Changemakers Bootcamp
Innovathon
STEP-BY-STEP WORKBOOK
CONTENT
● Intro
● Phase 1 - Problem Statement, Problem laddering
● Phase 2 - Articulate who you are and who you are
solving the problem for
● Value Proposition Canvas
● Customer persona
● Rapid Ideation
● Mentoring Session
● Phase 3 - Strategic Planning
● User testing
● Plan optimization
● Writing your pitch
● Pitch crafting
● Judging Rules
This workbook was put together by Claudiu Șulea, using concepts and resources from standard concepts of ideation and resources from
impact organizations such as ChangemakerXchange. The action plan was adapted from One Young World and some concepts from the
classic Business Model Canvas, in order to be used at our one weekend Changemakers Bootcamp. The innovation process is not linear.
Sometimes you might feel like you need to redo past activities before you can move forward. Other times you might feel stuck in a phase,
and if you move forward then you will be able to better answer some of your previous challenges.
While the innovation process is an ongoing, iterative process, there are three deliverables that are required at the end of your time at
Changemakers Bootcamp. Each deliverable helps you showcase your ideas to your fellow Campers, the judging panel, and outsiders, who
could help you further your work after the Changemakers Bootcamp is finished.
BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND, YOU WILL DELIVER:
But how will I get there?
Additionally, if you get stuck along the way, check out some
of our favorite resources for guidance
(or come to one of our Camp Counselors or Team Members).
Strategyzer Changemaker Xchange
https://strategyzer.com/ https://changemakerxcha
nge.org/resources/
Interaction Design Social Shifters
Phase 1
DEFINE THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM
YOU WANT TO SOLVE
.
According to Interaction Design, “A problem statement is important to a Design Thinking project, because it will guide you and your team,
providing a focus on the specific needs that you have uncovered. It also creates a sense of possibility and optimism that allows team
members to spark off ideas in the Ideation stage, which is the third and following stage in the Design Thinking process. A good Problem
Statement should thus have the following traits.
It should be:
Also consider not just stating Facts, but really getting underneath to an Insight (the Problem Laddering exercise should help with this).
According to the organization Unleash, a Fact is a statistic or statement about the state of affairs.
for exAMPLE:
The above statements explain why access to safe, potable water continues to be a problem. Why hasn’t chlorine water purification
achieved widespread adoption and solved the global challenge of potable water access? Why are people developing other water
filtration technologies?
But a true Insight comes from a friction or tension, highlighting a reason why the challenge still exists. It answers the question, “Why?” in
two parts that are in tension with each other.
for exAMPLE:
OK, enough about Problem Statements. Time to get to
work!
In advance of beginning the process to write your Problem Statement, please One OPTIONAL exercise which will help everyone create aligned expectations
assign the following roles to different individuals on your team: before you begin (but can also be done after the first few exercises which may
help you warm up and get into your own unique team dynamic):
Passion Points & Initial Ideas Download (Est. Time 10
minutes)
Expected Output
A brain download of Passion Points the team collectively has within your selected Challenge and any Initial Ideas someone might already be
working on, or was sparked when discussing Passion Points.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, markers
Area of Focus (Est. Time 10 minutes)
Expected Output
One Focus Area the team is passionate to pursue building a Solution around
within their selected Challenge, and agrees to pursue together as one team
over the coming days.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, dot stickers
OK, so you’ve selected an Area of Focus your week on – but let’s start articulate the
Problem you are solving for your Customers within this area.
Problem Articulation (Est. Time 10 minutes)
Expected Output
The team has together agreed on one Problem they are trying to solve.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, post-its, markers, pens
Problem LADDERING
(Est. Time 10)
Expected Output
Break down your Problem into Sub-Problems.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, post-its, markers, pens
Start broad. Write your current Problem to solve at the top of the Flip Chart paper. Then, write 3 narrower versions of your initial
Problem Statement. Ask *why* you want to accomplish what you defined in your initial Problem Statement is a problem to inspire a
more specific focus. For instance, if the problem you want to solve is Zero Hunger in metropolitan cities, start with 3 answers to
“Why is this a problem?”
