IxD 302 Creative Entrepreneurship Induction

For our first class and induction to the 302 modules, we were introduced to how to prepare for our interviews to get a placement for the second year.

For the first part of this module we’re going to focus on employability, that is creating a CV, making a portfolio, how to handle interviews and managing yourself.

The second part of this module focuses more on Idea generation, which would include making pitches and understanding intellectual property (copyright, trademark etc.)

This module aims to

• Introduce a range of professional Practices within the Creative industry, career options and skills to improve employability.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of idea generation and research tools for digital product design
• demonstrate skills in written and verbal communication within a professional context.
• underline the importance of working on paper, supporting research and independent study.

IxD 302 is all about getting you ready for placement and employment, practising idea generation and presenting. And to teach you about the creative industries.

• Find three(minimum) examples of local companies that you admire, represent great design/work and that you may like to work for.

- ESO Even though they’re practically an American company, they do have an office and does offer placements here in Northern Ireland. What I really admire with ESO is how they apply a lot of accessibility of the applications that they make for people working in emergency services, taking every possible scenario into account to make the people working with emergency services lives easier. I first heard about them in 2021 during an accessibility talk, and I knew that after what MT McCann said, I wanted to work there.

I found it very hard to find any other local companies since I’m not sure what to look for, and the local companies that I looked at wasn’t very inspiring since their UX was off.

• Also find three examples of international design firms that you believe are world-leading and produce exceptional work. (You should also aspire to work for them too!)

• Onsynlig (Sweden) Onsynlig is a design company in Sweden that designs and develops digital products and services. A lot of the work that they’ve taken on is focused on education and helping people, which I find inspiring and would be something I’d love to work with. A few cases of theirs include:

• Toca Boca - make the application more fun for kids to use

• Friluftsfrämjandet - Involve kids more in nature with the help of an app

• SCA - Make owning a forest much easier for forest owners.

- Stretch (Sweden) Stretch is a company that has several different branches that helps other companies evolve through IT and Digital services. This could be through digitalizing products and making the UX from using their applications much easier. Many of their products are built with the Neptune DXP, with also integrates the SAP system in it, which I have a large fascination with. A few examples of work that they’ve done include:

• Healthcare applications, to help nurses and doctors with their patients.
• Bergendahls Food, to be able to help the workers in store, as well as sending ware to customers and, importing wares to the store.