Livework Foundry

Abstract

This project was commissioned by Livework Rotterdam with the intent of designing a new service value proposition to offer to clients. This new service would have to support large companies in developing disruptive startups through a service design approach. Research was conducted to explore three core topics: companies’ barriers to disruptive innovation, outsourcing innovation and design as entrepreneurship. Next to that, a case study that prototyped this type of project was followed to get insights on the process, on the capabilities and on the approach used. The insights from the research together with the reflections on the case study were synthetised in the design of the Foundry. The Foundry is a new service by Livework that guides clients through the concepting, designing and development of a startup. At the Foundry, Livework’s hybrid expertise of service and business design is put to practice in the entrepreneurial task of building a fully functioning startup for the client. Livework provides process and methods expertise while the client provides field expertise to help them set and reach their strategic goals. In a six phases process the Foundry gives the opportunity of learning a service design approach to entrepreneurship while designing and developing an innovative, customer-centred, holistic and integrated startup.