Consulting with Heart: Facilitating Turipamwe's Innovation Process in Namibia
No, I’m not your average management consultant stepping in with a suit jacket and armed with nothing but a sexy framework. And my professional relationship with the Turipamwe team is not your average innovation consultancy. It spans three years, one thorough internal innovation process, one new department, two new positions, a couple of staff members leaving and a couple of new joining, a few successes, a few losses, some revenue growth, some frustratingly stalled sales, one White Paper on Design Thinking in Namibia, loads of laughter and, yes, a few tears.
Turipamwe team and I after a collaborative workshop on developing a new service in 2021. Photo: Turipamwe.
Setting the Stage: Introduction
As I step into the Turipamwe studio in the heart of Windhoek, I pause behind the studio space door to listen. Nothing. By the sound of it, you’d never know visual magic is being made as the team is huddled over their monitors, clad in their headphones and contributing beauty to the world with the click of a mouse. As I step in, smiling faces emerge from behind the screens to greet me with a hug. Over the past four years, we’ve seen each other through good days and bad, and when we exchange our how-are-yous, it is not just to be polite but to genuinely know how we are past the surface.
This scene has become familiar to me over the past few years – a testament to our journey together. Over time, my position as a consultant transitioned into a team member with the title of Growth Consultant. I have manoeuvred between the roles of a trainer, facilitator, coach, mentor and management/leadership consultant. Nowadays, my work with the founder of Turipamwe, Tanya Stroh, resembles that of a co-founder who’s in the gutter side-by-side with her. While the lines of my role may have blurred, this remains my longest working relationship with a client, providing countless lessons to management consultancy. More about those in a separate post.
In this blog, I share the innovation process I facilitated for Turipamwe in 2021. This was my third year in Namibia, and I was still learning about localising (and decolonising!) design practices in an African context. How I’d facilitate co-creation today would look different, but there’s value in hindsight, right?
So here’s Case Turipamwe and how using Lean Service Creation transformed this Namibian small business.
Background: From Humble Beginnings to Creative Powerhouse Bigger Than Its Size
With Turipamwe founder, Tanya Stroh. Our collaboration began in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. After tight lockdowns in 2020, the country opened up at the end of the year. In April 2021, I travelled to Namibia and restrictions on gathering and travel were not tights. The situation changed drastically in June 2021, and our innovation process needed to accommodate the quickly changing circumstances.
Turipamwe's story is about passion, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of creative magic. Founded by Tanya Stroh, a graphic designer turned entrepreneur, in 2011, the studio quickly carved out a niche in Namibia's competitive design landscape. Armed with a vision of creating a space where creativity thrived, and meaningful work was the norm, Tanya assembled a team of like-minded individuals who shared her ambition and drive.
In many ways, Tanya’s story is a typical example of female entrepreneurship in Namibia. She started her business for the love of the game, with minimal business experience, and she’s had to grow on the job to the business manager she is today. Turipamwe is the Go-To creative agency for some of the largest corporations and international organisations in the Land of the Brave, and Tanya’s creative eye is sought for versatile design challenges, including set design for the first Namibian movie to get on Netflix and the country’s first opera. She is also a societal thinker and has been in charge of developing the creative industry in the country.
Problem: Recognising the Need for Change
Rewind to 2021. Despite her personal and business success, Tanya couldn't shake the feeling of unfulfillment. While Turipamwe's portfolio boasted award-winning work, Tanya yearned for something more—a way to use her skills to impact her community positively. Many of her team members shared this sentiment, longing for creatively fulfilling and socially meaningful work.
Solution: Embracing Innovation with Lean Service Creation
Futurice’s co-founder Hanno Nevanlinna, who is behind the LSC process, has been acting as a mentor to the Turipamwe team, and shared insights into corporate innovation and the toolkit. This photo from 2021 is after a training with Nevanlinna, with one of Turipamwe’s team members joining online.
Determined to chart a new course, Tanya enlisted me as a consultant and facilitator to guide her team through an innovation process using Lean Service Creation (LSC). Developed by Futurice, a Finnish digital consultancy, LSC combines the principles of Lean Startup, design thinking, and Agile methodology to guide teams through the systematic development of new ideas.
I was intrigued - in parallel with our work, I was collecting data for my doctorate in Design Innovation and experimenting with using the LSC with Future Females and Future Females Windhoek. The collaboration with Turipamwe allowed me to immerse myself in using design in the local context. Our process was structured into modular collaborative workshops where I took the team through LSC canvases and trained them in facilitation, pitching and business development. By Tanya’s request, I had 1-1 coaching with staff and mentoring sessions with her.
