Turn The Page #55 Preview

55 turn the page | february 2016

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

COVERSTORY Entrepreneurial mindset FEATURE How big designers started

55 | February 2016

GADGETS/COLOPHON

CONTENT

4 EDITORIAL

COLOPHON Official body of Study association i.d Volume 17 / Issue 55 February 2016 Turn The Page is issued four times a year.

5 UPCOMING

C O N TA C T Study association i.d Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft +31 (0)15 2783012 www.id.tudelft.nl Comments, questions, compliments and remarks can be sent to: turnthepage-svid@tudelft.nl

18 Study Association i.d

WEBSITE www.turnthepage.nl

ISSUES 7550 copies Pressed by Quantes, Rijswijk

23 T W O T O W AT C H

TTP THANKS

9 COVERSTORY

From designer to entrepreneur, a change of mindset?

27 F E AT U R E

Big designers: how did they start?

☛ ☛ ☛

SUBSCRIBE/AD

INKWELL E M OJ I ❤ HELMETS



14 F E AT U R E

To succeed or not to succeed

2

Deborah Nas (Sunidee) Jeroen van Erp (Fabrique) Heleen Bouma (Pearltect) Paul de Medeiros (Rockstart) Peter Hamer



So now you have found your keys, bag and ultra-safe bike. But what if your biking skills aren’t on par yet? Or if the road on your daily transit is bumpier than your average mountain bike trail? You would wear a helmet, but those things are as fashionable as powdered wigs, right? Not anymore. Inkwell Helmets let’s you order helmets with art or even emojis on them.

Welcome to 2016!

16

30

DESIGN EVERYWHERE

VERSUS

february 2016 | turn the page

✌

turn the page | february 2016

$ 85 - 300 | inkwellhelmets.com

Members of Study association i.d receive Turn The Page free of charge. A yearly subscription costs €9,50 (4 issues).

Want a subscription or publish an advert? Send an e-mail to turnthepage-svid@tudelft.nl.

COPYRIGHT The committee has strived to own the copyrights of the included texts and images.

However, if you believe you own the rights to a piece that has been used, we request you to contact us.

Nothing from this issue can be reproduced. The committee claims the right to shorten, alter or refuse submitted pieces.

The Communication department of the IDE faculty and the Alumni Association have contributed to this Turn The Page.

51

CONTENT

45 TEN GOLDEN TIPS

34 F E AT U R E

The birth of great names

38 INTERVIEW

Start-ups are like rock-bands: few make it

46 D O I T YO U R S E L F

Tire chair 40 INTERVIEW

Jeroen van Erp 48 ALUMNI

Peter Hamer

50 GADGETS

42 F E AT U R E

51

Digital nomads

C O LO P H O N

turn the page | february 2016

3

EDITORIAL

Julie van Deelen Editor in Chief

Rens de Graaf Qualitate Qua

Stijn Buurmanje External Affairs

Suze Melissant Treasurer

Nara Lee Lay-out

COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF 2015-2016

Elisa Engelsma Acquisition

Floris Jansen Publicity

É

J

Alicia Calderón Chairwoman

!

.

4

EDITORIAL January is in many ways the month of the new beginnings: the new year, New Year’s resolutions and, regarding Turn The Page, a new committee debuts. However, this exciting month can be ruined for many by the exam week. To avoid that, this committee has put a lot of care in content that will inspire you to have a new beginning after exams. The concept of “kickstarting” is the background topic that connects the different articles that you will find in this edition.

Scroll through the first pages until the coverstory if you are interested in the differences between designers’ and the entrepreneurs’ mindset. If you want to learn more about design history, head to page 27 to know ‘How Big Designers Started’ or read about the beginning of famous projects in ‘The Birth of Great Names’ (page 34).

Last but not least, stay up to date with what young designers are doing in ‘Two to Watch’ (page 23).

Our committee hopes you enjoy reading this edition as much as we did creating it. Also, we are really interested in what our readers think, so if you have any suggestion or remark, don’t hesitate and contact us!

We hope these pages provide you with inspiration for many new beginnings. All that is left to say now is turn the page and enjoy!

Alicia Calderón Chairwoman

$

&

february 2016 | turn the page

COVERSTORY

FROM DESIGNER TO ENTREPRENEUR, A CHANGE OF MINDSET?

turn the page | february 2016

9

COVERSTORY

The landscape of the industry has changed.

Not that long ago the world seemed to be led by big companies that treasured all the brilliant professionals, creative ideas and production infrastructure. Almost out of the blue, the power in this game of corporates has been readjusted and is now shared with all sorts of innovative projects and startups. Already in its neonatal state, these groups manage to get enough funding and establish themselves as a real threat for big, old companies.

