[P2G Design Sprint]

💡 Brainstorming & Ideation

We gathered for a design session to brainstorm character-driven marketing ideas and product concepts. Everyone shared their take on the legendary Yeti and explored how we can better tell Nepal's story through visual design. We got our hands dirty with P2G stamps, clay, and foam boards, creating from character figures to practical items. And we also dove into some bar stool design ideation.

💡 Hands-On Creation Process

The session moved from talking to making as we started working with actual materials. We used P2G stamps, clay, foam boards, and various crafting supplies to turn our ideas into real things we could touch and see. The workspace became busy with people creating character figures and practical items that could become actual products. In the afternoon, we shifted our focus to a product design ideation session. We spent time on bar stool design ideas. Working with our hands led to some unexpected discoveries and helped team members who don't usually work together find new ways to collaborate.

💡 Results & Next Steps

At the end of the session, we gathered all our work and put it up on the community board to share with everyone. The mix of prototypes, sketches, and concept pieces showed the range of ideas we'd explored together. We hope this design sprint can serve as inspiration for future projects - from small products to furniture design, and even broader branding and visual communication work.

[2025 RU Fest]

🌏 Setting Up in Pokhara

We headed to Pokhara to participate in RU Fest, a festival dedicated to recycling and upcycling. It was held at the Pokhara Event Hall from August 1–2, 2025. The festival serves as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and reuse, promote a sustainable economy, and align with the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) environmental initiatives to engage communities and businesses. We participated alongside Kleanit Upcyclers (KIU) and GD Labs.

🌏 Engaging with Visitors

The festival opened with KIU’s Cycle Shredder demonstration, immediately capturing the attention of visitors. Throughout the event, KIU showcased upcycled plastic products, furniture, and manufacturing processes, explaining how waste materials can be transformed into useful items. Meanwhile, GD Labs presented their handmade Polyfloss products and demonstrated the acoustic properties of the material. Many people, including students and industry representatives, visited the booths, showing great interest in the innovations on display.

🌏 Presentations and Wrap-Up

On the second day, KIU and GD Labs gave presentations to a wider audience, explaining their work and research processes in more detail. The festival, hosted by Pokhara Metropolitan City with UNDP’s GCRU project and supported by KOICA, brought together green jobs and circular economy projects from the region. It was a great chance for people to meet, share ideas, and learn from each other while working toward sustainability.

[P2G Design Sprint 2]

📌 First Challenge: Installing Recycling Bins in the Annapurna School

Following the successful first design sprint, a second design sprint was conducted. Two topics were presented in this design sprint. The first project involves installing recycling bins in schools in the Annapurna region. This activity was unique in that it connected multiple teams within the P2G project to collectively contribute to a single initiative. Each team performed different roles. Paramendo supplied upcycled plastic sheets from Ree village, KIU was responsible for designing and manufacturing the bins, and GD Labs handled the installation in schools throughout the Annapurna region.

📌Second Challenge: Paramendo's Branding and Product Portfolio Expansion

The second challenge involved expanding the product portfolio by leveraging Paramendo's brand identity and the meaning behind the company name, 'red flower'. Paramendo's red flower is also a symbolic flower representing Nepal. As an extension of the first design sprint, this design sprint involved ideating Paramendo's souvenirs using clay, sketches, and accessory materials. Through this process, we were able to discuss symbolic branding including phone grips and visual motifs inspired by Nepal's red flower, and contemplate visual approaches to convey the company's identity and message.

📌Wrapping Up the Two Design Sprints

Through these two design sprints, we gained valuable insights into collaborative problem-solving across different disciplines. The recycling bin installation project demonstrated how teams with diverse strengths can work together effectively, while the branding exercise for Paramendo explored ways to expand their product line through thoughtful design. These experiences provided practical learning opportunities in community-centered innovation and showed how creative, localized approaches can engage both students and community members. 

What Kathmandu Taught Us

🍀Reflecting on Our Internship

We collaborated with startups on design sprints, created prototypes for Annapurna schools, and documented the P2G protocol through photos and videos. We participated in RU fest, tested products with custom logo stamps from Korea, and visited factories with our colleagues. Through this journey, we learned that meaningful change happens with open hands and hearts, discovering that being willing to begin is often the most important preparation. We are deeply grateful to everyone who made this transformative journey possible.