Design Thinking
Design thinking is a powerful tool to help solve complex problems creatively and successfully. This year I had the opportunity to work on a retail team project for my class, BMGT 458A: Design & Innovation in Marketing. We were given the task to come up with a retail store concept for the College Park area and use design thinking to come up with a creative solution.
Empathize
First our team thought about how current College Park residents might feel. Many residents happen to be students. Attending the university ourselves we understand that this demographic has stressful workloads and often experience boredom or depression (especially with online school due to the pandemic). Other residents include families who might feel a bit out of place in a college town. With University of Maryland having a big bar scene, it can be hard to find things to do at night that are family friendly.
Define
A problem shared by students and families of college park is the lack of activities offered outside of dining. With more activity options in College Park, students would able to relieve stress and boredom. Recreational activities could also relive endorphins aiding those who are feeling depressed due to the pandemic. Families could also benefit from recreational activities, giving them something to do together.
Ideate
Our group began brainstorming options for a recreational retail store that would be successful in college park. We wrote down a variety of ideas from laser tag to paint ball. We researched current trends and discovered the younger generation’s appeal to nostalgia. There had been a resurgence of roller skating activities and viral videos on social media platforms featuring the activity. We found data to support our idea when conducting an online survey with resident responses.
We wanted to create a rollerskating rink that attempted to combine nostalgic elements of the past with modern elements of the future. We also added an upstairs milk and cereal bar to differentiate ourselves in the market.
We came up with the name- The Brink. The Brink derives its meaning from the COVID-19 global pandemic in which we emerge from an extreme critical point in U.S. history. Through our resiliency from this pandemic, we are dedicated to providing an enjoyable, safe, and nostalgic experience for people of all ages to escape from the stress of daily life. Whether it is from the brink of stress, failure, boredom, or other intense stressors, we want to alleviate people’s worries and let them enter a world separate from their problems through our entertainment, nostalgic themes, and a neat twist on late-night snacks.
Prototype
In the prototyping process, our group chose a location about a mile away from the downtown area of college park for our roller skating rink. We then made 3D renderings of the exterior and interior of our rink, made marketing materials and product mix. We created a comprehensive business plan and powerpoint presentation as well.
Test
To test out our retail store idea, we presented our concept to a panel of judges. We ranked 2nd place out of 7 teams for our concept.