Tag: Methodologies

inside Cookhouse Labs

Posted on

Munich 2-Day Taster Session Recap: Disruption of Insurance through Tech Giants

A diverse community of insurance professionals convened in Munich in May 2018 to explore industry disruption from unlikely players – the world’s tech giants. The group came together to use new approaches and unlock methodologies to help navigate the future of the industry in our collaborative 2-day session. 

What is a taster session at Cookhouse Lab?

A taster session at Cookhouse Lab is a free 2-day session that gives organizations a chance to experience the methodology, process, and environment of Cookhouse Lab. The taster offers insurance professionals the opportunity to experience a mindset shift, access design thinking tools, connect with new industry peers, and get answers to questions about the benefits of Cookhouse Lab membership.

The session provides accelerated programming, leveraging the strategies and philosophies that are fully explored in the Lab’s 2, 4, and 12-week projects. Each taster offers insight into the full program experience while also providing a lens on a specific project topic.

What did participants do at the Munich 2-Day Taster Session?

The Munich taster focused on Disruption of Insurance through Tech Giants and offered local insurance organizations from across Europe a taste of our Pop-Up Lab in Munich, running from September 10 – 21 and culminating with final presentations at msg’s Insurance Conference inscom.

Over 2 days, the taster attendees:

  • Identified what tech giants are currently doing in insurance
  • Discovered consumers overall attitudes about insurance and what they know about tech giants
  • Researched unique value propositions that insurance organizations can offer to compete with tech giants
  • Looked at available resources from tech giants and explored how insurance organizations can leverage them to improve their customer experience

What methodology was used for the taster?

The Cookhouse Lab methodology was used to uncover trends, draw on intersections, and unlock value for the insurance professionals. Using design thinking tools and our proven project approach, we were able to develop innovative solutions to meet the needs of a changing insurance industry landscape. Over the 2-day session, we walked through all three phases of the process: the team completed their initial research online, created their interview questions and, as always, went out to talk to consumers to better understand their thoughts, feelings, and opinions on tech giant disruption.

Who participated?

This was a very fun group to work with! As an Intercultural Management consultant and coach, I enjoyed working with a team that was diverse, not only in terms of geographical location but also in terms of industry. Our participants joined us from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. Our guests from Germany, SOKA BAU, were exclusively labourers insurance providers, a type of organization we don’t often see in our lab. Die Mobiliar from Switzerland and Nationale Niederlanden were also in attendance, and it was a pleasure to have msg colleagues and participants from their partners at SAP. The team was completed with members of another msg organization, minnosphere. The unique mix of experience and perspectives in the room made for incredible solutions and a fun, creative, and productive taster.

What were the outcomes of the Munich taster?

Every participant came away with their own unique insights, but it was fascinating to see how far each person could step outside of their comfort zone. Final presentations provided an overview of three viable solutions and were presented as a great mix of Pecha Kucha presentations, sketches, storyboards, and low-fi prototypes. The diversity in solutions and presentation styles was a great reminder of the importance of an open and creative mindset and attitude when innovating.

The three solutions the team crafted included:

  • Insure your Lifestyle: What if you could insure your lifestyle and make sure that what you have built is something you can enjoy for the rest of your life? What if your insurance supported you through your journey and, with your help and data, your provider could customize your packages to fit your current lifestyle while also taking into account future changes? For example, if you are currently a passionate snowboarder, when the time comes to rest your board you would be able to substitute coverage for a new hobby, maybe more beach travel or a different sport.
  • Be Insured: Imagine a life where you would pay one premium a year, in which everything you needed to cover was covered. A life where your insurance company would offer you packages based on specific settings you select like budget, items you want insured, trips you are taking, and family milestones like your teenager getting their license, or the beginning of your ‘empty nest’ with your youngest child’s graduation. Imagine a life where you can choose how to pay for your insurance, with cash or data. Every year, you could receive a report of how your data was used – a life where you do not need to look for insurance, insurance comes to you!
  • Insurance Concierge – Blockchain: Two of the most common questions related to insurance are what exactly do I need and how do I get it? When most people start that search, they come across too many options, most of which are not very clear, leading to a time-consuming and confusing search. Insurance Concierge takes care of those pain points. It is your digital concierge, built using access to your blockchain where all of your personal data has been securely stored. The concierge would not communicate with you, but with your digital twin – a twin designed by you! Now the communication, search, and offers are all managed by your concierge and your digital twin. When offers come in and coverage is required, you have the option to read and sign yourself OR handoff signing authority to your digital twin.

What future tasters can we look forward to in the Lab?

We have a one-of-a-kind taster coming up on June 26-28. Learn more about The Future of the Mobile Insurance Agents and Brokers taster here. What makes this taster unique is that participants will be taking part in a project that is focused on launching a solution. This means you get to co-create and be part of the journey as the project moves from a lo-fi prototype to a fully functioning product! This is an exciting opportunity as the Lab typically focuses on creating solutions, not launching them. This time, as we partner with msg, SAP, and Apple, you will have a chance to experience more and see the full process of bringing a product into market.

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Posted on

[SERIES] Inside Cookhouse Lab – Introduction to Design Thinking

Every hero needs a villain, right? Similarly, every great idea, solution, or invention always needs a problem. And while the solution is often what gets all of the glory and attention, how we deal with said problem is just as, if not more, important.

As Albert Einstein once said, “we can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”.

The Importance of Identifying the Problem

In the world of insurance, all insurers are motivated to solve one problem: how to minimize the risk of financial loss. But for many organizations, the innovation strategy behind solving this problem lacks a key component. While many companies do a great job analyzing the latest technological trends (like Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, or Blockchain) and trying to find answers on how to make use of them, they often don’t think about the root cause of the actual problem.  

Understanding Customer Expectations 

Steve Jobs once wisely said, “it’s not the customer’s job to know what they want!”. He’s not wrong. To create the best solutions for the customer, companies need to have a very clear understanding of their exact problems. And in today’s digital world, standards are high. People are shaped and influenced by their digital experiences with sophisticated companies like Amazon or Uber – and these expectations transfer over to their insurance needs as well. This means that insurers need to understand the expectations of these customers in order to build greater customer loyalty, cut costs, and improve profitability. 

Design Thinking Puts the Customer First

The concept of design thinking has been around for decades in various professions like engineering and architecture, but has recently exploded in popularity in the business world. At a high level, this process helps organizations solve complex problems by shifting the focus from a business-centric solution to a customer-centric solution.

Previously in the insurance space, most insurers took the approach of creating solutions based solely on assumptions and hoped that their products or solutions would resonate with target audiences. Design thinking reverses this logic by first identifying the root(s) of the problem, observing how people think and behave, and gathering customer insights. From there, practical solutions are created. 

At Cookhouse Lab, we have seen first hand the power of design thinking. By using this methodology, teams have the opportunity to look at a problem through the eyes of the customer, put themselves in their shoes and fully empathize with the customer – who is ultimately the end-user. Design thinking also encourages creativity and when these elements are put together, great things happen. Check out some of the problems that have been solved in Cookhouse Lab using design thinking here.

Stages of Design Thinking

The following are the stages of design thinking process:

  • Empathize with the customer and other stakeholders
  • Define the opportunity or problem
  • Design a solution
  • Create and build a Minimum Viable Product/Concept/Service
  • Test the solution with customers and users

No matter what the problem is, this process facilitates a path that leads to many possible solutions that can be tested and changed. In other words, it encourages continuous iterations of a solution. This quick testing cycle, at very early stages of the design, allows for organizations to create, fail, change, and adapt quickly – all while being mindful of monetary, time, and resource investments. 

Building MVPs Through Design Thinking

Design thinking involves the creation of  Minimum Viable Products, services and concepts that are presented to end-users to test ideas. In 2017 alone, we developed over a dozen InsurTech MVPs that have combined the best of the industry’s newest technologies with innovative ideas from passionate professionals to create consumer engagement apps, blockchain portals, and more.

<< Check out what innovative MVPs we created in 2017 here! >>

Design Thinking at Cookhouse Lab

Using Design Thinking at Cookhouse Lab has not only led to tremendous ideas and MVPs but also the chance to contribute towards changing perceptions in insurance. As we discovered in our Loyalty & Rewards project, insurers today struggle to show their customers that they care about their life, wellness, and behavioural changes. But with Design Thinking, empathizing with customers is always a top priority, so if we continue this momentum, these perceptions will become easier to break. 

Most importantly, the innovative ideas that come from Design Thinking in Cookhouse Lab help us and the InsurTech community, contribute to making insurance better. 

Want to experience the Design Thinking process firsthand? We’ve got a full schedule of projects that are waiting for your input! Check them out here.

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Posted on

[SERIES] 500 Days of Innovation – MVP Madness

As we near the 500-day mark for Cookhouse Lab, we thought it would be fitting to take a trip down memory lane. Join us as we explore highlights from our first 500 days in a new blog series titled: 500 Days of Innovation. Each installment will explore a different aspect of Cookhouse Lab that has played a key role in our journey so far. First up is ‘Minimum Viable Product; also known as ‘MVP’.

The Cookhouse Lab experience is centered around an accelerated Minimum Viable Product (MVP) creation journey.  On average, project MVPs have been completed between a two to four week period, which is a combined effort of project teams and Cookhouse Lab design and technical teams. So what exactly is an MVP?

An MVP is the most pared-down version of a product. It has three primary purposes:

  • Provides enough value to illustrate the buyer/end-user potential
  • Offers a practical (and not abstract) demonstration of the benefits and features of the product/service
  • Creates a feedback loop to guide future development or investment 

To give you a better idea, we are sharing five real and noteworthy MVPs that were generated in 2017 in Cookhouse Lab. 

1. Insurance Loyalty & Rewards

The Problem: Twofold. Insurance companies have difficulty retaining customers.  Meanwhile, consumers have a hard time keeping track (and understanding) policy information, creating a negative customer experience.

The MVP: An insurance-focused customer caring mobile application which was named ‘BACON’. 

What makes this MVP stellar?

This app was the output from a 12-week sprint, designed with the end goal of benefiting both the customer and the insurance companies with the following set of features:

  • Centralized platform: This creates a single place to easily manage all of the customer’s insurance. New communication channels and data sources (from IoT) enables a better understanding of customers.
  • Digital experience: This engages users through gamification and would incentivize risk-mitigating behaviour and reward those who do well.
  • Positive association: This platform focuses on caring and elevating the level of customer experience, which creates a more positive association between the customer and the company, and ultimately supports the goal of a deeper relationship between both parties.
  • Opportunity: creating a better relationship between customers and insurers through open lines of communication that will drive improved customer engagement and loyalty.

The Bonus: The usage of IoT increases data collection which allows for better risk assessment and more tailored product offerings.

Sample screenshots of ‘BACON’

>> Read the full management report: Insurance Loyalty & Rewards

2. Delays in APS

The Problem: Due to the lack of motivation, poor quality data, and a strenuous paper process, it can take up to 60 days to receive an Attending Physician Statement (APS) from doctors on life insurance applicants. This is a frustrating experience for the consumer and causes major delays and subsequent impact in issuing life insurance policies. 

The MVP: A high-fidelity mock-up of a centralized platform for all parties involved with the APS process (applicant, broker, insurer, and the physician) to access, upload and review information, which was nicknamed ‘Road Runner’. 

What makes this MVP stellar?

This platform was created with real input from those involved with the process today, including physicians, insurers, and brokers. Focusing on the two main and current pain points of cost and time, this MVP provides opportunity for all stakeholders to benefit in both categories:

  • APS Cost: Through this digital process, data quality can be improved, which could trigger a 70% reduction in costs to request and process APS documentation.
  • Cycle Time: Understanding the time constraints that physicians face, this new digital process along with a physician bonus incentive program could create a 50-95% reduction in completion time for a full APS request. Underwriters would also benefit from easy access to information, and it’s estimated that there could be a 100-400% increase in the number of cases underwritten per day which require an APS. 
Sample UW Dashboard screenshot of ‘Road Runner’

>> Read the full management report here: Delays in APS 

3. Drone Insurance – no history, no data, no coverage?

The Problem: The lack of historical data has made it difficult for insurance companies to create new policies, therefore making it impossible for customers to protect themselves when they fly drones. 

