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U.S. Embassy to deliver free innovation and product design training programmes locally

U.S. Embassy to deliver free innovation and product design training programmes locally

By Clifton Movirongo.

The U.S. Embassy, under the aegis of Innovation and Product Design Bootcamp, will host a four-day training workshop, starting 15 to 18 July, on product development and design sprint techniques at the Operahouse, The Village in Windhoek.

U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer and spokesperson, Walter Parrs, said this intensive experiential training program targeting university students, entrepreneurs, and professionals, is free of charge and will include hands-on learning sessions.

The four-day boot camp slated for next week will be led by Eric Gorman and Julia Jackson of Wily, an innovation and design print firm based in the United States, and Jeremy Losaw, Director of Engineering at Eventys Partners, a full-service product development firm also based in the U.S.

“In partnership with Dololo, the Innovation and Product Design Bootcamp is a collaborative, immersive, and interactive experience, leveraging the best tools and practices from design thinking, design sprints, behavior change, product development, and engineering,” revealed Parrs.

According to him, participants will work in teams to create, prototype, and test solutions designed to solve a real-world challenge. He explained that the Bootcamp will provide a framework for purposeful innovation and prototyping that can be applied to any problem or process.

“The facilitators will layer into the session’s real-world experiences and techniques to provide key insights, best practices, and pitfalls to avoid during the design process,” the U.S. Embassy spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, other features of the Bootcamp include hands-on support and coaching to build realistic, physical, and digital prototypes, an Internet of things (IoT) and Rapid Electronic Prototyping Lab where participants learn how to program wifi and Bluetooth-enabled Adafruit and Particle boards and how to incorporate electronics into prototypes, and testing and refining solutions based on user feedback.

Moreover, the program will enable participants to gain confidence and learn practical skills that can be immediately applied in situations such as mapping out a challenge and choosing the most important place to start, identifying crucial business and product questions, and making smart decisions without lengthy discussion, said Parrs.

“It will also enable participants to learn practical skills in choosing the right prototyping method for their product or service, in testing and validating ideas before investing months of work and millions of dollars, in improving productivity, solving big challenges, and fostering innovation practices.”

He adds: “To ensure a high-touch experience, space is limited. While the event is free of charge, advance registration is required. All event details and registration information are available at www.wearewily.com/namibia. Please direct additional inquiries and requests for information to [email protected].”


 

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