Radical Creativity

Radical creativity is needed to face the challenges of the future and keep up with the ever-accelerating pace of change organisations are dealing with. It is associated with ‘moonshot' thinking and ideation, which empowers individuals to look for novel and unexpected solutions to the complex challenges we face today. A multidisciplinary group of researchers from Aalto is researching the strategic focus on radical creativity, and this course is the team's initial step in applying the research findings to teaching.

During the Radical Creativity summer course, student teams apply various tools and methods to re-imagine the future of different industries. We are currently looking for company partners interested in being frontrunners in exploring what radical creativity can offer to the industry.

The course includes two weeks of intensive project work between 14-25 August 2023, as well as project preparation before the start of the course and submitting a digital deliverable after the end of the course. The course is taught by Aalto Design Factory (ADF), an experimental co-creation platform of Aalto University and organised in their brand-new spaces on the Otaniemi campus. 

What can the company expect from taking part in this project?

• Out-of-the-box ideas and new perspectives
• An interdisciplinary and international team
• Half-day joint workshop for company employees and students
• Presentation and digital portfolio of project results
• Publicity and visibility as a part of a pilot project for the Radical Creativity strategy initiative

What is required from the company?

In addition to the project fee, we request a 1-page description of the project challenge and commitment to participate in relevant meetings and provide guidance. The contact points during the course include a 1h Q&A meeting with the project teams, a half-day workshop at the partner's premises between 14-24 August, and a Radical Creativity event on Aalto's campus on 25 August, where teams showcase the highlights of their project work. 

What do the students receive?

During the two intensive weeks, students explore radical creativity through interdisciplinary teamwork, using both hands-on and theoretical approaches. They learn to apply different lenses to look at complex problems and make valuable connections with industry and the international cohort.

After the course, students will be able to:

• Recognize emerging trends and ways of approaching radical creativity in different sectors 
• Assess differences between creativity and radical creativity and identify their enablers and barriers
• Utilize radical creativity tools and methods to plan future-forward development in different industries 
• Work constructively in interdisciplinary and international teams
   

Course details

• Project duration: June-September 2023, with a two-week intensive bootcamp during 14-25 August
• Number of students per project: two groups of 5 students
• Project fee for a company: 5500€ +VAT
• Application period for companies: February-April 2023