The MVP: A two-pronged approach. The first being a community app that focuses on data gathering and social sharing in an effort to create a credible risk model and rating matrix. The second being a standalone one-size-fits-all insurance product that targets the more professional drone pilot audience. 

What makes this MVP stellar?

These MVPs create three main opportunities for the insurance company, while filling a gap that consumers need:

  • New Data Acquisition: The community app creates the opportunity to harness data from drone pilots through gamification. Underwriters will then have more access to policyholder flight data and behavior.
  • Proper Margins: This new data will also help increase accuracy, which allows for charging proper premiums while allowing for usage-based discount pricing.
  • Reduced Fraud: With the combination of user data and publicly accessible social media data, fraud can be more easily detected.

The Bonus: Drones are just the latest example of a ‘new risk’ that insurance companies can insure. As more new risks pop up, the same principles can be applied as a foundation for a new solution. 

Sample layout of community app

>> Read the full management report here: Drone Insurance – no history, no data, no coverage?

4. The Future of Transportation – Autonomous Vehicles

The Problem: The introduction of AI in vehicles, otherwise known as semi-autonomous cars, is a new product and has a lack of historical data to base new policies off of. This makes it difficult for insurers to determine how they are going to tackle the transition period between human and autonomous driving. 

The MVP: Three different products that will tackle three main issues: lack of data, shifting risk, and the shifting usage of cars. 

What makes this MVP stellar?

This MVP was created during our 12-week sprint with information gathered from over 200 respondents as well as a test-drive in one of the newest semi-autonomous cars at General Motors. The following products were developed as part of a portfolio solution:

  • Discovery and Awareness Portal: Understanding that autonomous vehicles are a newer product that do not necessarily have the best public perception, this portal was created to address the safety concerns of customers by providing a manufacturer agnostic resource where customers are able to learn and experience what it’s like to be in an autonomous vehicle.
  • Adaptive Risk Model: As cars gain more and more autonomous features, this adaptive risk model takes into account the transition period where risk is constantly shifting. 
  • Transportation Short Leasing/UBI Application: Uber is not a fad. Short-lease trips will still be popular as cars become more autonomous. This feature is for customers who don’t yet own a vehicle but require transportation. It allows the customer to short-lease trips in an autonomous vehicle. 

The Bonus: Upon outlining a sustainable business model with these MVPs,  the final valuation of all of these products was found as a whopping $150MM. 

>> Read the full management report here: The Future of Transportation – Autonomous Vehicles

5. Blockchain & Group Benefit Coordination

The Problem: The lack of communication between insurance companies in the group benefit coordination process has created an environment for frequent touchpoints, manual intervention, and the exchange of duplicate information, which has proven to be inefficient and costly. 

The MVP: A blockchain prototype with both customer and company portals that was built with Hyperledger Fabric on Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

What makes this MVP stellar? 

Hyperledger Fabric is a known blockchain framework that was contributed to by Digital Asset and IBM, and allows for various components to be plug-and-play. AWS provides a secure cloud computing service which provides the necessary database storage. The combination of both of these tools will benefit the group benefit process in two major ways:

  • Time efficiency: This new blockchain prototype eliminates the need to submit the same claim multiple times when covered by multiple providers, which will heavily reduce the amount of time and effort required for customers to get their compensation. 
  • Cost efficiency: This prototype will also benefit secondary insurers. With direct information from the primary insurer, claim information can be trusted, which will eliminate the need for back and forth between both parties. 
Sample customer portal, claims history view

>> Read the full management report here: Blockchain & Group Benefit Coordination

These are just some of the MVP highlights from last year, and we’re ready to create more! Our menu has filled up with amazing projects in both the life and P&C space for the first half of 2018. Check them out and join our innovation journey!

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Posted on

Free Taster: How to Innovate in Two Days

Take a moment to reflect on the last problem you wanted to solve, issue you wanted to change or great idea you wanted to implement in your professional environment.

Were you able to solve the problem? Change the issue? Implement the idea? Or did execution fail because you didn’t have time to get around to it.

This can often happen when organizations approach innovation. The concept seems like this ‘big, scary, time prolonged’ project that no one has time for. BUT it doesn’t have to be. And our recent 2-day innovation sprint in Munich, Germany can prove it.

Cookhouse Lab ventured to Munich last month to invite local innovators to test our concept of open innovation and co-creation during a 2-day innovation sprint. Think of it as a ‘free taster’ to get a sense of the speedy innovation that takes place at Cookhouse Lab. 

The team was tasked with developing a solution for insurance loyalty and rewards in just 2 days. After reading this blog, I think you’ll be surprised to see just how much can be accomplished in a short but focused time frame.

Discover how the team used Cookhouse Lab’s design thinking methodology to successfully innovate in two days!

Day 1

Learning the Cookhouse Lab Methodology & Understanding the Customer

The day began with two goals:

  1. Learning about the Cookhouse Lab methodology – At Cookhouse Lab, our projects start with a Lean Startup exercise, followed by the phases of Design Thinking as supported by a variety of tools. The ultimate goal is to develop a high-level set of business processes and use cases.
  2. Getting more insights on the project’s problem statement – Creating an insurance loyalty & reward program to retain and strengthen consumer relationships and mitigate risks. 

Identifying and understanding the problem statement are critical in design thinking to ensure your solution is actually solving a real problem. For this project, it was to fix the problem of insurers not knowing how to show customers that they care about their life, wellness and behavioral changes, and thus how to retain them. 

Armed with this information, the team went on to define what they wanted to learn about current customers, their behavior, interests, fears, etc. Working together as a team, they selected the most impactful questions they could ask the average consumer to gain the right data. 

Interviewing real people to gain real insights

Breaking out into pairs, the team interviewed people from around our Pop-up lab in Munich in the Werksviertel-Mitte and at the Ostbahnhof (East train station) areas. Through these interviews, the team gained true insights and were able to pick up on key elements that consumers value and that could be improved upon when it comes to insurance products and services.

Reserve your spot for our next Free Taster: Do We Need A Micro-Annuities Product?

Interviewing real people allows you to empathize with customers to understand their wants, needs and current views on insurance. This is essential to design thinking so that you can truly understand their pain points instead of making assumptions.

The day ended with the team reflecting on their learnings and highlighting key ingredients that would help them create a persona, ideate on possible solutions and test concepts on day two.

