u-design

The enthusiasm that greeted the network, and the positive feedback from the meetings, shows that U-Design is fulfilling a need. Product designer Pieter van Osch puts it like this: “U-Design isn’t just fun, it’s functional too. At the last meeting, I talked to a producer of raw materials, and now we’re looking to see if we can work together on product development.”

Networking is one important aspect of U-Design; knowledge development is another. Designers discuss the latest professional developments with each other and stimulate each other’s entrepreneurialism. So one evening had the topic of ‘making strategic choices’ as its central theme. How do you profile yourself as a design office on the market? How do people find you? And what are the pitfalls of a strong profile?

So just what is unusual about designers in this region? Utrecht is blessed with a large number of high-level educational institutions. These are well connected with the relevant practices, for example in the form of training placements for their students. Thanks to this, design offices can top up their knowledge base with new ideas from education. Moreover, thanks to the excellent infrastructure and small size of the Netherlands, it is easy to make contacts and exchange expertise, even with the top players in the field. The entrepreneurial climate for designers is favourable, because they get support in so many different areas.

U-Design projects have included a special day for designers and regular business people to reflect on the appreciation of design, and what the two can mean for each other. Designers, for instance, are able to introduce creativity into ordinary companies, also into areas that are seemingly not design-related (such as strategic problems). And businesses can help designers with their commercial skills and experience. One plus one makes three in Utrecht.

www.u-design.nl

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