Sensemaking - Needs & activities
Path and modules
Innovation, Future Narratives
| Target | Age | Duration | Objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labs & Gurus | all ages (25+) | 2 hours | Share interviewed profiles |
Initial outcomes¶
In the context of the first phase of the shemakes project, the core labs analysed After the initial phase of the shemakes project, the core labs analyzed the results from the grounding phase and by combining and clustering their answers they could see which patterns were rising from the research conducted.
This sensemaking phase happened in the form of collaborative meetings using the online tool Miro. Below a graphic summary of the needs/gaps of opportunity that emerged from the survey and interviews. They address the need for an enabling environment, gender-specific conditions, knowledge, and skills that are necessary, and finally some concrete opportunities and gaps.
From this extensive research, we learned that:
Female innovators’ needs are aligned with shemakes core values:
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Openness, curiosity and confidence are the most mentioned skills valued by innovators
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The importance of belonging to a community. Alumni and innovators agree that having a supportive network is a key advantage on a job route. The community makes them feel they can learn from different perspectives, share knowledge in a non-competitive way, feel encouraged to express themselves and be cheered on by their achievements as well as their failures
As we further develop the shemakes network and community, labs should be able to identify and enhance these enabling characteristics within their activities:
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Opportunities & Gaps - the following topics were the most relevant in terms of opportunities to improve the innovators’ career paths. They will enlighten the choices of actions to follow on the next phase of the Innovation path: * Have a clear job market overview and career options for each local context for T&C innovation. Innovators feel the need to have more information on how to access jobs in emerging markets or niche technologies, as well as how to better position themselves based on each different profile * Expand the network with different professionals, experts and companies * Learn techniques on how to perform better in presentation and ideas/business/projects pitches * Innovators coming from business/engineering/other non-creative educational backgrounds feel the need to deepen their fashion/textile technical skills. While the ones coming from the creative field often lack skills on business & project planning * budgeting and overall structuring their concepts for the job market * Increased interest in digital design, 3D modelling and design as well as the bio & chemistry related topics, biomaterials, collaboration with living organisms, ecology, material sustainability and so on
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The Gender equation * Some positive aspects of being a woman were celebrated, like the fact of being able to connect with other women easily, provide and receive support from other women, the fact that female entrepreneurship is a topic in vogue and opportunities might arise from this * However, most of the comments were wishes for situations that could still improve, such as the lack of confidence when in a male dominated environment, being perceived less competent because of their gender and the need for unbiased education so diversity can be really applied.
Initial activities suggestion from the shared SheMakes pool¶
Acess the Miro Board via this link or visualise it below: