Defining Creative Steps 2.0 with co-design method

Creative Momentum project organised a regional event for creative entrepreneurs with the theme of ”Boosting Creative Business with Service Design” on 3 February 2016 in Lapland, Rovaniemi.

The workshop gathered together in total 20 participants including innovative entrepreneurs and InnoBarentsLab (IBL) -students to start the planning of the Creative Steps 2.0. IBL students were also helping with the preparation of the workshop.

Creative Steps 2.0 (CS) concept matches emerging creative talent with existing businesses. The aim of the concept is to boost new product/service development, but also international matchmaking between companies from partner countries. The concept is based on the Creative Steps workshop that was implemented during the previous Creative Edge project in 2013. During Creative Momentum project, this original concept will be further developed.

The workshop was facilitated by Anitra Arkko-Saukkonen and Anzelika Krastina, both teachers at Lapland UAS. Anitra is teaching fine art and Anzelika business for international students. They will be developing and coordinating the CS process in the Creative Momentum project.

The aim of the co-design workshop was to develop the CS-model based on the needs of the target group serving entrepreneurs in the best possible way. In the beginning of the event Anitra and Anzelika were presenting the CS process to the participants with help of Creative Steps step-by-step roadmap made by Lapland UAS fine art student Marianne Kammonen.

Discussions raised up some challenges to be tackled but most importantly potential ways for creative entrepreneurs to take part in Creative Steps 2.0. Quite many participating companies had already strong international contacts and have made business transnationally. For several creative companies exporting is a crucial part of their business because of limited national markets.

In the end of the workshop Service designer Simo Rontti from Deveron was making a presentation called ”Agile service design tools for creative business”. Rontti talked about service design and how design can facilitate and help everyday life. He also presented different methods on how to make service design. One of the methods, used also during the workshop, was co-design and co-creation together with a potential user when the product is not yet ready and polished. The presentation was recorded in order to share Rontti’s presentation to other interested parties via MyCreativeEdge website.


**
Creative Momentum is a 3-year (2015–2018) transnational project funded by the EU’s Northern Periphery & Arctic (NPA) Programme. The project covers regions in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Sweden and Finland and supports individuals and enterprises working in the creative and cultural industries. Lapland University of Applied Sciences is one of the project partners.

Text by Saila-Inkeri Puukko

“During workshop, Creative Steps 2.0 -concept was further developed with co-design method”. (Photo: Anitra-Arkko Saukkonen)

Anzelika Krastina and Anitra Arkko-Saukkonen explained Creative Steps process with step-by-step roadmap made by Lapland UAS fine art student Marianne Kammonen. (Photo: Henri Finström)