This graduation project aims to change the way people look towards self-development, and make self-development a norm in society so that people will be leading more meaningful and fulfilling lives. The School of Life Amsterdam is an organisation that aligned with this personal vi
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This graduation project aims to change the way people look towards self-development, and make self-development a norm in society so that people will be leading more meaningful and fulfilling lives. The School of Life Amsterdam is an organisation that aligned with this personal vision for society with their mission of helping people get more fulfilment out of their lives. For The School this project was an opportunity to expand their target group. A strategic design process was used to design a vision and strategy for The School of Life Amsterdam. First, research was performed in three directions. 1. Self-development: Why is it important and what are obstacles in doing self-development? 2. The School of Life Amsterdam: What are their strengths and weaknesses, which opportunities can be identified? 3. (Potential) customers: Who are they and what do they think about self-development and The School of Life Amsterdam? The research was analysed and used to create a vision for The School of Life Amsterdam: Growth as a shared responsibility of both The School of Life Amsterdam and its customers. For The School, that means business and impact growth, and for the consumers, it means personal growth. The strategy is built on the research's insights, especially the appeal of The School has to customers, and the self-help paradox, meaning that people need to do self-development to realize the value of self-development. The strategy aims to make self-development a norm in society by using The School’s community, people who are already into self-development. The community members will be provided with the knowledge and tools to interact with people who are not yet aware of the value or doing self-development. The interactions will be based on ‘We-development’: Self-development as a means to create deeper and more meaningful connections. With more people doing self-development, the School of Life Amsterdam's market will expand. A roadmap with three phases was created to implement the strategy in the organisation. Finally, further recommendations for the project are that The School of Life Amsterdam creates a clear definition of fulfilment to measure its impact on customers. Next, the strategy’s value and impact needs to be evaluated during execution. And lastly, further research needs to be done on community building.