Day 2

Morning – Defining the Solution

Next, it was time to define the solution for our topic. The team went through a timeline exercise where they quickly brainstormed 10 ideas that could be implemented in the different time frames of: next week, 3 years, 10 years, and 50 years. The team did an amazing job at staying committed, energized and continued to push themselves out of their comfort zone. After this activity, the team shared all of their ideas and voted on the top four concepts they wanted to take to market to test.

After a good night’s sleep, the team kicked off day two by working on a persona and iterating through the problem statement using actual feedback from potential end-users. Iteration is another key ingredient of design thinking. It involves a continuous cycle of concept creation, testing, failing quickly and concept reiteration.

Afternoon – Testing & Results

The final half of the day was used to elaborate on the four final concepts and determine which questions they would ask their test market to determine the winning solution.

Once defined, the team had one hour to go back to the market to test their concepts. They managed to interview more than 25 people! Not bad for an hours’ work. The purpose of this testing round was to define which of the four concepts would be the chosen one, based on customer feedback.

The testing round was a highlight for the team as their test market was engaged with and curious about all four concepts. Several customers even went on to tell the team what else each concept should have to make it even more useful, transparent and engaging.

Taking the time to test concepts with the end-user helps you confirm if there is indeed a market for your solution. The good news is, if there is no interest, you can go back an reiterate! This process reduces the risk of finding out there is no market for your solution after a large monetary or time investment has been made.

Prototype Creation

The final phase of this innovation sprint was prototype creation. Since the team received positive feedback on all four concepts, they went on to design the following low fidelity prototypes using arts and crafts material:

Alexa for insurance – Alexa now manages insurance claims and policies with the support of the user. For example, if you have an accident Alexa would detect it and would start contacting the insurance company and helping you collect vital information on the spot like taking photos of the damages, exchanging insurance details, etc.

Insurance watch – a smart insurance watch. When it comes to P&C, you can control settings that will help you secure your insured items i.e. locking home, vehicle, receive notifications in case of fire or flooding, can offer accident prevention based on forecast. Life – it can capture activity, exercises, pulse, etc. and keep this is part of your profile. All this information can help you make better choices for your upcoming policy renewals.

Dr. Mirror – a mirror that insurance companies give to their clients that is used to help customers have a better understanding of their health and send necessary information to insurance companies for initiating claims and maintaining them up to date. For example, if a customer wakes up not feeling well and stands in front of a mirror, the mirror will do a full scan and give a diagnosis and suggestion for next steps. If this is a serious illness, the customer will be then be scheduled with a doctor or an ambulance will be called. This triggers the start of the claim process and updates the client’s medical history. The client then has easy and clear access to what is recorded and how to proceed with any insurance-related matters.

Insurance app – have it all done in an app, including news related to your policies, current policies, expiration reminders, integrated chatbot (which Cookhouse Lab is working on soon!

The power of speed innovation

In less than two days, the Munich team proved the power and speed of innovation. They went from being a group of curious strangers to a collaborative team with four tangible prototypes.

During the two day taster the team learned how to:

  • Empathize with customers to understand their wants, needs and current views on insurance
  • Iterate through problem statement to define solution
  • Test concepts on customers
  • Create low fidelity prototypes

Reserve your spot for our next Free Taster: Do We Need A Micro-Annuities Product?

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Posted on

Behind the Scenes: A Week Inside Cookhouse Lab

At Cookhouse Lab, we believe that innovation is created at its best through an open collaborative model with peers, partners, and start-ups in the insurance industry. This methodology combined with a global and diverse team of insurance and functional experts, ensures that every day at the lab is a new and meaningful experience for all our members.

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with both of our Innovation Chefs, Rhiannon Snell and Jason Yu to get the inside scoop on life inside the lab. Keep reading to find out more! 

Tell us about the environment of Cookhouse Lab.

Rhiannon: At Cookhouse Lab, we offer an intimate environment which provides a unique opportunity for members to co-create with their industry peers. This type of setting allows for better collaboration where members can co-create products and derive new opportunities.

Jason: Another aspect of our environment is our promotion of rapid prototyping. In this space, people can continuously build and test throughout the duration of the project. Even if you are able to innovate within your own company, our co-creation environment brings out more perspectives, and consequently, accelerates the outputs and efficiencies of industry projects.

Jason Yu and Rhiannon Snell in Cookhouse Lab

How does this environment differ from a corporate one?

Rhiannon: Sometimes working within one organization can unknowingly silo employees, which in turn means that business opportunities are missed. I think that there’s a lot that big corporations can learn from start-ups, but there is a communication breakdown between these organizations. At Cookhouse Lab, we aim to bridge that divide.

Jason: There can also be a big learning curve for members in terms of job function. At their companies, many members have safe and defined roles, whereas working on a smaller innovation team here ensures that members will have to participate in various capacities.

Rhiannon: We get people from accounting, system architecture, claims, actuaries, underwriting (just to name a few) and they blow each other’s minds!

What kind of activities can you expect to partake in during a project?

Jason: We do a daily huddle in the mornings and by the Friday of every week we review the progress of our weekly goals. In terms of activities, we run design thinking exercises that depend on the phase of the project. For example, one that we typically run at the beginning of the project is the customer journey mapping exercise.

For this exercise, the entire team gets together and jointly maps out the process in question. Within this process, pain points and opportunities are identified. This is where co-creation comes in, because different organizations will have different ideas on both of those fronts. Even more specifically, different departments within these organizations will have differing ideas.

Rhiannon: Another activity that we run is called Crazy 8’s, where we have the team create eight concepts in eight minutes, no matter how wild they are. The point of this exercise is not to come up with the ideal solution to the problem that we’re trying to address – but rather to rapidly flush out attributes of potential solutions that we may want to explore.

Tell us about the social aspects of innovating at Cookhouse Lab.

Rhiannon: We’re very conscious of the fact that when people start, it can be the first time they’ve met anyone on the project. At the beginning stages of the project, we do team-building exercises, and we get people to develop a team logo and name. We find that this helps build a sense of community.

During challenging stretches of projects where lots of work needs to be done in a short amount of time, high-pressure situations do exist. In these situations, the social aspect becomes even more important, as the innovation process flows a lot more smoothly when people get along. It’s also good in general when people care for one another.

