
café while running to class.
Gabby is an all-rounder. An over achieving MBA student at Ross ,
she doesn’t date much, but wants to (she is just too busy).
Gabby participates in all the major clubs and doesn’t hesitate to
Ouch!
run for office positions within clubs she is passionate about. She
is one of the board of directors at three of Ross’ clubs (only been What makes Gabby sad? If she didn't get
an MBA student for 6 weeks now). that election or loosing the election!
Anything that encroaches upon her time
STATS
or schedule makes Gabby really grumpy.
Age: 27 Location: Ann Arbor, MI
2011, Ross NetImpact, Design Thinking Workshop

41. A Small Town Boy
Imran hails from a small
village in the outskirts of
Chandighar, India. Back home,
trash control is a huge
problem. He is used to seeing
trash lying around, roadside
animals sleeping in it, and
little kids playing with it. He
is fairly certain that that’s
what caused one of his
village’s little boys to die
from suffocation 20 years ago.
“Trying to take it all in here at Ross; grateful for the opp. I Speak Up!
typically hang out with my family & friends after school”
Sometimes he speaks up a lot in class,
Imran the ‘International’ which tends to annoy his classmates.
Lacks fully knowledge in American
Imran is so excited to be here at Ross School of Business! This is culture nuances. Loves cricket though!
a once in a lifetime opportunity for Imran and he isn’t about to
let it pass him by. Imran has his wife & small child with him in Yum!
Ann Arbor and is from India originally. He has lived in the US for Imran brings lunch his wife
2 years before coming to Ross but still doesn't understand many packs for him daily. Usually he
nuances of American culture. throws the trash away in the
STATS bins. On busy days, he may
Age: 33 Location: Ann Arbor, MI leave it on the table when he
2011, Ross NetImpact, Design Thinking Workshop is done eating.

42. Mommy’s Boy
Bobby’s parents are a big influence in
his life (he consults with them
regularly). They help support his
education as well. Bobby is a total frat
guy and spends most of his free time
with his buddies. He is smart though
and manages to pass all his classes with
good grades. He isn’t sure what he
wants to do with his MBA yet. He feels
very self-important while he is hanging
out in the "Winter Garden" (Ross' lobby
area) with other MBA students. He did
learn about recycling in kindergarten.
“Carpe Diem right? I have a ton of friends from the MBA
program, and I love it here. Bring it on…it’s cool!”
Where did it go?
Bobby knows that he owns a bike, but
Bobby the ‘BBA’ isn’t sure where he left it (doesn’t care,
Bobby is an undergraduate MBA student at Ross. BBA students really).
are a growing population here. He really doesn’t have much
opportunity to talk to the regular MBA students, but would love Sleep over anyone?
to be able to connect with them. He hasn’t heard anything about
Ross’ green programs at all. He has a girlfriend, but they might Bobby never cooks for himself
break up soon (he doesn’t want to, but has no clue how to and is happy to order out or
influence the decision though). mooch off his girlfriend.
STATS
Age: 19 Location: Ann Arbor, MI 2011, Ross NetImpact, Design Thinking Workshop

43. Casual and Cool
Lola has a lot of good friends
here at the MBA program.
She loves happy hour at the
brewpubs downtown and can
often be seen hanging out
there after school with her
close buddies. She buys all
the recommended books for
class and tries to keep up
with the assigned readings.
She has a cat named Ollie.
Is it me or is it cold in here?
“I care about the world I live in, but can it help pay my Lola prefers to wear her sandals
whenever outside temperature is any
bills? I would love to give back in my own little way”
above freezing. Hey, it can be done!
Lola ‘Miss Granola’
Lola is having a rocking time at Ross. She loves the weather at
Ann Arbor and rides her bike everywhere, no matter how cold or
rainy it gets. It’s complicated though with a boy back home and
no time to see him. She is internally torn between her desire to
help the world and her desire to get a good job and help pay Whole paycheck…er, foods!
back her MBA loans. Lola often is seen shopping at the local
STATS health food co-op store on campus,
Age: 29 Location: Ann Arbor, MI weekly.
2011, Ross NetImpact, Design Thinking Workshop

44. Case Study Exercise: Problem
Recycling and composting rates at Ross are up
28% this year. Yet, we notice the following
overflow of trash bins full of recyclable and
compostable material in and around Ross
School of Business. What gives?
44 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

48. Case Study Exercise: Some Data
• Ross currently diverts (composts/recycles) about 25% of its total waste
stream
• Recycling rate is up 28% this year over last year!
• Ross does not have to pay per‐pound fees to recycle or landfill waste (the
University picks up the tab and charges each school a flat rate based on
square footage)
• Composting costs the Ross Operations department $35,000 per year
(including: special bags, sorting, hauling, and a tipping fee at the local
compost facility)
• 25% of all compost bags are not actually composted because they have
too much non‐compostable material inside ‐ these bags are sent to the
landfill instead
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49. Case Study Exercise: Stakeholder Interview
• Does peer pressure work well with regard to diverting waste from the landfill? It
appears so here at Ross
• New single‐stream recycling program in Ann Arbor, so Ross no longer has to sort
its recyclables
• This year, compost made from Ross waste is coming full circle and will be applied
to our green roof (picture)
• Student education programming around waste diversion has shrunk in recent
years
• 99.5% of all packaging materials from the Ross Cafe are compostable (saltine
cracker wrappers are the only thing that isn't compostable)
• Compostable trash bags cost $1/ea and have a limited shelf life (they start to
compost themselves if left in a storage closet too long)
• Ross is the only building in the UofM that offers composting as a waste diversion
method (due to the efforts of the Facilities staff and a special agreement with a
local hauler and compost facility)

50. Case Study Exercise: ~40 Minutes
Come up with an innovative, cost‐effective,
efficient, easy to use, and sustainable design
(can be anything from an app. to a unique
trash can product (physical)) to help bring up
the rates of recycling at Ross
50 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

51. Case Study Exercise: Step 1, 2-4 Min
• Count off 1 to 4; divide into 4 groups
• Each group gets a Ross MBA student Persona!
• Post‐Its, Crayons, Markers, Tape, PlayDoh, White
board space, etc. are at your disposable. You may
choose to use all tools or none
51 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

52. Case Study Exercise: Step 2, 10 Min
• Read through personas out loud to your team
understand what makes them happy, sad, what
ticks them off, their knowledge in recycling, etc.
• Look at observation photos on screen
• Brainstorm problem causes
52 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri

53. Case Study Exercise: Step 3, 15 Min
• Sketch, sketch, sketch Ross trash system redesign
ideas!
• Use tools to showcase your innovative designs
• Build / Prototype / Sketch final designs!
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54. Case Study Exercise: Step 4, 10 Min
• Choose one or two team members
• Present your ideas to all of us with rationale!
54 Design Thinking for Social Innovation | Sandhya S. Pillalamarri