Creative thinking is a critical aspect of business that allows organizations to identify new opportunities and changing needs, differentiate themselves through big ideas, and stay relevant and competitive in volatile times.
Ivey’s HBA1 students learned this lesson firsthand as they were challenged to tap into their creativity through a variety of stimulating activities at the first-ever Ivey Creativity Week, which ran January 8-12.
The students learned about need-finding and problem statements at the onset of the week and then got their creative juices flowing through sessions on design thinking, prototyping, and innovating. One hands-on design thinking activity involved creating a prototype for a wallet that is specifically tailored to a partner student’s needs using only arts and crafts supplies such as beads, cardboard, and duct tape.
HBA1 student Michelyn Smith said the wallet-making experience taught her about the importance of understanding consumers’ needs and adapting prototypes based on feedback – all in a unique and fun way.
“Business school is so often quantitatively numbers-focused and this allowed us to stretch our brains while having fun. A focus of the week has been on the fun aspect,” she said. “But we also learned to prototype in a procedural way that we might be able to emulate for ourselves in the real world.”
Insights on the entrepreneurial career
Smith said she particularly appreciated the chance to hear from a panel of young entrepreneurs at Creativity Week’s kick-off event because it showcased alternative career pursuits.
“I had always thought entrepreneurship was something you did later on after you had formal experience, but I’ve been inspired by the entrepreneurs we heard from. It’s good to know there are alternative career paths if the traditional routes aren’t for us,” she said. “It showed us there’s so much out there that will still allow us to be successful and we can forge our own path in the world.”
Additional activities for Creativity Week included improvisation exercises with a local improv troupe and creating a Welcome to Canada-themed video.
HBA1 students showing off their wallets (Michelyn Smith at back far left)
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