Jason: We also recognize that this is a huge networking opportunity, so we really put in the effort to organizing social outings like casual drinks and dinner. Some of the more unique outings we’ve organized include escape rooms, shuffleboard, and comedy nights.

What are some of your favourite things about Cookhouse Lab?

Rhiannon: I really enjoy meeting people and watching people go through the design thinking process. In the first six months, we’ve had nearly a hundred participants experience Cookhouse Lab! At the beginning of every project, people can be confused as to what the innovation process really is. And at the end, people want to keep doing it and want to figure out how to take it back to their job.

Jason: For me, it’s being able to demonstrate efficient ways to accomplish tasks, and achieve goals and seeing the astonishment on members’ faces when we achieve goals that we set out to achieve. Ultimately though, it’s really about the entire experience.

Also, the plants. These plants are real!

Since opening our doors in February 2017, we’ve completed five innovation projects with many exciting ones starting in the rest of 2017 – including our first pop-ups in the Netherlands and Germany! 

Interested in becoming a part of the Cookhouse Lab innovation community?

Check out our upcoming projects! 

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Posted on

Who Can Innovate?

At Cookhouse Lab, our goal is to accelerate insurance innovation through open collaboration. We aim to do so through our various innovation projects, which are focused co-creations amongst project members.

Who can innovate?

A question we often get asked at the beginning of every Cookhouse Lab project is “who should I send to participate?” Cookhouse Lab members will initially select a senior employee from IT, Strategy, or Innovation. However, this creates a dilemma. The time of these employees is under high internal demand, and therefore they are often unable to participate in an offsite project that can last from 1-3 months. This scenario gives rise to the question:

How can organizations maximize their innovation potential by looking outside of their typical pool of innovation candidates?

Expanding the candidate pool

Very simply, innovation is about identifying customer needs, then solving problems to meet those needs. When looking for opportunities within the insurance sector, organizations have a wealth of existing internal knowledge. For example, front-line employees, such as claims representatives, have fantastic insights into the concerns and frustrations held by existing customers. Another example are underwriters, who have a strong understanding of product feasibility. Both employee groups are in a good position to identify problems, then contribute to the recognition and analysis of new opportunities.

Strength in diversity

When developing an innovation project team, it is important to include members from multiple functions across an organization. Any impactful solution, whether it be a product, service or process, will touch on multiple functions. A solution developed in isolation can be at risk of failing to meet customer needs, failing to adhere to internal feasibility requirements, facing implementation delays, and suffering from internal resistance. Functional representatives involved on innovation projects are able to highlight any potential roadblocks early on, then act as champions for the solution during the implementation phase.  

Empowering junior and intermediate staff members

Fast moving innovation projects require decisions to be made frequently, some of which are minute and others which significantly impact the direction of the solution. Innovation projects are often held up by decision making bottle-necks as a result of capacity limitations faced by senior staff. To maintain the cadence and momentum of innovation, it can be an effective measure to empower junior and intermediate staff members to participate and make decisions.

There are additional reasons to involve junior and intermediate staff members in innovation projects beyond their availability:

  • Capability – Insurance organizations can attract top talent due to comparatively high industry salaries and career development opportunities.  The problem solving and decision-making skills of non-senior employees should not be overlooked.
  • Perspective – Those relatively new to the industry come with “fresh eyes” and the ability to identify opportunities and challenges that may not be seen by employees who have worked within the system for many years (note, I am not discrediting those with considerable industry experience, who contribute comprehensive knowledge in addition to valuable perspectives).
  • Growth – Innovation projects provide an opportunity for employee development. Participants can build their teamwork and problem-solving skills, exercise the freedom to think, and gain insight into the operations of other areas of the business.

We have created an innovation environment at Cookhouse Lab that offers employees from every level and functional area the opportunity to participate. We have a number of projects that span multiple insurance disciplines, during which member companies have the option of rotating participating staff. 

For more information on how to become a member, or if you are interested in joining an upcoming project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Become an industry thought leader. Don’t forget to share.

Contact US!

Here at Cookhouse Labs we are always happy to hear from you. Send us your Feedback or ask any question!

MEMBER LOGIN

Don’t have an account yet? Join today.

LOGOUT

Are you sure you want to log out?

Yes, I want to log out

CASL Acceptable Use

ANTI-SPAM COMMITMENT

msg global solutions Canada Inc., and each of its affiliates or programs (“Cookhouse Labs”), is committed to providing transparency to outside parties with respect to the compliance of the organization’s electronic communication with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, in effect as of July 1st, 2014, and its relevant rules and regulations (hereinafter “CASL”). To that end, the Msg global solutions Anti-Spam Commitment is a formal statement of rights and obligations which is made available to outside parties. It is intended to inform outside parties of the type of responsible and transparent practices adopted by Msg global solutions when electronically communicating with outside parties, to inform outside parties about who they may contact at Msg global solutions for any concern pertaining to electronic communications, and to inform such outside parties of where and how they may unsubscribe to any electronic communications from msg global solutions. This document also includes a series of answers to questions about spam and msg global solutions’ practices that are frequently asked by outside parties that msg global solutions may communicate with.

1. APPLICATION AND SCOPE.

This Anti-Spam Commitment generally applies to any electronic communications sent by msg global solutions to outside parties and is protected by a range of business procedures, processes and policies to ensure that such communications are done in compliance with CASL. msg global solutions, in its electronic communications with outside parties, has to comply with the rules established by CASL and enforced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the Competition Bureau and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. CASL regulates all commercial electronic messages (“CEM”), which are messages that include among their purposes, the encouragement of participation in a commercial activity.

2. WHAT IS msg global solutions DOING TO COMPLY WITH CASL?

msg global solutions has undertaken various initiatives in order to make sure that it is compliant with CASL. It has adopted this Anti-Spam Commitment to provide transparency to outside parties with respect to the compliance of the organization’s electronic communication practices with CASL, as well as undertaken the following initiatives:

msg global solutions has implemented CASL compliant consent forms

The consent of outside parties is necessary in order for msg global solutions to send a CEM. This consent typically must be “express”, but in certain circumstances consent can be “implied” and in others, messages are specifically exempt from consent requirements. msg global solutions has modified certain consent forms in order to ensure that the express consent obtained from recipients is in compliance with CASL.

