It was interesting to meet our teams and to work together on our design challenge. For our group, it was difficult to tackle the challenge together because everyone had different schedules. What worked well was really learning how to focus on the problem over the solution. It’s really difficult to focus on really learning what the issue is before trying to solve it. Our group struggled with this (which I suppose means that this is also what didn’t work) but were able to go back to the problem space. Being stuck with a solution especially in the beginning of your process can really limit your impact, so I think it’s really important to get a full grasp of the problem before diving into finding the solution. I think doing the interviews also worked to help our group explore the challenges during the course, as well! We were able to interact with other students and learn first hand from the people we want to help.
Three key takeaways from the different design methods I tried would be: 1) Practice being able to stay in a problem space to fully understand what your goals are; 2) Learn perspective by zooming into a problem and also zooming out; 3) Idea generation exponentially increases when you learn to unlearn the limits you yourself have placed. I think this is similar in concept to the BUSI 221 course I took last fall, but this time, I learned things more interactively.
I’ve always known how different the education system and healthcare system is, but being able to be in Amsterdam allowed me to really understand just how different. Higher education is pushed harder here and is much more affordable, but really what surprised me the most was the healthcare system. Europe is known for their incredible healthcare system, but the Dutch healthcare system is definitely not perfect. Many people have trouble being taken seriously or being able to book appointments for close dates. International students especially struggle because they get the required health insurance but it doesn’t actually cover anything.
I think if I had to choose, the problem space feels more natural to me. Just because I really enjoyed interviews and learning to get data from people directly, and I struggle in the solution space because I like practicality and am always thinking about feasibility which can really limit my creativity.
I think the UvA students were more laxed because this class was their “break” class as most of them are Business Analytics students. Because we spent a shorter amount of time with the Avans students, I really can’t give much information but because there were only three Avans students compared to the lecture hall of UvA students, I think the Avans students were a bit more attentive and interactive. I think this reflects my experiences working with teams back home because they are all different and it will be difficult at times to work with team members.
I LOVED the Gazelle trip!!!! It was super interesting to learn about their design process and to see it first hand in the factory. Then after learning so much about their bikes, we were able to ride them through a national forest, which was so pretty and had the prettiest cows. I think it will definitely remain a core memory for me.
My favorite part of my Amsterdam experience was definitely the markets I went to. They were so cute and fresh and just overall great to explore. I loved the strawberries and bought local handmade jewelry and honey and it was just so fun! I also enjoyed the nightlife here. The smoking can be a bit much, but the nightlife is vibrant and there are a lot of people out.
Definitely make sure to go outside of Amsterdam as well. Of course Amsterdam is THE city to visit in The Netherlands, but my favorite memories (and foods LOL) from my trip were from visiting Rotterdam and Den Haag (definitely recommend the beach and the market and food there – I had the best peking duck crepe there and would 10/10 recommend). Also go on a canal cruise (lmk if you want a recc!) and visit the Anne Frank Museum if you can!