THRIVE: P1.515 The goal of a Design Sprint is to create a working prototype and assess it together with the users within a week. The user feedback is incorporated into the launch of the design process. The aim is to, within five days, understand the process by mapping out the problem and selecting an important aspect to focus on. Thereafter the ideas are outlined and competing solutions developed. The decisions regarding the ideas will developed into a testable hypothesis before a realistic prototype is created and evaluated. The WP3- Plan for piloting new learning methods was used from the SUCSESS project in the Food and Beverage Studies 2 practical. This course was suitable to apply the Design Sprint in the classroom as well as in the Skills kitchen. We had 55 second-year students studying towards the Hospitality Management degree qualification in this course who were divided into smaller groups over three months for their practical sessions. There were on average ten students per practical session. Our brief to the students was to create a small business online which sells bespoke occasion cakes as a commercial enterprise. The students completed their marketing strategies, business plans, costing of the cakes as well as the icing and garnishing ideas of a standardized chocolate cake beforehand and submitted their documentation. Thereafter the industry partners, who are all successful industry bakers, joined the students for the practical sessions and advised them on the various aspects of starting a small business enterprise. Ms. Zinhle Mbatha, an STH Alum, Ms. Nonhlanhla Dlamini as well as Ms. Ntuthuko Tshabalala from the South African Chefs (an industry association) joined us every second week to assist the students with the execution of the final product. From the practical groups, we recruited volunteers who sold their cakes at the STH Entrepreneurial Market which was hosted by the in September. The volunteers had planning sessions beforehand and then costed and baked their cakes with one of the business partners, Ms. Ntuthuko Tshabalala. The students divided their profits amongst themselves after the market. Subsequently, three students have received orders for cakes for the festive season after posting their cakes on social media. They are launching their cake business as soon as the recess starts. The students enjoyed the experience of baking occasion cakes in collaboration with the industry partners and being exposed to the commercial aspects of baking. They explained however that they need more exposure to hone their baking and pastry skills. Baking is a good entrepreneurial opportunity to explore once the students complete their studies - Ita Geyser, Culinary Lecturer . The Gallery Walk method fosters a deeper and more meaningful teaching and learning environment. This is because as it enables students to apply the theory discussed during conventional lectures and express this content in a manner that they understand individually. Do not stop until you put the cherry on top S U C S E S S P r o j e c t photo credit (STH)
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