Your communication preferences can be updated at any time by visiting the Preference Centre, which can be accessed at any time via our website, and you will be notified via email when changes have been made. You can have your email address removed from our mailing lists at any time, although even if you unsubscribe to receiving CEM from Msg global solutions, you may still receive electronic messages from msg global solutions which relate to an ongoing business relationship or which are exempt under CASL.

msg global solutions has modified its email footers

msg global solutions has modified its email footers to manage CASL’s consent requirements. Under CASL, all CEM sent must include certain prescribed content. For example, msg global solutions must clearly identify itself as the party sending the CEM, provide a method whereby the recipient can readily contact msg global solutions, such as a mailing address and one of (i) a telephone number with active response voicemail; (ii) an email address; or (iii) a web address; and provide a working unsubscribe mechanism. CASL compliant email footers have been updated on all CEM sent from msg global solutions, in order to ensure compliance with CASL.

msg global solutions has incorporated Unsubscribe Mechanisms

msg global solutions has incorporated unsubscribe mechanisms into all CEM, in order to manage CASL’s consent requirements. Under CASL, each CEM must provide a working unsubscribe mechanism (functional for 60 days), which must be processed without delay, within a maximum of 10 business days. msg global solutions has set up a uniform process in order to ensure that all unsubscribe requests will be complied with. You may at any time unsubscribe from receiving CEM from Msg global solutions by following the process laid out in the electronic message you receive, or contact: hello@cookhouselabs.com. However, even if you unsubscribe to receiving CEM from msg global solutions, you may still receive electronic messages from msg global solutions which relate to an ongoing business relationship or which are exempt under CASL.

3. WHY ARE YOU RECEIVING AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE FROM msg global solutions?

The types of CEM msg global solutions may send from time to time could include the following:

  • CEM sent to msg global solutions’s current or potential clients (whether individuals or businesses), by msg global solutions’s marketing department or msg global solutions’s sales and business development team. For example, this may be for prospecting purposes or in order to answer a request for information or an inquiry;
  • CEM sent to msg global solutions’s current or potential service providers by various msg global solutions business units. For example, msg global solutions may outsource part of its activities to a third party (such as a maintenance company, a translation service provider, etc.) or, msg global solutions HR department may contact potential employees electronically for recruitment purposes.
  • CEM sent to msg global solutions’s current or potential business partners. For example, this may be for building or finding new ventures and partnerships with industry companies, groups and associations.

If you have received a CEM from msg global solutions and you believe that you should not have, please assess as to whether you have provided implied or express consent to receive CEMs from msg global solutions, or if an exemption applies.

  • Express Consent: You can verify that you have provided express consent to msg global solutions (or verify the status of your consent) by reviewing your preferences in the Preference Centre.
  • Implied Consent: msg global solutions may infer your implied consent if:
  • msg global solutions has an existing business relationship with you or has a former business relationship with you which terminated less than two years ago (for instance, you are a former client);
  • msg global solutions received an inquiry from you within the last 6 months;
  • You disclosed your electronic address to a msg global solutions employee (for example you provided your business card to a msg global solutions employee) or you conspicuously published your electronic address (for example, via a corporate website or in a brochure) and the CEM sent is in connection with your business role and function.

When is an electronic message exempt under CASL?

If you are receiving an electronic communications from msg global solutions, it may be a message that is exempt under CASL. This would be the case if the message is one the following:

  • you have a personal relationship with the msg global solutions employee who contacted you, meaning that you have previously had a direct, voluntary, two-way communication;
  • you have a family relationship with the msg global solutions employee who contacted you;
  • the CEM is sent within msg global solutions (between employees of msg global solutions);
  • the CEM is sent between msg global solutions and another business, where there is an ongoing relationship between msg global solutions and this other business;
  • the CEM was sent by msg global solutions to you, in order to respond to your request or inquiry; or
  • the CEM was sent by msg global solutions to you, in order to enforce a legal right or obligation (for instance, if you have an outstanding debt, or breached a contract that you have with msg global solutions, etc.).

In certain situations, your consent is not required for certain types of messages sent by msg global solutions, although you may still unsubscribe from future transmission of similar messages. The type of messages where msg global solutions does not need your consent is an electronic message that:

  • is sent once, following a referral by a current msg global solutions client, service provider, business partner or employee who also has a personal or business relationship with you;
  • only provides you with a request for a quote or an estimate;
  • only facilitates or confirms a transaction;
  • only provides msg global solutions warranty, product recall, safety or security information; or
  • only provides information about your ongoing use of msg global solutions services or products or ongoing purchases (including updates and upgrades).

If you have received a CEM, and you believe that you should not have, please contact us immediately at hello@cookhouselabs.com and we will promptly remove your address from our list (within maximum 10 business days).

4. SOCIAL MEDIA.

You may be contacted by a msg global solutions employee via social media, such as LinkedIn, if you are connected on the social network with the msg global solutions employee, or if you have indicated through your preference settings the fact that you are open to receiving messages about new business opportunities or ventures. You may also be contacted if you have conspicuously published your electronic address (for instance, on a social media website), have not indicated that you did not wish to receive CEM, and the CEM sent is in connection with your business role and function.

5. WHAT TO DO IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO RECEIVE CEM FROM msg global solutions.

At msg global solutions, we take the law very seriously. You may unsubscribe at any time from receiving CEM, by visiting the Preference Centre or clicking on the link in any CEM that you may receive from Msg global solutions, and we will remove you from our list within ten (10) business days.

6. AMENDMENT OF THIS ANTI-SPAM POLICY AND GUIDELINES.

  • From time to time, Msg global solutions will review and update this Anti-Spam Commitment as required to keep current with rules and regulations, new technologies, standards, our business practices and outside parties’ concerns. We will post any Anti-Spam Commitment changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice (including, as the case may be, email notification of Anti-Spam Commitment changes).

7. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ANTI-SPAM COMMITMENT?

If you need further assistance, please contact us at: hello@cookhouselabs.com

Revised November 11, 2019.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities

Documents Available Notification (AODA)

Dear Valued Clients and Visitors,

msg global solutions Canada Inc. has created policies and procedures to meet their obligations regarding customer service outlined in the Integrated Accessibility Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. 2005.

