Tasks and Duties
Introduction
Welcome to your first week as a Virtual Design Thinking & Campaign Innovation Intern. Your task this week is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan that leverages design thinking imperative for campaign innovation. This phase emphasises understanding the target audience using empathy mapping techniques and formulating a robust strategy for a hypothetical campaign.
Task Objective
The primary objective is to demonstrate your ability to think strategically by researching your envisioned target audience, crafting an empathy map, and developing a blueprint for a campaign strategy. You should explore the needs, pain points, and aspirations of your audience to generate insights that inform your campaign planning process.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file containing the strategic plan
- An empathy map with detailed annotations regarding audience insights
- A clearly articulated campaign blueprint including objectives, target segments, value propositions, and strategic recommendations
Key Steps
- Conduct online research to gather data about the target customer.
- Design an empathy map that outlines what your audience thinks, feels, says, and does.
- Develop a comprehensive campaign strategy based on your insights.
- Document each phase highlighting how design thinking methodologies are applied.
- Review and refine your document to ensure clarity and depth.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be evaluated based on depth of research, clarity of the empathy map, logical structure of the campaign strategy, innovation in approach, and adherence to the design thinking framework. The work should reflect approximately 30 to 35 hours of effort, demonstrating thorough analysis and creative problem solving.
Introduction
This week’s task focuses specifically on persona development and ideation. As a virtual intern, you will simulate an ideation workshop and conduct persona research, which are critical for generating innovative campaign ideas. This task will require you to synthesize publicly available data, create realistic buyer personas, and simulate a creative brainstorming session.
Task Objective
The main objective is to create detailed personas and design a series of ideation sessions that harness diverse thinking. Your aim is to capture key demographics, motivations, and behavioural patterns of the target audience and then generate creative, innovative ideas for potential campaigns using design thinking principles.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file that includes: a set of at least three detailed personas with supporting rationale, and a summary of your simulated ideation workshop
- An explanation of brainstorming methods used and ideas generated for campaign innovation
Key Steps
- Research and select public data to draw accurate profiles about your target audience.
- Create detailed personas including name, background, preferences, pain points, and motivations.
- Outline your ideation workshop structure including group brainstorming, idea generation techniques, and the synthesis of ideas.
- Document the methods and creative ideas in a structured DOC file.
- Conclude with insights on how these personas can guide future campaign strategies.
Evaluation Criteria
Your work will be assessed on the detail and realism of the personas, creativity and viability of the campaign ideas proposed, clarification of ideation methods, and overall coherence in integrating design thinking and innovation practices. Approximately 30 to 35 hours of dedicated preparation should be evident in your submission.
Introduction
For week three, your internship will focus on prototyping the campaign ideas developed previously. You will be tasked with creating low-fidelity prototypes or mockups that visually and textually represent your campaign concepts. This task incorporates design thinking prototyping techniques, helping bridge the gap between abstract ideas and tangible strategies.
Task Objective
Utilize design thinking to transition from verbal campaign ideas to visual prototypes. Your goal is to prototype key campaign elements that highlight the value proposition, creative messaging, and visual identity. This exercise will test your ability to communicate ideas effectively through visual and textual representations.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file containing clear descriptions and sketches/mockup images of your prototypes.
- A narrative explaining the rationale behind each prototype
- A section that connects each prototype to the targeted user needs identified in earlier phases
Key Steps
- Review your previous week's personas and campaign strategies for consistency.
- Create sketches or basic diagrammatic representations of campaign elements such as layouts, ad copies, and user journey flows.
- Integrate textual explanations that align your concept with the target audience’s needs.
- Design a step-by-step documentation process in your DOC file to illustrate your prototyping journey.
- Revise your document to ensure that all elements are connected and well-explained.
Evaluation Criteria
You will be evaluated on the creativity and quality of your prototypes, clarity and thoroughness of documentation, and how well the prototypes integrate design thinking. The DOC file should reflect innovative problem solving and have clear, coherent connections between the prototypes and the strategic goals. Invest approximately 30 to 35 hours into this task to ensure detailed and effective outcomes.
