A first-of-its-kind peer learning event

In December 2016, 17 Triggers was hired by MetLife Foundation to host a peer learning event with a brief to avoid “death by PowerPoint.”

In response, 17 Triggers, in partnership with MLF and LumenLab hosted the first-ever Innovation Circuit in Singapore. The event was a three-day, human-centered design (HCD) training for the senior management of all MLF’s Asia portfolio companies. Twenty partners all working in digital financial products and innovation were brought together to learn from each, be bold, and push boundaries in designing new products and services using HCD.

17 Triggers curated an event experience that began months in advance. We hosted a pre-event webinar to build excitement for the upcoming event and provide attendees with a way to get to know each other before meeting in person. The three days were interspersed with collaborative sessions, field trips to local incubators and tech accelerators, and evening events in Singapore.

Participants create and test rapid prototypes to tackle a common challenge financial services providers face. (photo by Tanya Rabourn)

“We are so thankful to MLF for bringing us all together and investing this time. The Innovation Circuit is a really powerful platform for learning from each other and continuing to improve our platforms.”

– Simona Haiduc, Senior Vice President of Internal Business Development with Opportunity International

The participant learning journey

Participants were presented opportunities to work together, share lessons learned, and interact with others outside of their regular circles. By the end of the event, participants completed Trigger Mapping in a Box and learned how to identify customer pain points and prototype actionable solutions, and presented these to a panel of judges. Most important, they committed to detailed action steps to bring human-centered design into their companies in order to continue iterating to serve their customers.

The hope was that the attendees of the first Innovation Circuit would become a cohort and serve as a support network for each other in the future to collaborate and innovate towards better financial services for low income communities.

Participants prepare customer journey maps and share out with their peers for feedback. (photo by Tanya Rabourn)