Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the Netherlands. Since 1989, every two years, Het Rijksinstituut van Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) organizes a breast cancer screening for women between 50 and 75 years old. The Dutch government organizes the screening because the advantages at the general population level are considered higher than the potential disadvantages. Over the last years, the policy of RIVM considering the screening was mostly focused on the interests of the public as a
whole. On a citizen level the advantages do not necessarily outweigh the disadvantages (e.g., over-diagnosis, false positives, false negatives) [1]. Recently, RIVM introduced a more responsible role towards the public in its policy. RIVM is adopting a more individually centred approach, taking into account more personal and citizen-level factors, and supporting women with informed decision-making. However, research made RIVM aware of the fact that (1) not all women do make well-informed choices yet and (2) women have a very positive attitude towards the screening [2]. It seems that the new goals ask for another communication strategy. This project addressed the challenge: “how can women be supported in making a well-informed decision whether they want to participate or not in the organized breast cancer screening?”

Research
A user-centred design research is carried out, in which a diverse group of women was included regarding ethnicity and literacy. Besides that, a broad, specified context study is conducted to explore solution space.

Decision-making
In the current communication strategy, only risk numbers are communicated. This strategy is based on the rational decision-maker’s perspective, who has the capabilities and motivation to understand and to interpret the risk information [3]. However, it is often experienced as ‘jargon’ and ‘difficult to understand’. Literature research showes that, besides ‘accurate information’ also the elements ‘freedom of choice’ and ‘awareness of personal values’ are essential for a well-informed decision [3]. The user-centred research of this project showes that women do not make a well-informed decision and, perhaps more importantly, are not supported to do so. A noteworthy thing is that women receive a regular envelope when entering the program at the age of 50. The envelope includes the information and invitation at the same time.

Besides this, women do not only base their decision on the rational models. Beliefs also seem to influence women’s decision-making process [3]. The inspirational research of this project showes that women are also aware of different meanings that are associated with the screening, such as: menopause, aging, uncertainty of life and bodily changes. These meanings play a role in the decision- making process. The current communication material does not give attention to all essential elements for well-informed choices, and moreover to the other meanings. Inspirational research showes that another communication focus might be just as effective: emotions as a source of information [4]. If RIVM showes more empathy to women’s perspectives and communicates in a common language instead of ‘jargon’ (quantitative information about risks), emotion could be used as an effective source for informing and for emphasizing the other essential elements.

Design concept
A periodic intervention of 3 magazines between the age of 49 and 50 is designed, which should activate and guide the decision-making process (see figure 3). The magazines offer women’s stories which represents (1) living scenario’s, (2) different choice options and (3)
different motivations for decisions. The women’s stories create:

A. the possibility to emphasize the 3 essential elements for a well- informed choice
B. space to show empathy to women’s interests and concerns, regarding menopause, aging and uncertainty in an inspiring and sensitive way.

After the third magazine, the woman will receive the first invitation. Whether the design concept realizes a well-informed decision-making on the long-term needs to be further tested as is recommended RIVM. Although, the concept test revealed that the magazine gives the possibility to emphasize ‘communicating on an emotional level’.


[1] RIVM. (2012). Uitslagen en testeigenschappen - RIVM. Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.rivm.nl/Onderwerpen/B/Bevolkingsonderzoeken_en_screeningen/Screening_de_theorie/Uitslagen_en_testeigenschappen

[2] Douma L.N., Uiters E., Timmermans D.R. (2016) The Dutch public are positive about the colorectal cancer-screening programme, but is this a well-informed opinion? BMC Public Health. 2016;16(1):1208.

[3]Timmermans DRM. Wat beweegt de kiezer? Over de betekenis van weloverwogen en geïnformeerde keuzes voor gezondheid en preventie. Amsterdam: ZonMw; 2013.

[4] Roeser, S. (2006). The role of emotions in judging the moral acceptability of risks. Safety Science, 44(8), 689–700.

