Second day of NGAL®: lots of team time, visit to Mooncascade, design thinking and one-to-one mentoring with Helen Kokk!

Tuesday, 6th June was the second day of NGAL® and well, it was even more fun! We started the day off with the reflection, got some sun during the team time, visited Mooncascade - one of the coolest IT companies in Tartu - talked about design thinking and UX with wonderful Helen Kokk and ended our day with amazing pasta!

As in other days, the day started off with reflection and PPP (progress, problems, plans). Everybody agreed that the opening day of NGAL® was a success - whether it was setting the pace for upcoming weeks, creating a timeline for themselves or meeting new people. After that, many teams took advantage of the sunny weather and enjoyed their team time in the park - after all, fresh air surely gives you more energy and a sharper mind!



In the afternoon, the participants had a chance to visit Mooncascade - one of the leading software development companies in Estonia. They were welcomed by Genia Trofimova who gave a brief overview on the company and it's work culture: "We work with, not for our customers," she explained. Genia also pointed out some of the most interesting projects and shared some behind-the-scenes stories.


But the day wasn’t over yet! After returning to IdeaLab, the teams met with the UX specialist Helen Kokk - and her little frenchie Sauvignon Blanc. Helen gave a talk on design thinking and UX, giving lots of practical examples. According to her, a design mindset is always solution-focused and action-oriented towards creating a preferred future.  "That’s what Design Thinking is all about," she explained. "You have to think about the future, not what’s happening now. Otherwise you’re always going to be a follower, not the leader.

Helen  also shared her knowledge with the teams, mentoring all the ten teams one-by-one. "Her energy and passion for design was so inspiring!" as the participants said. Thank you so much for coming, Helen!


Kristo Kilk