In this buzzing scene of a new generation of companies, CEOs have been replaced by a figure that has become the new hype: the entrepreneur.

by Alicia Calderón

We are now in a world where the financial barriers have decreased; all that is necessary for success should be a good idea, a team that works hard on it and a person willing to lead it. I may be stating the obvious here, but designers are all about ideas and hard work, aren’t they? However, are they eager to embrace the role of the entrepreneur?

To answer these questions and explore the connection between designers and entrepreneurs, we first need a clear picture of what we are talking about. The term entrepreneur, as defined by the Investopedia, is ‘an individual who, rather than working as an employee, runs a small business and assumes all the risk and reward of a given business venture, idea, good or service offered for sale. These are the people who have the skills and initiative necessary to take good, new ideas to the market and make the right decisions to make the idea profitable’.

Looking at this definition, it seems like what it takes to be included in this group of “superpeople” is initiative, leadership, knowledge about business and markets and an innovative mindset. What most of these things have in common is that attaining them could only be a matter of adopting a new mindset. Except for the knowledge about business and markets, what can always be learned.

Furthermore, parallel definitions of the entrepreneur detail them as people that, apart from all the previously mentioned, mainly have a special ability to create a radically new solution for a problem and make it work. They see new perspectives for a solution and connect gaps in a different way than the rest. As part of an inherent passion

10

for solving problems, they make the idea come to its realisation.

It is this part of the entrepreneur definition what most resembles to what designers actually do.

What designers and entrepreneurs have in common Designers are educated to adopt a problem-solving mindset.

Their job is to find useful and beautiful solutions for problems of everyday life. They search for ways of boosting their creativity and understand the problem until they come up with the best solution.

But a designer never stops there: once they have an idea they dive in the process of making it work.

After reading what many business specialists have to say about founding a company, it seems like the whole process has a big resemblance to the one designers follow. Companies, or startups, are founded under a new idea, technology or way to solve a need.

But the challenge they present is to keep the company operative until actually making the idea end in the hands of the user. So it is fair to say that at least for their problem-solving ability, designers make great entrepreneurs.

Is the entrepreneurial mindset already part of the design education approach?

Designers have been trained to work for the client’s needs and, most of the time, their superior’s vision. At least this is the case in most design agencies and large companies. Designers work on projects requested by others and, sometimes, with a way too detailed briefing.

february 2016 | turn the page

COVERSTORY On the other hand, every day more educational programmes contemplate the role of the entrepreneur. However, so far it has been a matter of a trend more than an actual intention of ingraining this mindset in design schools. Although business is deeply embedded in our faculty, this is not a recurrent tendency in other design schools throughout the world; maybe because formerly these two disciplines were not that much related. This could explain why still many professionals don’t associate the role of the designer with taking business decisions.

Nevertheless, it has been years since design consultancies like IDEO took “design thinking” to companies, with such a success that this term is nowadays used and misused within different industries. Some even argue that we are experiencing a shift from “just” applying “design thinking” to big enterprises; the future company model will be more startup-based and led by design entrepreneurship. If this is the case the future would prove that there is no such gap between designing products and leading business ventures. But to get there designers have to go out of their comfort zone and start thinking with a different mindset.

And this change of mindset should start already at schools and universities.

What challenges do designers need to overcome to become entrepreneurs?

Although there are very famous examples of entrepreneurs that have designed during their career, such as Elon Musk or Yves Béhar, many argue that the presence of design professionals as head of startups or new projects is still too low. At least compared to other fields; this position is often occupied by engineers or people with a background in business.

The design entrepreneur is somebody that founds a company based on an innovative idea, leads a team and drives the vision and strategy of it all. But this requires them to know a bit of everything: designing, fundraising, producing, making partnerships, marketing, etc. Meanwhile, most designers are experts in their field and are used to just sticking to designing. Obviously some challenges may be encountered by the designer when turning into an entrepreneur. 1

“Entrepreneurs see new perspectives for a solution and connect gaps in a different way than the rest”

turn the page | february 2016

11

COVERSTORY To make facing these challenges less arduous here are some hints about what could happen: DESIGNERS ARE PLANTS

Belbin identifies nine “Team Roles” depending on the behaviour of a person working in a team. One of these roles is called “the Plant” and refers to the type of designer that bursts with creativity and is “good at solving problems in unconventional ways”. The only but of “Plants” is that they can find difficulty staying with one idea to develop it further without jumping to new ones.

Many young designers suffer from this “condition”, what can lead to a lack of the focus needed to take a project to the next step. It is especially focus what is recognised in entrepreneurs, so the lack of it could be a major problem for some designers.