Now start to go narrower. For each of the 3 answers, give 3 more answers to “Why is this problem?”. Ask yourself
*how* you might accomplish your initial Problem Statement to inspire a more narrow focus.
3 At this stage, you should have 9 more specific ideas of what Problem you are trying to solve.
Take a look at what you’ve written and discuss amongst the many outputs what truly is the Problem you are trying to solve as team
based on your selected Challenge and Passion Points. Be careful not to jump to a Solution - focus on the specific Problems with the
most relevance for your team to solve.
At this stage, you should have a discussion as a team on which of the 9 problems you are trying to solve to organize it into a more
specific Problem Statement, but before you lock it in, it’s good to do some further research (see the next step).
Problem SCOPING (Est.
Time 15 min)
Expected Output
Some facts and figures to support the specifics of your Problem
Suggested Tools
Laptop, notebook or plain paper, pens
Go online and do some searching to better understand the context of your problem:
1. Who / what are the effects of this problem?
2. What is the extent of this problem (i.e. How many people does this affect or how much CO2 is emitted due to this problem
every year?)
3. How is the problem already being solved?
If the problem you decided to learn more about no longer feels quite right, go back and explore another one. Pay attention to
where the energy of the group is - after all, this is where the best ideas will be sparked from!
Finally, once you have picked the specific problem, with some facts to back it up - finalized your Problem Statement on the next
page. A good Problem Statement as mentioned above is not too broad, nor too specific - good luck in finding that perfect sweet
spot (Hint: It should at least include who/what it is affecting and a fact-based account of the extent of this problem today)
final problem statement
Gate 1 Sharing Activity (15
min)
Expected Output
All Camper teams share their Problem Statement with each other
Suggested Tools
None, unless you are selected for the Track Skit, then please collect
Miscellaneous objects which will help you act out the Problem you are trying to
solve.
Phase 2
ARTICULATE WHO YOU ARE
SOLVING THE PROBLEM FOR
& YOUR INITIAL IDEAS
Today, you might change your Problem Statement slightly to ensure the person(s) you are trying to solve this issue is truly suffering from
this challenge. This comes with an intimate understanding of the lives of your “Customer."
In Design Thinking, empathy is, according to IDEO’s Human-Centered Design Toolkit, a “deep understanding of the problems and realities
of the people you are designing for” and the first step in the Design Thinking process to solve your Problem Statement. It involves learning
about the difficulties people face, as well as uncovering their latent needs and desires in order to explain their behaviors. To do so, we
need to have an understanding of the people’s environment, as well as their roles in and interactions with their environment.
Empathy helps us gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of people's emotional and physical needs, and the way they see,
understand, and interact with the world around them. It will also help us to understand how all of this has an impact on their lives
generally, specifically within the contexts being investigated. Unlike traditional marketing, research, empathic research is not concerned
with facts about people (such as their weight or the amount of food they eat), but more about their motivations and thoughts (for
instance, why they prefer to sit at home watching TV as opposed to going out for a jog). It’s inherently subjective, since there is a fair
amount of interpretation involved in finding out what people mean rather than what they say.
Empathy is crucial to a human-centered design process such as Design Thinking, and empathy helps design thinkers to set aside his or her
own assumptions about the world in order to gain insight into their users and their needs. Depending on your time constraints, you will
want to gather a substantial amount of information at this stage of the Design Thinking process.
Value Proposition Canvas
If you need more instructions on how to use this, just Google it, it is a prevalent
tool in the Innovation space.
Right Side of Value Proposition Canvas (Est. Time 1
hour)
Expected Output
A completed Value Proposition Canvas, with a starting point on Solutions to
solve your Customer’s needs.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, post-its, markers, pens, laptop (optional)
Customer Persona (Est.
Time 10 minutes)
Expected Output
A visualization of your End User/Consumer
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, markers
Thinking through your Customer Pains, Gains, and Consumer Jobs, who is this person - give your personas some
1 personality to make them as "human" as possible. Feel free to give them a name, a
photo, and age. The more specific you can get, the better.
Think about their characteristics - what is their demographic (geography, ethnicity, income level, etc.) and what behaviors &
habits do they have on a day to day basis?
