International graduation project
Research
Concept
Front-end prototype
Social media
Video
Graduation project
March 2017
International experience is almost essential nowadays, but not always within reach for young professionals. Our graduation project was focused on finding a way to facilitate international working experience for junior creatives and making it the best option there is. By experiencing it ourselves.
Me and my graduation partner Rein Lucassen traveled to 4 European capitals. We created Creatives Abroad to become a platform to acquire the most talented junior creatives, match them to the right company and provide them with essential local connections.
Project wrap-up video I made for the graduation show
We noticed that at our university shockingly few creative students go abroad for internships. We learned that most of the students had thought of the idea, but almost never pursued. More than 70% for financial reasons, either they believed that lack of connections abroad would limit their chances, or that they wouldn't be able to live without friends and family for so long.
Our goal for the project was firstmost to create a solution in collaboration with stakeholders: the abroad companies to host the interns. Secondly, what beter way to comprehend the international working experience is there but to experience it ourselves?
For these reasons we chose to travel to 4 creative cities throughout Europe: Lisbon, Stockholm, Berlin and Budapest.
In order to spread our ambitions, broadcast our developments and create buzz around our project, we created a project website and social media accounts.
I coded the website from scratch, did most of the copywriting and collaborated in the design process.
Project Website› Facebook› Instagram›
In every city we sought to work at co-working spaces, where we could find professionals and companies to discuss our project and our ideas with. The spaces were not only a great working environment, but moreso they were an inspiration to our project.
I wrote an article about it for Impact Hub Berlin
We organised talks and meetings with different shareholders throughout the project. Objectives were to investigate possible solutions and later on to test our concept ideas.
We talked with various companies about the values of international students and conditions for working with them.
We invited a mix of students and professionals to discover unique values of internationals.
We interviewed Dutch creative students through Skype in order to test key elements of our concept.
We spoke to teachers, coordinators and entrepreneurs connected to Dutch universities to discuss their involvement in a possible business solution.
Co-creation with international students in Stockholm.
Meeting at Torke+CC in Lisbon.
A talent network and matching platform for abroad creative internships.
A network and online talent database that matches the most talented multidisciplinary junior creative duos to abroad companies and offers the juniors local social support to have the best international working experience.
Juniors create a talent profile, showcase their best work and collect skill validations and personality references through the platform. Teachers are automatically included in the platform, external validators will be reviewed.
Companies profiles in the network are matched and proposed as potential internships.
Teamwork is the future. We focus on matching juniors to other talented creatives and create powerful multidisciplinary duos. Once they meet each other and meet the company they individually choose to accept the internship.
Feeling socially comfortable is key to thrive as a international young professional. When juniors start their internship they will be introduced by a personal buddy (an alumni) and receive personal support from a local mentor. Furthermore CA provides access to an accessible online community for participants and alumni.
In Budapest we organised 2 one-week internships for 2 teams of creative students. We called them "Winternational weeks".
In Budapest we arranged a collaboration with Impact Hub, releasing multiple projects to work on. Out of a total of 9 applicants, 4 completed the application process.
In order to carry out Creatives Abroad as a potential business we created a brand, tone-of-voice and a homepage.
Rein focused on design did some copywriting. My role was to advise on UX, support in copywriting, prepare content and build the front-end interactive prototype.
Online prototype
We created an interactive step-by-step prototype of the process of portfolio validation. Here students can create and submit a project for validation.
Rein focused on design. My role was to advise on UX, and build the interactive prototype combining HTML & CSS with javascript and jQuery.
Online prototype
While performing the pilot, we shot a lot of video material to be able to create a visual language with real life content. With this material I created a promotion video for our Social Stepping Stones concept.
I did basically everything here.
(...) Een enorme prestatie is het werk in Budapest, Hongarije, waar ze een daadwerkelijke pilot van de grond hebben gekregen. Ik geef het ze te doen om in een land dat niet eigen is, waar je slechts enkele weken zelf aanwezig bent, twee op zichzelf staande design weken te organiseren met lokale opdrachtgevers én geselecteerde studenten uit Nederland. Niet alleen de durf om dit te ontwikkelen, maar ook het enthousiasme waarmee dit tot een zeer goed einde is gebracht is écht noemenswaardig. (...)
Jens Gijbels - Fundamentals Academy (Involved as project coach)
Translate quoteThere is more than meets the eye. Interested in knowing more about this project? Drop me a message.
