Over the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to collaborate on a project with students from the University of Amsterdam. It was a great experience to connect with peers from different countries and compare our university lives. My group included Samuel from Brazil and Andrew from Ukraine. We worked well together during our Design Sprint and shared plenty of laughs along the way. It was fun to discover the small cultural differences between us, for example, the boys were shocked to find out that my phone wasn’t set to 24-hour time!
Me and my team from the University of Amsterdam presenting our final project
For me, the most challenging part of the project with the University of Amsterdam students was conducting the interviews. I had to approach random tourists on the street to talk about sustainable tourism, which was definitely outside of my comfort zone. I found that the most effective strategy was to approach people who were waiting in line, sitting down, or standing off to the side, as they were more open to conversation. On the other hand, trying to speak with shop owners or employees didn’t work well, as many were too busy with customers or simply not allowed to talk during their shifts.
Over the course of my two weeks in Amsterdam, I learned just how much work goes into defining a specific problem. In ENGI 120, we were given a problem to solve, so I never considered the amount of effort required to define one. This class made me realize how much time, research, and thought go into clearly identifying a problem before working toward a solution. I also came in with the belief that broader problems were better for engineering, since a more general solution could help a wider range of people. However, I’ve come to understand that the more specific a problem is, the easier it is to design a targeted, realistic solution, since smaller tasks are simply more manageable. Finally, this class changed the way I think about brainstorming. In ENGI 120, I used to get frustrated when someone suggested an idea that seemed completely unrealistic. I didn’t see the point in considering ideas that didn’t seem feasible. But during the Experimenting assignment in this class, we actually ended up using a version of an idea we had initially dismissed as “outlandish,” and it ended up being both fun and useful. That experience shifted my mindset about brainstorming: even the wildest ideas can spark creativity and lead to unexpected solutions. It’s a lesson I’ll definitely take with me into future engineering classes.
While interviewing tourists, I was surprised to learn how many travelers from other parts of Europe were opposed to flying and preferred more sustainable options like train travel. This was a shock to me, as in the U.S., flying is often the only realistic way to reach many destinations due to the vast distances and limited alternatives. This experience introduced me to a perspective on sustainable tourism that I hadn’t considered before, and likely wouldn’t have, had I not been physically in Europe.
One of the main aspects of sustainable tourism that we didn’t fully explore during my time in Amsterdam was the perspective of the government and the tourism industry on sustainable tourism. Due to our limited time, and the general difficulty of accessing certain groups, we weren’t able to speak with representatives from these sectors. If I were to do this project again, I would make it a priority to include their perspectives. Doing so would give us a more well-rounded understanding of the issue and help us craft a problem statement and solution that takes all stakeholders into account.
If I were to continue working on my Design Sprint project, I would focus on reaching out to travel companies and agencies to educate them on the importance of promoting sustainable travel options, and how they can effectively do so. Ideally, this would lead to the integration of a sustainability filter on popular travel websites, allowing travelers to easily identify and choose more environmentally friendly options. This small addition could have a big impact by making sustainable choices more visible and accessible to travelers.
In my opinion, I thrived during the brainstorming phases of this class. Ever since I was little, I’ve had a vivid imagination, so visualizing potential solutions comes naturally to me. This made it easier for me to picture how certain designs might work in practice and even identify opportunities to combine different ideas in creative ways. Being able to mentally explore different possibilities helped me contribute more confidently during the brainstorming process.
I definitely struggled the most with synthesizing everything I heard during my interviews and condensing it into a single, focused problem statement. As I mentioned earlier, I initially believed that broader problem statements were more effective because they covered a wider range of issues. However, this class challenged me to narrow my focus and make my problem statement as specific as possible. I found it difficult to do this because I felt that everything my interviewees shared was valuable, and I didn’t want to leave anything out. Balancing the need for specificity with the desire to represent all the perspectives I heard was one of the most challenging parts of the project for me.
Outside of class, my favorite part of the Amsterdam iSEED program was simply exploring the city with the other Rice students. I was nervous going into the program, because while I had seen some of the others around campus, I wasn’t particularly close with anyone. But over the past two weeks, the whole group become incredibly close, and we now do practically everything together. Being part of a big, fun group made every moment more enjoyable, whether we were just walking to dinner or belting out ‘Living on a Prayer’ in the middle of a train station.
The group at Escape Amsterdam
Us walking around Amsterdam during our last night
Walking along the train tracks on the way to Gazelle bike headquarters
Us with our iSEED graffiti
My advice for anyone participating in the Amsterdam iSEED program in the future is to pack warm clothes. Since Amsterdam is so far north, it can get quite cold—even in late spring or early summer—and walking around the city isn’t much fun if you’re freezing. It also rains frequently, so don’t count on the sun to keep you warm. Another tip: it’s absolutely worth buying the unlimited metro/bus/tram pass through the GVB app. For around 36 euros, you get unlimited rides for five days, which is a much better deal than paying about 2 euros per trip. You need to use public transportation to get around Amsterdam, and having the unlimited pass just makes this process easier.
And finally, to anyone questioning whether they should do iSEED, my advice is DO IT. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I am so glad I came.