By the way, secondary personas represent profiles of people who might not be your ideal user, but might also use your product or
service. Most of their core needs will probably be reflected in your Primary Personas, but it is important to consider "Secondary”
needs as well.
As a final step, and just for fun, draw a picture of them on your flip chart. (optional)
Left Side of Value Proposition Canvas (Est. Time 30
minutes)
Expected Output
A starting point for Ideation
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, post-its, markers, pens
The ideas have started flowing, but now
it’s time to really IDEATE!
Think of the Ideation phase as a giant brainstorming session that you will then narrow into one concrete solution. Early on, it is
essential to create an open space where all ideas are possible, and all ideas are valuable. In Ideation sessions, it’s important to
create the right type of environment to help create a creative culture with a curious, courageous, and concentrated atmosphere.
Instead of using a boardroom with the CEO sitting at the head of the table, Design Thinking and Ideation sessions require a space in
which everyone is equal. Forget your individual roles within your Team - all of your inputs are equal and valuable. The Ideation
phase must have sufficient space for people to feel comfortable, but the atmosphere shouldn't be sterile, and team members
shouldn't have to shout in order to be heard. You should also designate someone to take down everyones’' ideas and draw/write
them where everyone can see them (this is where your whiteboard, posters, or post-it notes can come in handy!). This can continue
to be the role for your Scribe or maybe at this point, you want to switch out to someone who wasn’t assigned a role earlier!
During this phase, you’re going to start to brainstorm ways to solve the problems you have framed in the previous phases. This
should be done with empathy at the top of mind.
The ideas have started flowing, but now
it’s time to really IDEATE!
Before you begin, it is essential to adhere to the five core principles of ideation:
Rapid Ideation (Est.
Time 30 minutes)
Expected Output
A long list of ideas sparked by your Value Proposition Canvas and work as a
team so far!
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, post-its, markers, pens
Using your flip chart, write down your final Problem Statement & the Customer Persona you’re solving the problem for so that
everyone can see it (if you haven’t done so already). Please note you may need multiple posters.
Using Post-Its, each person will silently write down as many potential solutions as possible using short phrases of no more than 5
words and one-by-one place their Post-Its on the poster, surrounding the Problem Statement & the Customer Persona.
Remember: There are no bad ideas.
3 After about 20 minutes, or after the group has run out of ideas, it’s time to cluster & narrow.
Cluster and organize your ideas. This involves grouping common themes and similar ideas. Remove duplicates and give each cluster a
title.
Idea Selection (Est.
Time 10 min)
Expected Output
A top idea you will expand on
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, markers, dot stickers (optional), plain paper or notebook (optional),
pens (optional)
One OPTIONAL exercise if you are stuck between a few ideas
1 Decide at least amongst your top 2-3 ideas
2 Break into pairs for each idea.
On a large piece of paper, describe the idea your pair is working on in a bit more depth. Include:
Picture: A drawing or photo that illustrates your idea Name: Give
your idea a catchy title
Tag line: Describe your idea in one punchy line
Value to user: Why would users want to adopt your solution?
Value to organization: Why would you, another company, another organization, or another stakeholder want to put resources
into this?
Forecasted impact on SDGs: What is the impact that this idea would have on the SDGs? Assumptions:
List 3 assumptions that you are making in order for this idea to work Rating on a scale from
incremental to radical for the world
Rating on a scale of near future to long term
Plot the value v. complexity on an X/Y axis: a scale of high to low value for the user (e.g. how well they address user needs and
wants) vs. a scale of easy to difficult to implement (e.g. based on logistics, partnerships, number of moving pieces, etc.)
Plot the impact v. complexity: a scale of high to low impact on the global challenge and your SDG vs. a scale of easy to difficult
to implement (e.g. based on logistics, partnerships, number of moving pieces, etc.)
4 Present back to each other and have a discussion to hopefully bottom out which one is more realistic to pursue.
Initial Design Principles (Est.
Time 15 minutes)
Expected Output
An overview of your idea to share with the judges
Suggested Tools
Laptop
Mentoring Session (Est.