In the past few decades, there has been an ongoing shift from work organised around individual jobs to team-based structures (Hansen, 2006; Edmondson et al., 2007; Bell et al., 2012). Teams can offer “greater adaptability, productivity, and creativity than any one individual can offer and provide more complex, innovative, and comprehensive solutions to organisational problems” (Salas et al., 2005). Also in design projects, complexity has increased and time to market decreased. Only teamwork allows companies to deal with the required efficiency and the increasing number of parallel activities. As the designers of tomorrow, it is therefore essential for design students to become comfortable with working in teams, and to learn how to effectively work in these teams.

The central aim of this project was to research how design students can learn about teamwork. To answer this research question, an extensive literature review was done on the topics of teamwork, learning, and reflection. Furthermore, empirical research has been conducted, with research methods including interviews, pilot studies, generative sessions, and observation. The majority of the empirical research was conducted at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology.

Literature combined with the findings from the empirical research suggests that students should develop situational awareness and learn to be adaptive in teams. To achieve this, the student should be educated throughout the curriculum on competences and skills in the areas of cooperation, coordination, communication, and self-awareness.

Throughout the project is became clear that reflection was the means to turn teamwork experiences into valuable learning experiences. Various tools that facilitate reflection on teamwork within group design projects were designed and validated. Besides designing effective reflective exercises, two other challenges were identified to achieve meaningful reflection on teamwork: creating an emotionally supportive environment and boosting students’ motivation for doing the reflection.

This project resulted in a product-service system Team Track. Team Track contains of a framework and three corresponding tools. The Team Track framework proposes a setup of a course in which students learn about teamwork, while doing a group design project. The framework can be used by course coordinators to embed teamwork education in their course. The key learning activities proposed by the framework are three facilitated workshops in which the student reflects on teamwork experiences and sets teamwork-related goals for the future. In between the workshop, the student completes modules that offer teamwork theory.

The three Team Track tools support the learning activities proposed by the framework. The Team Bricks are a dynamic and physical representation of the team’s reflections and goals. The team’s personalised Course Calendar contains daily exercises that students have to complete. The online platform has multiple purposes: if offers a database with teamwork theory modules; students have their personal page on which their teamwork-related insights are captured; the student sets teamwork-related goals for himself, which are monitored through the platform.

Finally, the framework and tools have been evaluated with experts on both teamwork and education. However, to fully validate the effectiveness, Team Track should be tested within a real life group design project.

This master thesis explores how to extend the product line of the Dutch stroller company JOOLZ with products that support parents in their homes. Traditionally JOOLZ designs , but want to explore possibilities beyond this market segment. The focus of the assignment is parent life in a large metropolis, such as Tokyo, New York and Amsterdam. Through desk and generative research, the solution space is explored in terms of important aspects of parent child relations as well as everyday life 'rituals' such as sleeping, 'involvement' and nourishment. The solution space is also explored in relation to trends and aspects of parent life in a metropolis, such as space constraints. New tendencies such as micro living are taken into account because the (reduced) availability of space in metropolises are a factor of modern life, a trend which is also being addressed by other companies such as IKEA. Together with various experts and professionals inside and outside the company a series of iterations on concepts and concept directions are carried out. The resulting concepts are documented in stages include the final selection. ‘JOY’ is the name of the selected concept, a mobile device that facilitates everyday life. JOY is a movable frame with interchangeable applications (hammock, dining chair and baby gym) that can be changed according to the area, sparing the space that positioning devices for baby born take. The final concept is detailed to a level where it is feasible and ready to be taken further by domain experts. An analysis of the design characteristics of JOOLZ products is used to show how the selected concept could be made to fit with the JOOLZ portfolio, but still exploring 'new' aesthetic territory. The report concludes with recommendations for how to further develop the concept.

In 2016, Ford revealed its innovative concept 'Autolivery'. Nevertheless, the exact deployment conditions for the 'Autolivery' are not yet in place. In order to inhibit the collision space towards future implementation, a 'mobile locker' concept will come first, as seen in a roadmap. In this report, the potential of the 'mobile locker' service in the rapidly growing Chinese delivery market will be presented.