platFORM
Collaborative design & business course
#Entrepreneurship
#Course design
#Branding
#Exhibit design
In collaboration with:
Maia Rowan
Press:
The Georgia Straight
platFORM is a collaborative product development class for design and business students from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University. The students work in trans-disciplinary teams to develop products, services, and systems that address contemporary social, economic, and environmental issues. Student projects are addressing issues such as sustainable travel, social isolation, textile waste, cosmetics packaging, and food packaging.
*platFORM has received a Professional Notable honour in the Design Education Initiatives category in the 2015 Core77 Design Awards.
About
Social & Environmental Problems are becoming increasingly complex and the way in which we approach problem solving needs to change. Entrepreneurship and small business have the opportunity to make meaningful changes in the way we produce and consume products and services. By incorporating design in the development of new ventures we can achieve more creative and user centred solutions. But finding a way for these two industries to collaborate early on can be difficult.
Design has traditionally been an afterthought for business. So we’re
experimenting with the formula by introducing designers at the very
beginning, before the conception of an idea.
We’re challenging the students to create products beyond just a
prototype by moving them into the real world. At the end of the
course they hold a pop-up shop to launch their products.
