I see Business & Entrepreneurship as a broader and more practical context in which design operates. Integrating a product or service into society requires considering multiple stakeholders and understanding how sustainable value can be created for both users and society (U& S). For me, sustainability is essential within Business & Entrepreneurship, as meaningful impact emerges from combining economic, social, and environmental value.

During Introduction to Technology Entrepreneurship, I learned how to identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities and design business models to support them. In Entrepreneurship in Action, I applied this knowledge by developing a business concept called Diabuddy, a playful tool to help children manage their diabetes. In Organizing Entrepreneurship, I learned how to structure entrepreneurial activities within established corporations. During these courses, I gained hands-on experience with tools to analyse the viability of our concepts, including PESTLE and SWOT analyses, market research, and customer journey mapping.

During the course Design Innovation Methods, I was able to step into the role of a consultant. I gained a deeper understanding of which theories and tools are most useful at different stages of the design process. I became familiar with understanding users’ needs, creating value propositions, and applying tools such as MVP experiments to test assumptions, and the Futures Cone to analyse multiple possible futures, distinguish between them, and identify potential opportunities or risks.

Additionally, I followed an elective, Sustainability in Society, from the Sustainable Innovation department to understand how technology can be developed sustainably and which considerations are most important.

Creativity and Aesthetics has become an important Expertise Area for me throughout my studies, as the aesthetics of your design often form a first impression. Over time, I have come to see creativity as the exploration of possibilities and ideas within the design process, while aesthetics reflect the quality of interactions and the visual expression of the design.

Project 1 and From Idea to Design introduced me to these creative processes, showing that creativity can be developed through different ideation techniques and design methods. I quickly realised that, for me, creativity means exploring through making and sketching. I improved my sketching skills during the course Exploratory Sketching, which I later applied in Games & Play, where I focused on the aesthetics and visual design of the game.

Aesthetics of Interaction was a important course for me when reflecting on my studies. This is where I learned how to combine my T&R  skills with C&A. Where I focused particularly on exploring the aesthetics of haptics and tangibility. During AOI and exploratory sketching, I learned to trust the design process itself, allowing ideas to evolve without starting from a clearly defined end goal.