Design Thinking: Envisioning Post-COVID-19 Futures in the Caribbean

Roseau, Dominica -- As the curtain comes down on its webinar series targeted at the creative industries sector, the OECS Competitive Business Unit (CBU) is bringing creatives and other regional producers of goods and services together in what is expected to be a most stimulating final webinar to be facilitated by Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel on Tuesday, 26 May, from 6:00 p.m. with a focus on “Design Thinking and using creative techniques to envision post-COVID-19 futures in the Caribbean”. 

After almost one month and three webinars on the impact of the COVID-19 on the creative industries in the OECS, which drew large audiences from not just the OECS but throughout the region, the CBU is gathering creatives and regional thinkers, entrepreneurs and others engaged in productive enterprises to  discuss design thinking – a concept borrowing from both the process and mindsets that designers use to identify and solve problems. This final webinar will be facilitated by Dr. Noel, a Trinidadian who is Professor of Practice and Design Thinking at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, and an advocate of using creative techniques to envision post-COVID 19 futures in the Caribbean. 

Dr. Noel stated:

“[This process] means listening to people with empathy, learning to identify their needs, deciding what needs or problems to focus on, creating or co-creating several solutions, trying out the solutions, getting feedback on solutions and reflecting and responding to this feedback. In working using design thinking mindsets, we are trying to be open, collaborative, flexible, empathetic, curious and creative - among other things.”

In the current environment in which Caribbean society finds itself, finding creative and long-term solutions to help us reset our society and economy in the aftermath of this terrible pandemic requires collective thinking and action. In the search to find new ways to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, using creative techniques is seen as a viable and long-term method for overcoming the impact of this pandemic. In these circumstances, the former University of the West Indies lecturer and scholar believes that Design thinking will provide meaningful benefits in a community of practice and engagement:

 “The main benefit of using this type of approach is probably the participatory and collaborative way of working that is very responsive to people's needs. So, it's not innovation based on what we can do, or what we THINK is needed. It's innovation that responds to making 'life' better for people by developing or even editing an existing product or service.” 

Tuesday’s webinar is again open to everyone interested in being a part of the conversation to find solutions to deal with the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and draws on the critical thinking and frank dialogue by practitioners and others from across the region.

The CBU hopes that this will further deepen the conversation and build on the body of ideas, solutions and expressions of support that have been emerging from the current series. It therefore anticipates further dialogue with its client companies, stakeholders and others on critical areas of engagement in the near future.   

Webinar #4  

Theme: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Creative Industries Sector (Design & Design Thinking)
Date and time: 26 May 2020 06:00 PM
Registration link: https://oecscommission.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AtH8s3f-T9uZuwvA2g6aQg