Design Thinking Cohort/Bark Tank Registration

Bark Tank: Design Thinking Cohort

Registration
Join the Innovation Week Design-Thinking Cohort, develop an idea with guidance from Scholar-in-Residence Stacy McCracken and other mentors, and pitch your strongest concept at Bark Tank. Open to all Union University students. Space is limited; registration is first come, first served.
- Details:
  
  Following the introduction to Design Thinking at the Kickoff Event: Designing the Future with Purpose on Monday Sept 28th from 3:30-4:30, registered students/teams will participate in a three-session design thinking workshop series on pursuing one of two tracks: Bring Your Own Idea or take on the Yukon Outfitters Design Challenge. The three workshops take place Tuesday - Thursday from 3:30-5:00 in EF 152/154 and culminate in the Bark Tank Design Challenge Showcase on Friday Oct 2 from 3:30 - 5:30 in the Ethos Forum Coworking Commons.
  
  Cohort Workshop progression:
  
  Cohort Session 1: Empathy & Problem Discovery
  
  Understand people. Discover problems worth solving.
  Learn how to listen, observe, and ask better questions to uncover real needs and opportunities. Teams will begin exploring their idea or partner challenge by identifying the people they are designing for and reframing assumptions around the problem.
  
  Cohort Session 2: Opportunity Exploration, Concept Development & Prototyping
  
  Turn insights into ideas—and ideas into something you can test.
  Explore potential solutions and venture concepts, select promising directions, and create simple prototypes or experiments to test key assumptions. Teams will use feedback to strengthen and refine their concepts.
  
  Cohort Session 3: Storytelling & Pitch Preparation
  
  Turn your concept into a story others can understand and support.
  Learn how to clearly communicate the problem, your insight, your proposed solution, and why it matters. Teams will develop and practice their pitch in preparation for the Bark Tank showcase.
  
  Bark Tank:
  
  Bark Tank is the high-energy culminating event of Innovation Week where students/teams pitch their own idea or their design for the Yukon Outfitters Design Challenge and will be judged by a panel of experts. Students will compete for prizes totalling more than $5000 as well as opportunities to connect with local entrepreneurs.
  
  PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT: Students/Teams should plan to attend all Tuesday-Thursday cohort sessions; attendance is required to participate in Bark Tank.
- Student Name/Primary Team Contact (“Please submit one registration per team. The primary contact should list all additional team members below.”)
  
  First NameLast Name
- E-mail
  example@example.com
- Phone Number
  Format: (000) 000-0000.
- Select your Bark Tank Track:
- Track 1:
  
  Bring Your Own Idea
- Students or teams with an idea, product, service, or venture concept are invited to bring it, test it during the Design-Thinking Workshop cohort, and pitch their idea to a panel of judges to be awarded prizes from a pool totaling more than $2000. The prizes consist of cash, money to use in the HUB to further a business idea, mentorship opportunities and more.
- Idea or Venture Name
- What problem, need, or opportunity are you interested in exploring? (Briefly describe what you are hoping to address. It is okay if your idea is still early or not fully developed.)
- Team Members (Participate individually or as a team of up to four students. You may register on your own or with 1–3 teammates.).
- What have you already done to explore or develop this idea? (For example: conversations, research, sketches, prototypes, or testing. “Nothing yet” is completely fine.)
- Track 2:
  
  Yukon Outfitters Design Challenge
- Student teams (3-4 students per team) will use the Design-Thinking cohort to work on a product innovation challenge connected with Yukon Outfitters' drinkware and cooler portfolio. Details of the design challenge will be revealed at the Kickoff on Sept 28th and students will compete for cash prizes totaling $3000.
- Team Name
- Team Members (This challenge is limited to teams of 3-4 members).
- What interests you about the Yukon Outfitters Design Challenge?
Should be Empty:

Bark Tank: Design Thinking Cohort

Track 1:

Track 2: