Start Up Campus
Creating an entrepreneurial hub in a university
Type of work: Co-design, facilitation, and strategy work - Graphic Design
A program manager at the University of Applied Sciences in Haarlem envisioned an entrepreneurial space within the University where students and teachers come together to start their own companies, learn about entrepreneurship, and connect with and be inspired by local entrepreneurs. We made this a reality by:
Community Spirit
Together with students, teachers, staff, and entrepreneurs from the city of Haarlem, we co-created a space and vision about entrepreneurship. We facilitated several co-design sessions to define the understanding and vision of entrepreneurship, a creative direction for the space, and the needs of educational programs there.
Intelligent Adaptation
We prototyped the layout of the space with students and teachers before we had furniture, to ensure we could give local furniture makers the right brief and create furniture and interior elements that would last. The result was a bespoke open space with mobile furniture that could be split up with practical wooden room dividers, which you could use for brainstorming or communication.
Longterm Stewardship
Instead of mailing teachers and managers, we knocked on their doors, started conversations about student entrepreneurship, and slowly turned them into ambassadors. We involved them in developing a personal leadership program and a start-up program. After our work was done, the start-up campus continued to thrive for over ten years, led by different passionate community managers.
How did nature inspire us during the project?
The Inholland University of Applied Science in Haarlem is located on th edge of an urban area and is just one road crossing away from a forest and dunes area that eventually leads into the North Sea. We took the opportunity to go there often during the project to slow down, reflect on the work we have done, and think about next steps. One of the lines in the Start-Up Campus Manifesto also says. “Take a walk in de forest”. We worked with local craftspeople to design and produce the furniture. One of the makers solely uses wood from trees that have fallen during storms in the region. We had her create two big tables for the Start-Up Campus space.
Do you have a multistakeholder challenge and are you curious about how co-design can help you define success?