This activity is designed to be conducted during one of the early sessions of a Capstone project course to introduce KEEN’s 3Cs—Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value—as foundational principles for the full-term project. While not a standalone capstone project, this hands-on exercise provides students with an opportunity to engage in problem-solving within constraints, fostering creative thinking and practical innovation. By exploring these concepts early in the semester, students gain a structured approach to tackling real-world challenges, ensuring they apply curiosity-driven learning and user-centered design throughout their capstone experience.

Curiosity within constraints fosters creativity and ensures that solutions are practical and user-centered. When boundaries like resources, time, or specific requirements are defined, they serve as a framework that channels curiosity into purposeful exploration. Instead of aimless experimentation, students are encouraged to ask focused "what if" questions, such as:

• "What if I adjust this feature to make it easier to use?"
• "How can I achieve this outcome with fewer materials or within a tight budget?"

These constraints encourage problem-solvers to balance innovation with feasibility, resulting in solutions that are both imaginative and functional.

By working within limitations, students learn to deeply consider the end user’s needs, ensuring that their solutions address real-world challenges effectively. This mirrors how businesses innovate to create value while meeting market demands.

• Build and Paint Birdhouse, Unfinished Wood Bird House Kits
• 24 Colors Acrylic Paint Pens, Dual Tip Pens With Medium Tip and Brush Tip
• Stickers

Using the EcoHaven Birdhouse Business Case, students can see how curiosity drives innovation while meeting the same set of user requirements.

Through the process of building birdhouses, students gain firsthand experience in how curiosity fosters innovative solutions, even within a framework of defined constraints. This parallels the way businesses and engineers address diverse user needs while adhering to specific requirements, providing a practical demonstration of design exploration.

Students will witness that each person created a different bird house based on the same business case.  Curiosity of how to make it and meet the requirements keeps the student’s interest.

This is  how building a birdhouse demonstrates this concept:

1. Understanding User Needs: The business case outlines specific requirements like eco-friendly materials, structural safety, and decorative appeal. Students will realize that these requirements can be met in many ways, encouraging them to ask questions like:
   • "What materials can I use that are both eco-friendly and sturdy?"
   • "What shape of the entrance would work best for different bird species?"
2. Exploring Design Variations: Curiosity will lead students to consider different approaches to solve the same problem. For example:
   • One birdhouse might have a sleek, minimalist design, while another could have intricate decorations aligning with nature-inspired aesthetics.
   • The entrance shape (circle or heart) might vary based on aesthetic and functional preferences.
3. Testing Constraints: The constraints, such as using eco-friendly cardboard and biodegradable twine, challenge students to innovate within limits. This encourages questions like:
   • "How can I make the structure strong with lightweight materials?"
   • "What decoration methods ensure vibrant colors while being safe for the environment?"
4. Diverse Solutions: Students will learn that many birdhouses can meet the same business goals while looking and functioning differently. Each design reflects the creator’s curiosity and problem-solving approach, demonstrating how different perspectives lead to equally valid solutions.