Time 10 minutes)
Expected Output
Feedback on how viable your idea feels based on the journey you have been on
so far.
Suggested Tools
Laptop
Idea Optimization (Est.
Time 1 hour)
Expected Output
An optimized Idea with Initial Design Principles
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, markers
Team Check-In (Est.
Time 30 minutes)
Expected Output
A self-run check in on how the team is working together in order to optimize
what is working well and reduce what is not working well in the coming
hours.
Suggested Tools
Flip chart, markers, dot stickers
Each person silently notes down (on post-its or online via tools such as GoRetro), the answer to the following prompts:
The team is working together well in the following ways:
The following areas are not helping the team work as effectively as possible:
Some ideas to help the team work more effectively include:
*If using post-its, please put each answer on a separate post-it
2 Each person posts their replies in a place where the whole team can see.
3 Each person then reviews everyone’s inputs (perhaps the team clusters similar thoughts)
4 Each person votes on the points they agree on most (3 dots per prompt)
5 Finally, the team discusses the top answers for each prompt and crafts a plan for how to work together in the coming days.
Gate 2 Sharing Activity (Est.
Time 5 minutes)
Expected Output
All Camper teams share their final Idea with each other for inspiration
Suggested Tools
Will be available at the Challenges Track wall space
Phase 3
SUBMIT YOUR ACTION PLAN & PITCH
YOUR INITIAL IDEAS
DUE DATE: Saturday, 17 March
As we transition between Ideation into Strategic Planning, it’s time to start putting our plans together on paper. A Canvas, like a Design
Thinking Canvas or a Business Model Canvas, helps support the transition into this phase as it helps provide a structured approach to
design-led strategy and innovation. Now it’s time to incorporate an understanding of potential challenges, impact opportunities, and the
management required from your Solution.
For the Bootcamp Action Plan, we will be using a hybrid model between the Business Model Canvas, Social Enterprise’s Project Canvas,
and other elements of a Business Plan we believe are necessary to consider at this stage.
Your team will submit an Action Plan (AP) for your solution by the start of Day 3 (Saturday, March 17th). Your Action Plan is a 1-page
document that outlines the key components of your solution. Judges will review the Action Plan on the morning of the jurying and use it as
a supplemental document during your pitches. All AP’s will also be published in a post-program booklet that will be distributed to partners
and published online.
So let’s begin!
Action Plan Template
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17lrQYcVbfA48qg5f6a-gFbjloZqDvAVG/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=100665703947230612315
&rtpof=true&sd=true
Strategic Planning (Est.
Time 2.5 hours)
Expected Output
A first draft completed Action Plan
Suggested Tools
Laptop
You began your Action Plan yesterday with the Problem Statement, End User / Customer Persona, and Solution / Key Features. Now it’s
time to further evolve it.
Up to this point, we have been quite prescriptive on how to allocate your time, but for this portion, we simply as that you aim to
finish all parts of the Action Plan within the next 2.5 hours (or at least a first draft of each portion).
We believe that Sustainable Revenue Streams are essential for any non-profit or for-profit venture. Being reliant on donors, sponsors, etc.
is not sustainable. Therefore, consider some alternative Revenue Sources as you answer this part of the Action Plan Template. See a helpful
resource here:
https://fi.co/insight/the-10-most-popular-
startup-revenue-models
The Action Plan is a pre-defined template which we ask you not to change. However, in a separate document, we encourage you to explore
some additional essential elements to crafting a strong Action Plan.
User Testing & Feedback (continued) (est. time 1 hour)
Expected Output
Real-life feedback from your End User/Customer to consider before you go too far along in the process.
Suggested Tools
Laptop
If you don’t believe you will have enough time to gather insights directly from some real End Users/Customers,
3 consider researching the following, as recommended in the Unleash organization's methodology:
Market trends: What trends are shaping the future of the market you want to enter with your solution? Where was your market 10 years
ago? Where do you think it will be in 10 years?
Competitors: Everyone has competitors. Competitors are other solutions that your users have available or are currently turning to in
order to fill their needs. Competitors can also be the status quo. For example, if your user is currently doing nothing to address their
problem, then you will have to overcome the behavior of “doing nothing” to have the user adopt your solution. Who are your
competitors and what is their behavior like? Why do you users turn to this competitor, or why do they not?
