The Rotman Design Challenge (RDC) at the Rotman School of Management brings together top talent from leading MBA and design schools from across the globe to propose solutions to a complex business challenge posed by an innovative and forward-thinking sponsor.
This is not just another case competition, the RDC is a unique event that allows students to put design theories into practice in a collaborative environment where they are supported by academics, professionals, and consultants from the fields of business and design.
2021 marks the tenth anniversary of RDC. This year, it was held on Saturday, March 6. Although the presentations were virtual, the effort, dedication, and joy the teams had was real. The RDC Executive Team issues a heartfelt thank you to this year’s sponsor, Canadian Tire, as well as the mentors, judges, workshop facilitators, volunteers, and participant teams. The Rotman Business Design Club looks forward to another decade of RDC.
A Canadian Tire store in Toronto
Details
2021 Sponsor: Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd, one of Canada's top retailers for auto, home, sports, hardware, and leisure solutions. Established in 1922, Canadian Tire is a national institution with over $14 billion in revenue in 2019.
Workshops: Design Thinking 101, Prototyping, Playing to Win, Storytelling
Team size: 4-6
Prizes: Up to $6,000
Dates
January 4th, 2021: Application goes live
January 16th, 2021: Application is due by 11:59pm
January 22nd, 2021: Advancing teams to be announced
January 25th, 2021: Virtual RDC Kick-off & Challenge Statement reveal
Friday January 29th and Saturday January 30th: Design Thinking 101 Workshop facilitated by Dipika Mallya of Ideations Labs (teams choose one of the days to participate)
Friday February 5th: Prototyping Workshop facilitated by Chelsea Omel of The Moment
Thursday February 11th: Playing to Win Workshop facilitated by Stefanie Schram
Friday February 19th and Saturday February 20th: Storytelling Workshop facilitated by Josh Greenhut of Bridgeable (teams choose one of the days to participate)
March 6th, 2021: Final presentations
Application Guidelines
These were the application guidelines for the 2021 RDC:
Teams must submit the full application by January 16th at 11:59pm EST.
A completed application includes:
Contact info for your 4-6 team members
Resumes for a resume book to be compiled for Canadian Tire
A 3-minute video submission that 1) Tells us about your team, 2) Tells us a unique/fun fact about your team, and 3) Tells us how you believe Canadian Tire might benefit with the application of Business Design (complete instructions in the application form)
You will be notified of your application status on or before January 22nd, 2021.
2021 Challenge
What might Canadian Tire do to package and deliver viable solutions, centred around their portfolio of own brands, that deliver greater value to consumers, differentiate themselves in the market, and grow their role as a trusted brand?
Check out the recording of the final round of presentations here.
1st Place
Parsons School of Design, Team SPARC
2nd Place
Illinois Institute of Technology — Institute of Design, Team IDeate
3rd Place
Ivey Business School - Team Lockdown Designs
Previous Challenges
2020
SOCIAL IMPACT EDITION
Winning school: the new school PARsons, New york, USA
How might we provide immediate relief to those experiencing natural disasters?
2019
sponsor: KinGSPAN
winning school: The new school parsons, new york, usa
Within the next 5-10 years, how can Kingspan, the global leader in high-performance insulation, building envelope solutions and a company committed to sustainability, disrupt its own business model to be the leader in the future of digital construction?
2018
Sponsor: CIBC
Winning school: Rotman School of Management, Toronto, Canada
How can CIBC become a leader in financial planning for our clients by scaling beyond traditional channels, over the next 10 years?
2017
Sponsor: Telus
Winning school: Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, USA
As the future of work is rapidly changing, how might TELUS develop, attract and retain top talent to achieve this aspiration over the next five years?
2016
Sponsor: Fidelity Labs
Winning school: Booth School of Business, Chicago, USA
How might Fidelity Investments respond to shifting demographic dynamics and best meet the emerging needs of its customers?
2015
Sponsor: Steelcase
Winning school: IIT Institute of Design, Chicago, USA
Describe how Steelcase, the world’s preeminent supplier of office furniture, and a company grounded in the research and understanding of user behavior, will continue to play to win in this evolving work environment over the next 20 years.
Past Participating Schools
Location
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
105 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3E6 Canada
Contact Us
Note that RDC2021 has ended. If you are interested in sponsoring, participating in, or mentoring RDC 2022 use the above form to contact us.