Exploring Innovation Mindset Final Deliverables
Explore a sample of selected student projects from the Innovation Mindset class
By Phil Geist
What is the Innovation Mindset class?
The Innovation Mindset in Practice course challenges MIIPS Advanced students to take their thinking to the next level and apply critical thinking, an innovative mindset, disciplined research, and a thoughtful use of tools and methods to a topic of their choosing within the innovation realm.
This past year, Innovation Mindset was instructed by Ellen Ayoob and Ken Mohnkern. For their final presentations, students were asked to submit three deliverables related to their topic. The first was a researched article relating to an area of research within innovation. The second allowed students to flex their creative muscles and choose either giving a TedX style talk, hosting their own podcast, or developing a new framework. Lastly, students created 1-2 minute explainer videos of their work and presented them in a five-minute showcase.
Student Projects to A Sampling of Student Projects
- Immersive Experiences & my take on the 5E Experience Model
- GenAI and Video Game Development: the Next Era for the Ninth Art
- She Matters, Women's Battle Against Disaster and Discrimination
- AI Symphony: A Board Game for Harmonizing Early-Stage AI Development and Interdisciplinary Teamwork
- At War Against Deceptive GenAI
- Innovating the Dynamics of India's Retail Sector
- Changing the Way We Lead the Sustainability Revolution
Innovation Mindset Final Work
Immersive Experiences & my take on the 5E Experience Model
Immersive experiences are more complicated and intricate than people think. In its essence, it is an attempt to temporarily convince one of the realism of an alternate world and transport them into that reality. To ease into such a mind-boggling situation, one would require time and space to acclimate to the experience, and to depart from such an experience can be disorienting and would thus require the same time and space to transition back to reality. As such, I have innovated the EREISE framework to guide Immersive Experience Designers in designing end-to-end immersive entertainment experiences in a physical space. A complement to Larry Keely's 5E Experience Design Model, the EREISE Framework stands for Entice, Regulate, Enter, Immerse, Soak, Exit.
View Showcase
GenAI and Video Game Development: the Next Era for the Ninth Art
Video games are fun—they engage us, help us build complex social relations, and extend our imaginations. However, today's video gaming industry faces challenges of escalating production demands and extensive development timelines. Generated AI, with its recent growth, has challenged the entertainment industry and will permanently revolutionize how video games are created. My article breaks down the video game production timeline by phases and explores how Gen AI can generate values in each of the phases: pre-production, production, and post-production.
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She Matters, Women's Battle Against Disaster and Discrimination
Natural Disasters, like earthquakes, floods, or droughts are gender-neutral, but their impacts are not. Gender disparities are already deeply rooted in many developing countries, stemming from gaps in education, employment opportunities, access to healthcare, and political representation. These disparities become even more pronounced in the aftermath of a disaster. I examined the 2015 Nepal earthquake as a case study to better understand the challenges faced by women, including instances of sexual assault in displacement camps, violence encountered while accessing essential resources, and increased vulnerability to human trafficking, amongst others. While NGOs have made commendable efforts at the community level to tackle these challenges, it is imperative to emphasize the necessity for systemic change, even before a disaster strikes. Implementing such changes at the preparedness stage is crucial to increasing the social capital and disaster resilience of a developing country.
View TedX Style Talk
AI Symphony: A Board Game for Harmonizing Early-Stage AI Development and Interdisciplinary Teamwork
YANZHI (FRANK) ZHAO, MIIPS '23
Synopsis:In the realm of AI development, unlike any other digital products, where post-launch refinement is commonplace and manageable, AI products are less forgiving. AI Symphony is an innovative board game designed to address this critical challenge: the early identification of potential issues through collaborative insight. By demystifying AI concepts for non-technical professionals and fostering interdisciplinary communication the game facilitates a shared understanding essential for preempting problems in AI projects. The interactive gameplay, featuring Concept, Operation, and Scenario Cards, walks players through the AI development process, promoting collaborative problem-solving and ethical awareness. AI Symphony is not just a game but a bridge, encouraging diverse perspectives in AI development and empowering teams to identify and address issues more effectively and creatively.
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At War Against Deceptive GenAI
This work aims to engage Gen Z, individuals born between 1997 and the early 2000s, in a conversation about the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence. It delves into the possible harms that advanced Generative AI, particularly when wielded by social media giants, could inflict upon this generation and future generations. This piece encourages reflection on the present reality compared to a potential future dominated by powerful predictive AI, prompting consideration of the impact on mental health and the fragility of the human mind. While Gen Z acknowledges the mental health concerns surrounding social media overuse, this work argues that they may not fully grasp the deeper implications, particularly how heightened stimuli (information overload) can affect memory consolidation and potentially render them "mere autonomy-less puppets" controlled by the future's social media behemoth.
View TedX Style Talk
Innovating the Dynamics of India's Retail Sector
India's retail landscape is one of the most complex systems, especially the traditional retail stores. These stores are family-run establishments and are central to India's retail economy but face hurdles in branding and shelf space management. I delved deep to analyze the complexities of relationships between store owners and brands, particularly in terms of branding and shelf space allocation and the study highlights the challenges faced by the store owners and CPG brands. I am also proposing a technology-driven solution for improved management and transparency in this space which emphasizes the need for balancing traditional retail practices with modernization, aiming to enhance efficiency and sustainability in India's retail sector.
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Changing the Way We Lead the Sustainability Revolution
I firmly believe that individual actions, like recycling or reducing plastic use, while admirable, are no longer sufficient to combat the dire environmental challenges we face today. It's a time that demands collective, impactful change. That change begins with realizing the extraordinary power of our finances. Our money, when intentionally directed toward sustainable options, becomes a potent tool for effecting change on a grand scale. Large retailers like Walmart can help customers in this journey.
My paper explores the possibility of creating a system where retailers like Walmart can profit from sustainable practices, and customers can enjoy affordable, eco-friendly choices, creating a self-sustaining cycle that ushers in a new era of responsible, planet-saving economics.
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