Introduction
In week four, you will merge creative storytelling with strategic campaign messaging to build an impactful narrative for your campaign. The focus will be to create compelling stories that resonate with your audience, while aligning with the objectives derived from design thinking methodologies. This activity requires you to craft a narrative that imprints the campaign message in a memorable way, harnessing emotional appeal and creativity.
Task Objective
Your objective is to develop a comprehensive narrative that integrates strategic campaign messaging with elements of creative storytelling. The narrative should clearly communicate the campaign's purpose, appeal to the target audience's emotions, and demonstrate innovative use of storytelling techniques within a business context.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file featuring a long-form narrative (at least 1,000 words)
- Clear breakdown of the storytelling structure including characters, plot, conflict, and resolution
- Annotated explanations on how the narrative aligns with the strategic objectives and design thinking principles
Key Steps
- Revisit and review the campaign strategy and target audience insights.
- Sketch out a storytelling narrative with a beginning, middle, and end that clearly presents a campaign vision.
- Develop detailed character profiles and contextual background for the narrative.
- Integrate design thinking elements such as empathy and rapid prototyping into your narrative framework.
- Document the entire process in a structured DOC file ensuring clarity and depth of insight.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be evaluated on the creativity of the narrative, its relevance to the target audience, logical structure, and integration of strategic design thinking concepts. The DOC file should reflect around 30 to 35 hours of work, showcasing innovative storytelling techniques combined with strategic campaign messaging.
Introduction
Week five challenges you to transform your innovative ideas into a structured digital campaign execution strategy. In this phase, you are tasked with planning how to implement your campaign across digital channels effectively. This task involves mapping out the execution process, identifying potential digital marketing platforms, and aligning technical requirements with creative strategies.
Task Objective
The key objective is to design a detailed execution plan for your campaign that integrates digital marketing strategies with design thinking insights. This plan should serve as a comprehensive guide outlining the steps required to launch and manage a digital campaign successfully.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file containing a thorough digital campaign execution strategy
- A step-by-step plan that includes timeline, key performance indicators (KPIs), digital channel strategies, content plan, and risk management details
- Supporting documentation on how design thinking insights shaped the strategy
Key Steps
- Review the narrative and strategic components from previous tasks.
- Identify relevant digital channels and platforms for campaign execution.
- Develop a detailed execution timeline including milestones and checkpoints.
- Define KPIs and risk management strategies based on campaign objectives.
- Compile a comprehensive DOC file outlining your execution strategy.
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation will be based on the clarity, comprehensiveness, and innovation of your execution strategy. The DOC file should illustrate a logical and meticulous approach, integrating creative inputs with structured digital marketing principles. The expected effort is approximately 30 to 35 hours, ensuring that your final document is detailed, actionable, and reflective of advanced design thinking methodologies.
Introduction
In the final week, your focus shifts to the evaluation of the implemented campaign strategy and planning for iterative improvements. This task requires a comprehensive review of key performance indicators, an analysis of the campaign’s effectiveness, and the identification of potential areas for refinement using design thinking tools. The goal is to simulate post-campaign analysis and develop a framework for continuous improvement.
Task Objective
Your objective is to critically assess the success of your campaign based on the applied design thinking approach and innovative digital strategies. You will develop an evaluation report that not only reflects on performance metrics but also proposes iterative improvements based on gathered insights and feedback.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file containing an in-depth campaign evaluation report
- Analysis of the campaign’s KPIs along with successes and challenges encountered
- A set of recommendations for iterative improvements and future strategies
- A section that explains how each improvement recommendation is rooted in design thinking methodology
Key Steps
- Conduct a thorough review of the digital campaign execution strategy and simulated outcomes.
- Identify key performance areas and analyze how each performed against set objectives.
- Document challenges and opportunities encountered during the campaign.
- Develop a set of actionable iterative improvement proposals.
- Compile a final evaluation report in a DOC file, structuring it with clear headings for each section.
Evaluation Criteria
Your final submission will be assessed on the depth of the evaluation, the clarity of the analysis, and the practicality of the proposed improvements. The document should clearly reflect about 30 to 35 hours of work, showcasing an advanced understanding of design thinking principles in campaign evaluation. The report should be detailed, well structured, and provide insightful analysis that propels the digital campaign toward continuous improvement.