The Journey: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Change
Our journey with Turipamwe was not without its challenges. From overcoming resistance from some team members to taking intentional steps to change internal processes and strategies and navigating the complexities of cultural transformation, we encountered obstacles. But through it all, I was amazed by Tanya's calm and humane leadership. I’m convinced that if a leader is not committed, curious, and lacks the foresight to invest in the innovation process, it will be short-lived—and the rewards will be significantly diminished.
The Outcome: Lasting Cultural Transformation and Promising Business Growth
During the innovation process, I used time-boxed activities to focus the ideation and new service creation development. The team often worked with print-out LSC canvases to ensure they considered everything. In this session in 2021, I invited them to move around the studio space where canvases and discussion points had been prepared.
Fast-forward to today, and the results speak for themselves. Turipamwe has not only launched a groundbreaking new service to the Namibian market —Co-Creation—but has also transformed its internal culture. From embracing failure as a learning opportunity to fostering a culture of collaboration and openness, the team has adopted design thinking principles wholeheartedly, setting the stage for continued growth and innovation. And the business outcome? Compared to 2019-2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Namibian industries by storm), the business increased its revenue by 30 % in the financial year of 2022-2023, a year after Co-Creation had been launched. Still today, in 2024, the revamped internal processes and more engaged staff continue to grow the business, as Turipamwe is on track to double its revenue by the end of the current fiscal year.
How You Can Apply Design Thinking to Your Business
Suppose you’re reading this inspired and thinking about how this works in practice. In that case, I recommend you head to Turipamwe’s website to download the White Paper that outlines our journey in more detail, including the methods and techniques I used as a facilitator.
But for funsies, here are some key steps to get started:
In some of the exercises, the team was split into two to focus on specific areas. Small team work fostered teamwork and interpersonal skills, and increased confidence in team members to share their perspectives in a cultural environment, where oftentimes the leaders are looked to for guidance and vision.
Identify Your Pain Points: Start by identifying areas where innovation is needed in your business. This could be anything from streamlining internal processes to developing new products or services.
Assemble Your Team: Just like Turipamwe, success with design thinking requires a diverse team of individuals with different skills and perspectives. Bring together key stakeholders from across your organisation to ensure buy-in and collaboration.
Start Small: Design thinking doesn't have to be a massive undertaking. Start with a small pilot project or workshop to test the waters and get comfortable with the process. Turipamwe’s Co-Creation department can help here.
Empathise with Your Customers: One of the core principles of design thinking is empathy – putting yourself in your customers' shoes to better understand their needs and pain points. Take the time to truly listen to your customers and gather insights to inform your solutions.
However, I’m learning that suggesting empathising incorporates an individualistic worldview and assumes that you are not the same as me but someone I need to seek to understand. If one were to decolonise this step, it could mean eliminating the notion of empathy completely and building a new step on the principle of Ubuntu, where ‘I am because you are’. Piqued your interest? Reach out, and we can talk more.Prototype and Iterate: Don't be afraid to fail fast and often. I know it’s uncomfortable. But how about you think of failure as data? Use prototyping to test your ideas with real customers and gather feedback quickly. Then, iterate based on what you learn to improve your solutions continuously.
Embrace a Culture of Innovation: Finally, remember that design thinking is not just a process—it's a mindset. To foster innovation at every level, encourage a culture of experimentation, collaboration, and openness to new ideas within your organisation.
With Turipamwe founder, Tanya Stroh, in 2021. Our business partnership expanded beyond Co-Creation, as we additionally embarked on collaborating on the Omeho Project - an idea we discussed and ideated at a lunch meeting. I have a feeling we will continue working together for a long time to come.
By following these steps, you can harness the power of design thinking to drive meaningful change and innovation in your business, just like Turipamwe did.
Conclusion: Looking to the Future
Reflecting on our journey with Turipamwe, I'm filled with pride and optimism for what lies ahead. Even if the timing might still need to be right to mainstream design thinking in all businesses, we've proven that with vision, determination, and a willingness to embrace change, a company can be transformed for the better using design thinking. Better here means a more financially sustainable and employee-centred workplace providing meaningful and quality labour for the youth in a developing market.
As Turipamwe continues to blaze a trail of creativity and innovation in Namibia and beyond, I do not doubt their impact will be felt for years to come.
Are you a future-oriented Namibian business that wants to embark on your own innovation journey?
Are you keen to talk to me about design-led change management in Namibia, Startup Culture in southern Africa, localising Western design practices in Africa, or perhaps driving innovation in your business?