Trip took place on September 19, 2011Back to StepOne trip calendar
IED Trip of September 2011
The Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) recently collaborated on a trip to Silicon Valley that was organized by StepOne. The group from IED was comprised of two masters programs, one focused in strategy design and the other in communication and public relations. Both disciplines are applicable to the entrepreneurship and business world, and in fact they go very much in hand as we would find out.
Among the visits arranged for the group, the trip to Google would share first hand some of the working processes exhibited by the search giant. Stanford University’s H-Star and d.School also elaborated upon some of the research projects currently in motion, underscoring Silicon Valley’s approach to innovation and reliance on institutional relationships. A visit to IDEO was also included, a highlight of many for the trip, which combined many themes of the aforementioned entities along with a unique working culture. The visit to Ogilvy provided a chance for these students to compare best practices in communication and public relations, given the nature of clients and according practices.
The trip would also require the group to get their hands dirty with workshops that built on capabilities in idea creation, iteration on business models, cross-cultural communication as well as prototyping. Also invited were local entrepreneurs who shared their experiences, having faced many of the same fears that are now on the top of these student’s minds.
A common takeaway after a week in the Bay Area was an appreciation of the new perspective and culture that even quick exposure to a foreign market brings. Whether from Europe or Silicon Valley, the ability to exchange ideas and practices between them gives one the ability to understand how to apply initiative to their own projects. This group graduates in December and we look forward to their next step.
Photos from the trip are below and also posted on our Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/steponeventures.
Masters, MBA and Executive MBA Students
For information about upcoming trips, please reach us at: info@stepone.com
