B1.2 Showcase Pleun Heeres

Can you imagine a sports field, on which you could get instant visual feedback of your coach or set out a training within a second. Imagine the efficiency of time use, the improvement of training and the fun that could be generated. This can all be done with OptiField, the first fully illuminated sportsfield. It is the next dimension for sports and has endless possibilities, in other words, the future.

 

Sports related, user-centered, exclusivity of working with Innosportlab Sport&Beweeg! and the possibility to work with a real client. That was my main motivation to chose this project, a mixture of goals and interests.  Looking back, this project has definitely fulfilled these expectations.

 

I wanted this project to be (end)user-centred, as I missed this in the previous project. By means of researching, observing and most of all co-creating with experts like staff of PSV, we got a better view of who we were designing for and for what purpose.  

 

We did a user-test to prove that our concept could be taken outside. This gave insights on the feasibility and optimal visibility. Usertesting is a way to make a concept better, by means of new inputs, but more important, generating hard evidence.

 

A big learning experience was the professional client/business approach of our project. It started with making clear what we stood for and branding our projectgroup to Movin’. Working with big partners like TenCate, Greenfields, Innosportlab and PSV gave a real boost throughout the project. Involvement of a stakeholder requires to act even more professionally, which means to think critically about the feasibility and presentation of concepts. A high standard was set for the project, which enabled me and the group to achieve our full potential. Experiencing a professional approach, helped me improve upon my way of presenting and learned me what it takes in the ‘real’ world. In further projects I will try to implement this approach, because it is proven to me that I will learn a lot from it and will push me to achieve the best.

 

Looking back, I think we as Movin’ have shown to be self-directed. We have come up with a well-developed concept and made a working final prototype ourselves. We contacted big clients ourselves, worked professionally together according to a set planning and guided ourselves throughout the designprocess. 

 

I liked our designprocess, though I still think it is better to switch quicker between the stages of ideation and prototyping. In the next semester I will try to push my groupmembers in the designprocess I envision of switching moreover between the phases of design.

 

Which brings me to a last point of self-critique: I have to stand up for my own interests and thoghts. I have to claim what I want to develop and do what I really want. Not that I didn’t do so but I think I could have stood up a little more for my own preferences. It is good to work hard in a project, though personal development should not be retained.