A LEADERSHIP ISSUE

Most designers are used to working in teams and even leading other colleagues in projects. Yet still not all of them would make the cut for a good leader. Successful entrepreneurs have been compared with religious prophets in the past. Their charisma allows them to sell the idea and inspire with it to a big public that would follow and help them until it becomes a reality.

BUSINESS, BUSINESS, BUSINESS!

Usually, designers are not fans of business plans… (Well, let's exclude the SPD Master students of our faculty for a moment), but it is right there where the distinction between coming up with good ideas or evolving them into a profitable venture lies.

NETWORKING OUTSIDE THE WORLD OF DESIGN

Designers in the industry can show the tendency of staying within their ‘type’, regarding networking. In the case of entrepreneurs, it is said that they do best when they are able to create connections with all kinds of people. It is also important in leading new projects to acknowledge the opinion from people of different levels or fields of education. Regarding this, it is fair to say that some designers struggle to take into account opinions about their job if it does not come from another designer. Therefore, a more open attitude is needed for designers to make the shift to entrepreneurs.

D E S I G N I S O N LY A T I N Y PA R T O F T H E P R O C E S S

All in all, making an entire project succeed only with design knowledge can be challenging. It takes courage and a lot of energy to ask for help or advice about all those things that could be out of a designer’s hands. But in this new world of entrepreneurs nothing is impossible; with a design education and some confidence and initiative, it may be surprising how many people would be willing to help you to accomplish your goals.

THE FORMULA OF SUCCESS

Designers, don’t be discouraged! If we sum up everything mentioned, and reduce it to a formula to make it into great entrepreneurs, it would look something like this:

INNOVATIVE IDEAS + PASSION FOR SOLVING A PROBLEM + THE BUSINESS MINDSET = DESIGN ENTREPRENEUR!

At the beginning of their career, for some designers it may seem that everything is possible with passion and a strong vision. The truth is that every good project could fall apart if the time needed for creating a feasible business plan is not invested. In comparison, this is something that every good entrepreneur would have in their mind from the first moment.

12

february 2016 | turn the page

COVERSTORY

Is it, after all, just a matter of mindset?

Although our tips and formula could be useful for designers to become the next famous entrepreneur, it may all be simpler than that. “The Entrepreneurial mindset”, an abstract term that refers to that special spark that entrepreneurs have, may be all that separates designers from entrepreneurs.

No matter if called in one way or another, what the leaders of innovative and competitive projects have in common is the need of making a bigger difference with their idea. A lack of fear and the ability to see things from a unique perspective drives them to undertake challenging ventures. For them the process does not stop when they solve a problem. It for sure also does not stop when making the solution work. The project for them is the opportunity of influencing society and taking a part of the market with it.

But there is nothing like a new kind of “superpeople”. With eagerness, an open mentality and no fear to ask for help, designers can express all their potential in unconventional fields and become the perfect entrepreneur. We have to realise that now more than ever we have the opportunities to shape the world of tomorrow under our own terms. In a moment like the one we live, it is almost a responsibility for designers to step out of their comfort zone and take powerful ideas to its final possibilities. The “spark” of the entrepreneur may be in the end just an eagerness to take a challenge. So now is the moment to ask, are you up for it? 3

turn the page | february 2016

13

Study association i.d

Study association i.d is in the middle of its renovation, but still there are loads of activities! In these pages an overview of the past activities of Study association i.d can be found, including an update about education and the renovation.

DUTCH DESIGN WEEK 188

PA R E N T S ’ D AY Being in the lecture hall on Saturday seems like a big fault, untill your parents start brainstorming and you finally have something to teach your parents properly. In the end, your parents are jealous they never studied Industrial Design Engineering and you know that’s right.

In October we travelled south to Eindhoven with 65 students to visit the biggest design event of The Netherlands. The Duth Design Week displays enough to fill multiple days, but luckily Actid made a balanced programme with highlights and must-see

designs. We visited the exhibitions in ‘het Klokgebouw’, ‘De Witte Dame’ and the graduation show of the Design Academy.

The DDW raises a lot of questions with answers to be filled in. Enough inspiration for at least the coming month!

february 2016 | turn the page

Study association i.d

SLUITINGSKAFEEST

FRESHERS’ LUNCH

We closed i.d-Kafee with a big blast: the biggest Kafeest ever.

The committees of i.d-Kafee and reOpen-i.d combined their forces to organise this last event in the former i.d-Kafee with the theme ‘Winterslaap’. Just before 02.00, it was time for the very last round of beer ever. Although: for a few months!

The freshman took over Study association i.d at the succesful first edition of the Freshman Lunch. Over eighty students enjoyed a lovely meal whilst getting to know their fellow students better. We are curious te see what else the Freshman committee has in store for us!