Successes and failures of similar solutions: Who has tried something similar to your solution in the past? This can be similar to your
entire solution or simply one aspect / element of your solution. What can you learn from these past successes and failures?
The key here is to somehow design a way to validate that your Prototype will bring value to the End User/Customer you had in mind (i.e.
they are willing to pay for it, use it to serve their needs, seek it out, etc.)
Plan Optimization
Expected Output
An optimized Action Plan based on the feedback gathered in the last step
Suggested Tools
Flipchart, post-its, markers, pens
Writing your pitch!
At the start of Day 3, each team will pitch their solution and
showcase their ideas at the GEYC Solutions Jury. Each team will prepare a 3-minute
pitch that they will present to a panel of Judges. Your Pitch and your Action Plan will
be scored
together using the rubric found on the final page of this workbook.
Your Pitch should be designed with intention. It should explain who you are and why
your solution is unique. It should also explain the
general idea of your solution, introduce the motivation behind it, and illustrate the
future directions that it might take.
Pitch Crafting
Expected Output
A prototype of your team’s pitch
Suggested Tools
Notebook, Pen
Pitch Practice & Optimization
Expected Output
An optimized version of your team’s pitch
Suggested Tools
None
Practice delivering your pitch, and time yourself for the first time. Based on how much time it took your team to deliver your
pitch, you know whether you need to “trim fat” from your pitch (eliminate unnecessary details) or add meat” (add more
essential details).
2 Keep repeating the following until your pitch is clear, concise, and well-timed:
Practice delivering pitch (with timer).
Debrief (how did the pitch go? what went well? what should be changed?) Trim fat or
add meat.
Repeat until your team is comfortable with the format and delivery of your pitch.
Share Your Pitch
The solution is unrealistic.
It contains little to no The solution has some
The solution contains
consideration for factors consideration for
realistic solutions to
including but not limited to potential barriers, and The solution is
barriers. The team has
funding models, access to loosely contains methods realistic and contains
considered these barriers
Realistic target market/ beneficiaries, to overcome these thorough
in developing their model,
Is the solution realistic geographical challenges, or barriers. Barriers are consideration of
but there are potential
based on the available other factors.The solution is acknowledged, but not potential barriers.
gaps in how to overcome
resources? based on assumptions that considered as a potential Assumptions have
these barriers. The
have not been proven. The challenge as it translates been tested through
solution addresses some
solution has no practical to the model. research and testing.
assumptions that have
application in the real world. Assumptions have been
been explored.
discussed but not tested.
Action Plan somewhat
outlines the solution but
there are still missing
elements. The solution is The solution is clearly
loosely understood, but and obviously
Action Plan is unclear and there are still some articulated through
Action Plan Is The solution is well
disorganized. The solution is unanswered questions. It the Action Plan. The
the AP clear, communicated through
unclear through the Action is unclear through the team has presented
concise, well the Action Plan but is
Plan. There may be missing Action Plan if the team their solution in a well
thought out, and well missing some core aspects
elements, gaps, or has thought through thought out way that
presented? or answers.
unanswered questions. these unanswered is easy and clear to
questions, or if they are understand.
only missing from the
Action Plan.
The pitch is engaging and
holds the audience’s
The pitch is mostly clear
attention.
and outlines the problem
The pitch loosely outlines The pitch is exciting and
The pitch is unclear and and solution.
Pitch the problem and solution, tells a compelling story
disorganized, or may be There are a few
Is the pitch clear, but there are many about the problem, and
missing critical elements. missing elements
concise, and does it tell missing elements. The clearly outlines the
The pitch leaves more about some minor
a compelling narrative? pitch may be unclear in solution. The pitch is
questions than answers. details, but overall, the
some areas. well-organized, and
pitch is compelling and
eloquently communicated.
well- organized.
The pitch kept to the
required time frame.
our invaluable sources!
● Action accelerator by One Young World
● Social Enterprise Institute
● Strategyzer
● Social Shifters
● Unleash