Our accessibility policies are available for your review in a number of formats. Should you wish access to these documents in another way, please notify: hello@cookhouselabs.com

Statement of Organizational Commitment

msg global solutions is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.

Statement of Commitment to Accessibility

msg global solutions is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders including our clients/customers, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act(2005), and its associated standards and regulations.

msg global solutions understands that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our organization’s compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our
policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and as an organization, msg global solutions is committed to working with the necessary parties to make accessibility for all a reality. For more detailed information on our accessibility policies, plans, and training programs, please contact hello@cookhouselabs.com

Alternate Format Request Form

msg global solutions is committed to providing accessible, quality services. Communications in alternate formats will be made available upon request within a reasonable time period in a mutually agreed upon format. Please complete and submit the below form to hello@cookhouselabs.com

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Record of Customer

Thank you for visiting msg global solutions and Cookhouse Labs. We value all our clients and strive to meet everyone’s needs. We look forward to your feedback. Please send us an email at hello@cookhouselabs.com

Privacy Policy

msg global and its innovation lab program Cookhouse Labs Privacy Policy

We at msg global solutions and our affiliates or programs (e.g. Cookhouse Labs) are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy applies to our website and all of its associates websites (the “Websites”). This Privacy Policy governs our data collection, processing and usage practices. It also describes your choices regarding use, access and correction of your Personal Information. By using the Websites, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the data practices described in this Privacy Policy, you should not use the Websites.

The terms of our privacy policy, which can be found below, is based on the ten principles set out the Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information.

Ten Privacy Principles

Accountability: We are responsible for personal information under our control and we have designated individuals who are accountable for our compliance with these privacy principles.

Identifying Purposes: We shall disclose the purposes for which we collect your personal information either before or at the time the information is collected.

Consent: Your knowledge and consent is required for our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions set out in the law. Your consent may be expressed in writing, verbally, electronically, and in certain circumstances, may also be implied.

Limiting Collection: Your personal information shall only be collected by fair and lawful means, and will be limited to that which is necessary for the identified purposes.

Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention: Your personal information may only be used or disclosed for the purposes for which it was collected, other purposes to which you have consented or if required by law. Your personal information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of identified purposes, or as required or permitted by law.

Accuracy: We shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete and as up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.

Safeguards: We shall protect your personal information using security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of your information to prevent unwanted release, misuse or intrusion.

Openness: Information about our privacy policies and procedures for handling your personal information shall be made available to you.

Individual Access: Upon written request, you will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal information. In addition, you will be given access to your personal information, as permitted by law. You may also verify the accuracy and completeness of your personal information and, where appropriate, request that it be amended.

Inquiries and Concerns: You may contact us if you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policies and procedures.

We periodically update this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Important Information

1.1. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update or replace this Privacy Policy from time to time by posting a new version online. You should check this page occasionally to review any changes. If we make any material changes we will notify you by posting the revised Privacy Policy on our Websites. This helps you to always be aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, it is disclosed. Your continued use of the Websites and/or continued provision of Personal Information to us will be subject to the terms of the then-current Privacy Policy.

1.2. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our treatment of the information you provide us, please write to us by email at: hello@cookhouselabs.com, or by postal mail to: Cookhouse Labs, 30-34 Duncan St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1A1, Attn: Privacy.

Information We Collect

2.1. When You Visit our Websites

You are free to explore the Websites without providing any information about yourself. However, when you visit the Websites, we may request that you provide Personal Information about yourself and we will collect Navigational Information.

2.2. “Personal Information”

This refers to any information that you voluntarily submit to us through the use of our Websites, and that identifies you personally, including contact information, such as your name, e-mail address, company name, address, phone number, and other information about yourself or your business. Personal Information can also include information about any transactions, both free and paid, that you enter into on the Websites, and information about you that is available on the internet, such as from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Google, or publicly available information that we acquire from service providers.

2.3. “Navigational Information”

This refers to information about your computer and your visits to this website such as your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and pages viewed. Please see section 4 the “Navigation Information” section, below.

2.4. Information About Individuals Under 18

The Websites are not intended for or targeted at individuals under 18, and we do not knowingly or intentionally collect information about individuals under 18. If you believe that we have collected information about an individual under 18, please contact us at:  hello@cookhouselabs.com, or by postal mail at: Cookhouse Labs, 30-34 Duncan Street , Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1A1, Attention: Privacy, so that we may delete the information.

How We Use Information We Collect

3.1. We Never Sell Personal Information

We will never sell your Personal Information to any third party.

3.2. Use of Personal Information

In addition to the uses identified elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, we may use your Personal Information to: (a) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the Websites and to improve underlying marketing software; (b) send information to you which we think may be of interest to you by post, email, or other means; and (c) provide other companies with anonymized statistical information about our users — but this information will not be used to identify any individual user. We may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. In those cases, we do not transfer your unique Personal Information to the third party. In addition, we may share data with trusted partners to contact you based on your request to receive such communications, help us perform statistical analysis, or provide customer support. Such third parties are prohibited from using your Personal Information except for these purposes, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

3.3. Use of Navigational Information

We use Navigational Information to operate and improve the Websites and underlying marketing software. We may also use Navigational Information alone or in combination with Personal Information to provide you with personalized information about the Software Provider.

3.4. Customer Testimonials and Comments

We post customer testimonials and comments on our Websites, which may contain Personal Information. We obtain each customer’s consent via email prior to posting the customer’s name and testimonial.

3.4. Use of Credit Card Information

We do not directly collect credit card information from you. We use a third-party service provider to manage credit card processing. This service provider is not permitted to store, retain, or use information you provide except for the sole purpose of credit card processing on our behalf.

3.5. Service Providers

We employ other companies and people to provide services to visitors to our Websites, such as the use of underlying marketing software, and may need to share your information with them to provide information, products or services to you. Examples may include removing repetitive information from prospect lists, analyzing data, providing marketing assistance, processing credit card payments, supplementing the information you provide us in order to provide you with better service, and providing customer service. In all cases where we share your information with such agents, we explicitly require the agent to acknowledge and adhere to our privacy and customer data handling policies.

