I can’t believe it has already been 2 weeks! Amsterdam has been a wonderful place for me and I really enjoyed my quick stay in the city. I really enjoyed meeting new people from local universities and studying outside the classroom in a completely new environment. The change of pace was also really enjoyable in the past 2 weeks. One day, I was wandering the halls of the national museum in the Netherlands or taking a canal tour while on another day, I relaxed in the park or went to the beach. This trip has been a wonderful experience and I can’t express my thanks to the people that made it so special.
One of the most enjoyable things was spending time with students at the University of Amsterdam. We worked together in the early stages of the design process on trying to increase the shared mobility in the Netherlands. Originally, I was quite confused as Amsterdam is one of the most renowned cities for their public transport and feasibility. However, as I continued down the process, I learned about the various issues people still have with public transportation. A prime example is that a lot of people travel via train during late nights, however most trains do not run later than midnight which forces travelers to stay overnight at the station for the next train in the morning. After going through the noticing and sensing stages with the UVA students, I realized that we had to scale down to look at a more specific topic in the shared mobility industry. We next moved with the Avans students to finish the design sprint. The experience was once again unique, where the groups were a lot smaller and I thought that it was easier to get a group consensus. Through the steps of noticing, sensing, and experimenting, my group and I created the UI of an app which allows users to carpool together to large events even at night. Noticing and sensing really had me dive deeper to think about the causation of this issue and what other factors are there that need to be considered. Experimenting was really fun as I learned to create something small made out of the cheapest material and finalizing on a design before working on what the final design to look at. My group chose the perfect location as we were able to test our design near the train station and find our targeted audience who are the ones that struggle with public transport or those that typically use the train. After going through this 2 week sprint, I recognize that the design process can be applied in numerous areas and each step could help in their own way.
The sites we visited were definitely very Netherlands focused. If our trip was in another country, the experience would be completely different. My favorite visit was to the AMSL site location as it was a very interactive experience where students and employers worked together to learn more about design thinking and the process. From the feedback I have received, it seems that the AMSL employees enjoyed learning from us as we enjoyed learning about their processes and how they directly affect the microchip industry. We had the opportunity to learn about new technologies and see how large companies today apply a similar method of design thinking to their work.
To the students that plan to attend iSEED Amsterdam, I really enjoyed my time in the Netherlands and hope you do the same. It is definitely a walking city, so be prepared to walk! Be sure to go to all the main museums and try the food. Engage with the city when you are learning as it is truly a unique city that can open your eyes to new things. Amsterdam’s transportation is really convenient so definitely check out other nearby cities as well. From where we lived this year, living near the center of the city or near central station will be the most efficient way to get to different sites and classrooms in the city. Once again, I hope you enjoy your trip and will take something back with you as you leave Amsterdam.
The City of Amsterdam!
