Working on the Green Plate case study has been a fulfilling experience. I believe our team was pretty well-rounded, as we all came from different backgrounds and contributed different perspectives. I think this is what allowed us to succeed in the brainstorming process. We shifted a lot from our first idea, and it wasn’t until multiple ideating sessions and iterations of our product that we found real direction. Our interviews were key guiders in leading us to the final result. We learned how important it is to gain the core user group’s insights and frame a solution around it. I also realized how much better our ideas became once we started truly listening rather than assuming what people needed. That process helped us realise that the solution already exists through the users, we just need to seek them out.
When actually navigating different solutions, I believed it was really important to consider consumer psychology, especially the information we had gained from one of the assigned readings. I noticed that even when users supported sustainable choices in theory, their actions didn’t always match that intention. This could be due to financial factors, perceived value, or even just the simple apprehensions to sticking to a ‘vegan’ label. That is when we realised that we can leverage visual cues and certain messaging to make eating healthy feel luxurious rather than inconvenient.
I think one thing that really stuck with me was one of the panel’s remarks for a different group. This group did very well in exuding their passion during their pitch. I think when pursuing entrepreneurship, it’s important to have a lot of confidence. Confidence is what allows you to hold people’s attention and make them believe in your idea. I have a lot of confidence in our solution, but I still need to build the cadence to be someone who captivates people. Watching others present made me realize that how you communicate an idea can matter just as much as the idea itself. The pitch was also good practice since it was only five minutes long, it pushed me to summarize our entire journey in a way that felt natural but persuasive.
