BUSI 521: Design Thinking

We've made changes in response to COVID-19. Here’s what to know about campus libraries for spring 2021.

What is in this guide?

Use this site as as your doorway to information resources, online workshops and classes, and more that will help you develop your entrepreneurial and research skill sets. You can always email Nancy or schedule a meeting to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or anything else.

Market Research Mad Libs activity

Market research and data can help you tell a compelling story. The goal of this activity is to practice pulling data from an industry report and using it to tell a story, "mad libs" style.

Instructions:

Select one of these IBISWorld Industry Reports:
Use information in the report to create your Market Research Mad Libs story. Additional instructions are in the form.

Learn Research & Design Skills

Market Research Basics
Overview of the market research mindset: big questions you need to ask, information sources to help you answer them, and links to library databases.
Learn Data Viz
On this self-paced site, learn basics of data visualization, infographics, mapping & GIS, and more.
Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator Training
Self-paced training modules for Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator
SkillfUL Tech Workshops
Online workshops for Adobe Spark, WordPress, and Adobe Premier Pro

Databases for Your Research

These library databases will help you get started. This is not an exhaustive list. Be sure to check out Market Research Basics for more specialized databases, and see all business & entrepreneurship databases here. Email Nancy for help choosing databases that are right for your research.

IBISWorld Industry Reports
Industry reports for about 700 industries in the U.S.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.

Market Research Handbook Series
Each handbook compiles comprehensive data & information about an industry. Titles include: Business-to-Business Marketing; Consumer Marketing; Consumer use of internet & mobile web; International Consumer Markets; Restaurant, Food & Beverage; Sports Marketing; Consumer Behavior; Entertainment, Media & Advertising; Healthcare Business; Leisure Business; Retail Business; Travel & Tourism.

Mintel Academic
Consumer & market research reports that give market size and trends, market segmentation, supply structure, advertising and promotion, retail distribution, consumer characteristics like brand loyalty, and market forecasts.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
Coverage: 2001 -
SimplyAnalytics
Mapping database. Use to access demographic & psychographic data, consumer expenditure, Nielsen market data, and more. Especially good for market sizing. Go here for more info.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
Orbis
Use Orbis to locate company information, good for identifying info about competitors.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
Data Axle Reference Solutions
This is like yellow pages on steroids. Find info on U.S. businesses & consumers. Good for creating lists of potential competitors and complementary businesses.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users. North Carolina residents with a borrower's card may access from off campus by visiting NCLive directly. Contact the Davis Library Service Desk for the NCLive password (instructions).
Coverage: Current information only
American City Business Journals
40 city/regional business journals. Articles & news stories may provide industry info and data, companies/competitors, rankings, and more.

Access: Off Campus Access is available for: UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff; UNC Hospitals employees; UNC-Chapel Hill affiliated AHEC users.
Coverage: 2000-current