Last December we received the sad news of the passing of prof.dr.ir. Jan Buijs. Jan was an honorary member of Study association i.d since February 2014. Jan has contributed very much to the intercontinental trips of Study association i.d and he has supported the association by granting ECTS-credits to committee members. Also he was a loyal visitor of i.d-Kafee. Jan worked at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering for more than 25 years. We are grateful for all the help he has always offered us.

turn the page | february 2016

19

Study association i.d

i .d-Kafee I N N O VA

Of course we miss our very own i.d-Kafee in the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering: it was almost impossible to go home on Wednesdays, without drinking a beer (or two). However, NOVA is almost the perfect replacement during the renovation of Study association i.d and its i.d-Kafee.

Just behind the faculty, enough choice for some pretty good speciality beers and even longer opening times. The temporary location proofs that i.d-Kafee is about the people and not about the location.

The weekly drink is still visited by a lot of students and the organised events are well attended. Like every year, there was a Sinterklaas Kafee, but new this year was Bandjes Kafee. The Mustangs, Fudge and Wakki made a visit to i.d-Kafee well worth it. Still four more months before the brand new i.d-Kafee opens, untill then: let’s enjoy the NOVA-vibe!

CASES ON TOUR From the 6th till the 10th of December a group of 27 enthusiastic Master students went on Cases on Tour 1. We were warmly welcomed by the companies we visited: Bentley Europe B.V., DSM Dyneema B.V., Dorel Juvenile Europe and ProRail. With the help of our case leaders we did a lot of creative sessions and turned everyone and everything ‘Inside Out’. Despite a food poisoning the students stayed focused and delivered great results!

20

february 2016 | turn the page

Study association i.d

U P D AT E R E N O VA T I O N The renovation of Study association i.d has begun a few months ago. We said goodbye to the old location with the Sluitingkafeest, but the ‘winterslaap’ is nowhere in sight. The board has taken its place in the temporary location at studio 20/21/22 and the construction workers are working hard. Last November the walls have been broken down and the famous bar has been removed. December was dominated by the pipework and electrics and recently the steel structure for the staircase and entresol have been placed.

After the technical completion of the new location in March, the furnishing will start. The brand new i.d-Kafee will be equipped with a stage and a longer new bar. Meanwhile, there are alongoing negotiations about a possible renewed beer contract and attention is paid to new ICT facilities, to make the new Study association i.d ready for the upcoming years.

We all hope to welcome you in the renovated location in May!

turn the page | february 2016

21

Study association i.d

Update i.d-Education Last quarter several things happened! We went to the Teacher of the Year Election. At this event we supported Ianus Keller as delegate from the faculty IDE, who unfortunately did not win the final price. In the Coffee Week free coffee was handed to the hard working students at the faculty and we got loads of input in return! Furthermore quarter evaluations were held, in which several courses were evaluated. The results are sent to the course managers and discussed. For example, i.dEducation held a conversation with Pieter Jan Stappers about C&C. We discussed the given feedback, to try and make the course even better next year! We hope to get new feedback from all of you in the next coffee week held in study week 3.3!

UPCOMING R E N O VA T I O N

UPCOMING EVENTS 3 0 J A N ski.d

Wintersport with over 80 i.d-Members. Risoul, here we come!

9 F E B I O B S TA R T U P C O M P E T I T I O N Start-ups present their ideas to a jury to win a spot at the IDE Business Fair.

11 FEB-16 MAR IOB ACTIVITIES

Before and during the Business fair there will be events every tuesday and thursday to get prepared for your design career.

1 5 F E B VA L E N T I N E D I N N E R

Bring your date to the romantic valentine dinner in the hall of the faculty, organized by Actid.

1 6 F E B i.d- A U C T I O N

The unique chance to bid on items from the old interior of i.d-Kafee. Save some money!

1 6 F E B O N E D AY C A S E F A B R I Q U E

Join the One Day Case and get the opportunity to design for the clients of Fabrique: HEMA, Rijksmuseum and Lowlands! w

1 6 + 1 7 M A R I D E B U S I N E S S FA I R

Make sure you visit this year’s IDE Business Fair to get to know all kind of companies within the working field of design.

30 MAR IOF BAND&DJ CONTEST One DJ and one band can win their own spot on IO Festival. Enjoy the music and vote for your favourite!

22

february 2016 | turn the page

Join the Kick-off February 9

Sign up now iobdelft.com INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ENGINEERING BUSINESS FAIR

55 turn the page | february 2016

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

COVERSTORY Entrepreneurial mindset FEATURE How big designers started

55 | February 2016