3.6. Security of your Personal Information

We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. We secure the Personal Information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. When sensitive Personal Information (such as geo-location data) is collected on our Websites and/or transmitted to other websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

If you have any questions about the security of your Personal Information, you can contact us at: hello@cookhouselabs.com, or by postal mail at: Cookhouse Labs, 30-34 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1A1, Attention: Privacy.

3.7. Social Media Features

Our Websites include social media features (“Social Media Features”), such as the Facebook Like button, the Share This button or interactive mini-programs that run on our sites. These features may collect your IP address, which page you are visiting on our sites, and may set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Social Media Features are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our Websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these features.  Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy and other policies of the companies providing them.

3.8. External Websites

Our Websites provide links to other websites. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the content or practices of these other websites. Our provision of such links does not constitute our endorsement of these other websites, their content, their owners, or their practices. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these other websites, which are subject to any privacy and other policies they may have.

3.9. Retention of Personal Information

We retain Personal Information that you provide us as long as we consider it potentially useful in contacting you about our services and products, or as needed to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements, and then we securely delete the information. We will delete this information from the servers at an earlier date if you so request, as described in the “Opting Out and Unsubscribing” section below.

If you have elected to receive marketing communications from us, we retain information about your marketing preferences for a reasonable period of time from the date you last expressed interest in our content, products, or services, such as when you last opened an email.  We retain information derived from cookies and other tracking technologies for a reasonable period of time from the date such information was created.

3.10. International Transfer of Information

To facilitate our global operations, we may transfer and access Personal Information from around the world, including Canada. This Privacy Policy shall apply even if we transfer Personal Information to other countries. We have taken appropriate safeguards to require that your Personal Information will remain protected.

3.11. Corporate Events

If we (or our assets) are acquired by another company, whether by merger, acquisition, bankruptcy or otherwise, that company would receive all information gathered on the Websites. In this event, you will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our Website, of any change in ownership, uses of your Personal Information, and choices you may have regarding your Personal Information.

3.12. Compelled Disclosure

We reserve the right to use or disclose your Personal Information if required by law or if we reasonably believe that use or disclosure is necessary to protect our rights; protect your safety or the safety of others; investigate fraud; or comply with a law, court order or legal process.

Navigational Information

4.1. Cookies

Cookhouse Labs use cookies or similar technologies to analyze trends, administer the Website, track users’ movements around the Website and to gather demographic information about our user base, as a whole.

We use “cookies” to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web server. Cookies are not used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize pages on our Websites, a cookie helps us to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. When you return to the same Website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the customized features.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Websites you visit. Cookhouse Labs keeps track of the Websites and pages you visit within Cookhouse Labs, in order to determine what portion of the Website is the most popular or most used. This data is used to deliver customized content and promotions within the Website to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.

4.2. Log Files

We may collect demographic information, such as your postal or zip code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites using log files that are not associated with your name or other Personal Information. There is also information about your computer hardware and software that is automatically collected by us. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, internet service provider (ISP), the files viewed on our site (e.g., HTML pages, graphics, etc.), operating system, clickstream data, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used by Cookhouse Labs for marketing purposes, to maintain the quality of the Websites and to provide general statistics regarding use of the Website. For these purposes, we do link this automatically-collected data to Personal Information, such as name, email address, address and phone number.

4.3. Clear Gifs (Web Beacons/Web Bugs)

We employ a software technology called clear gifs (a.k.a. “web beacons” or “web bugs”), that help us better manage the Website by informing us what content is effective. Clear gifs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, and are used to track the online movements of visitors to our Websites.  In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user’s computer hard drive, clear gifs are embedded invisibly on web pages or in emails and are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. We use clear gifs in our HTML-based emails to let us know which emails have been opened by recipients.  This allows us to gauge the effectiveness of certain communications and the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. We tie the information gathered by clear gifs in emails to our customers’ Personal Information. If you would like to opt-out of these emails, please see “Opting Out and Unsubscribing”.

4.5. Third Party Tracking Technologies

The use of cookies and web beacons by any tracking utility company is not covered by our Privacy Policy. We do not have access or control over these third party tracking technologies.

How to Access & Control Your Personal Data

5.1. Reviewing, Correcting and Removing Your Personal Information

Upon request Cookhouse Labs will provide you with information about whether we hold any of your Personal Information. You have the following rights with respect to that information:

To request access, correction, updates or deletion of your personal information;

To object to processing of your personal information;

To restrict processing of your personal information;

To request portability of your personal information; and

To opt out of being solicited by Cookhouse Labs,

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: hello@cookhouselabs.com, or by postal mail at: Cookhouse Labs, 30-34 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1A1, Attention: Privacy. We will respond to your request to change, correct or delete your information within a reasonable timeframe, and notify you of the action we have taken.

If we have collected and process your personal information with your consent, then you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.

You have the right to complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information.

5.2. Anti-Spam Policy

Our Acceptable Use Policy, at: www.cookhouselab.com/casl-acceptable-use, applies to us and, among other things, prohibits us from sending unsolicited commercial email in violation of applicable laws, and requires the inclusion of an “opt-out” mechanism in any commercial electronic messages that we send.

5.3. To Unsubscribe From Our Communications

You may unsubscribe from our marketing communications by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link located on the bottom of our commercial electronic messages, contacting us at: hello@cookhouselabs.com, or by postal mail at: Cookhouse Labs, 30-34 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1A1, Attention: Privacy.

This is the heading

Project Outcome

This is the heading

Masterclass

This is the heading

Tool

This is the heading

Sprint

This is the heading

Startups

This is the heading

Blog

This is the heading

Food for thought

This is the heading

Blog

This is the heading

Startups

This is the heading

Blog

This is the heading

Food for thought

This is the heading

Blog

Our Design Thinking Methodology

CHLs Design Thinking Methodology

Learn to understand your target group.

Construct point of view based on user needs.

Collaborate with peers to design an idea and business case.

Build a Minimum Viable Product.

Test & retest the idea with different users.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

Got It!

WHO WE ARE

COMMUNITY

PROGRAMS

MEMBERSHIP

EVENTS

Contact us
Facebook-f Linkedin-in Instagram

Stay in Touch

Join our Innovation Community.

SUBSCRIBE

REGISTRATION

Already a member? Login.

Forgot your password?