Design Management

Throughout this course, I acquired a profound understanding of the strategic value of design within a business setting. The primary objective was to identify a realistic problem that would serve as the core of our business proposition. My team and I opted to focus on the issue of ghost nets in the ocean and their detrimental effects on wildlife. To address this problem, we initiated our project with desk research, followed by the organization of semi-structured interviews. The insights gathered from this initial research were instrumental in creating empathy maps, aiding us in identifying crucial stakeholders to consider when formulating our business plan. 

Building on this foundation, we initiated the development of our startup, focusing on our target audience and establishing collaborations with experts. The course contributed to enhancing my business and entrepreneurship skills, particularly in understanding value-based companies. Having a lecturer with practical experience, who openly shared insights and advice, was a valuable aspect of the learning experience. 

His lessons prompted thoughtful reflections on building my own brand and determining the values I wanted to prioritize. This process also led me to consider the type of companies that align with those values, with a specific interest in workplaces that prioritize mental health and operate transparently. 

A notable takeaway from the course was the practical consideration of budgeting and essential expenses. This lesson became particularly relevant as I ventured into starting my one-person company, Mossel Design. It equipped me with the necessary understanding to navigate budget considerations, determine service costs, and account for material expenditures in making informed business decisions. 

The course also delved into the realm of Creativity and Aesthetics, recognizing the significance of aesthetics in the corporate world. I assumed the role of branding manager, ensuring that all our work adhered to the aesthetic chosen by the team—an aspect emphasized by the course organizers. 

A critical component of the course involved self-reflection on leadership values and one’s identity as a leader. Managing a project resonated with me, sparking a desire to enhance my teamwork skills and contribute to my teammates’ growth while focusing on my own development. A key takeaway from this course in shaping my leadership style is the realization that I should not demand more from my teammates than I am willing to bear myself. However, navigating the course project and squad project revealed the nuance in this leadership style. It is vital to acknowledge the limits of teammates, recognizing that not everyone can accomplish the same tasks in the same timeframe. Therefore, another crucial lesson learned is the importance of understanding your teammates, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and distributing the workload accordingly. 

The culmination of our efforts in this course was a business case for a startup called Netjes, offering a combination of two services. We were passionate in teaching fishers about sustainable practices and introduced a circular system for the comprehensive retrieval of ghost nets from the ocean.