MBA Imagineering

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The world needs new, complementary approaches and methods as society is growing ever more complex. We see the depletion of natural resources running alongside the vast growth of connectivity, creativity, and innovation. As Imagineering stems from and is embedded in the complexity paradigm of open systems, nonlinearity, and dynamics of growth, at its core it goes beyond just design, innovation, business modeling, or change management.

What it does, is enable societies, businesses, and organizations to consciously develop in a strategic direction with the mindset of building upon self-organization and emergence. Here, we dare to say, that Master Imagineering fits into this context of strategic design. Aiming to realize the organizational transformation that is in favor of value creation in society at large.

The program offers you a deeper theoretical insight into issues of organizational design in the context of enterprise logic transformation. It enables you to develop analytical, proactive, problem-solving attitudes and design skills toward these issues. In addition, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to design and implement professional advice in an organizational and cross-cultural setting. Furthermore, you will build and strengthen your expertise to innovate, participate, and lead processes of collaboration and creativity through this master’s program.

Course details

During the Master Imagineering, you will be going on an 'expedition'. On this journey, you will explore the main principles of the collaborative and complexity-driven essence of Imagineering as a design approach.

The program consists of three blocks of classes and the fourth block is dedicated to performing a research-based Imagineering project in the field. Each block of classes lasts six weeks and is finalized with an exam/design week. Within the blocks, interactive theoretical classes, along with workshops, activities, and assignments are delivered.

Block 1: Inspiration

This first block about ‘Inspiration’ focuses on the broad theoretical framework of the master’s program. Studying processes of value creation and change/innovation/emergence from the complexity/experience perspective. Complex adaptive systems and complex thinking play a central role in block 1, opening up a different academic perspective of reality. The perspective of complexity gives rise to a different dynamic view of change and innovation in human systems which we have developed in the design methodology of Imagineering.

Block 2: Ideation

Within the framework of the second block ‘Ideation’, the program aims to explore creative processes within organizations and possibilities for transformation. The block is divided into theoretical, material, and practical examples and activities that fuel discussion and invite reflection on creativity, innovation, and meaning; the basic components for organizational, business, and social transformation. The students immerse themselves into the world of co-creation, imagination, and dialogue; having a strong impact on transformative processes. Furthermore, the students will get the opportunity to learn how the Imagineering design methodology is applied and how to design for social systems. Applying theoretical frameworks from several disciplines and formulating a critical opinion about the complexity of organizational, business, and social development, for example during our hackathon project.

Block 3: Implementation

The third block of the program ‘Implementation’, aims to offer an understanding of the management issues that arise when ‘continuous creative business development’ has to be a core competency of the organization. Following the Inspiration and Ideation phases, the Implementation phase focuses on the design of the organization in such a way that the realization of the experience concept can be optimally executed.

Using real business cases, the students are exposed in this block to applying Imagineering as a methodology and process to help organizations/businesses/society move away from their fixation in the industrial logic, transforming towards functioning in the networked co-creative logic.

Block 4: Performing the research-based Imagineering project

The fourth block is dedicated to performing the research-based Imagineering project at or in cooperation with an application company. This means that through the final deliverables, the students need to demonstrate that they are professional masters in Imagineering. This means the student needs to be able to facilitate, (co)create, and (re)design business and social processes aiming at igniting a transformative organizational change in an imaginative, informative, and social-mediated way. In employing an Imagineering way of thinking in this final project, the student needs to take three clear roles: that of the researcher, the co-creative catalysts, and the designer.

Throughout the entire program, self-development is encouraged via various workshops. Students are also challenged to design and facilitate workshops themselves to gain experience.

Study load and coaching

The Master in Imagineering offers students a small-scale academic environment as the number of students admitted into the master’s program is limited and lecturers are always there to offer help. For questions on the content of the program, lecturers can be easily reached. What’s more, the program coordinator is available to help with day-to-day issues.

Graduates of the Master Imagineering generally find employment in innovation-related positions, marketing, and branding roles, or as business consultants.

Examples of titles our alumni currently hold are:

• Specialist Policy and Innovation at one of the largest energy suppliers in the Netherlands
• Manager Strategic Brand Innovations at a world-renowned leader in software
• Project assistant at one of the leading consultancy companies in Europe
• Program management officer at a renowned Dutch bank
• Assistant head of Corporate Identity Europe at an international automotive supplier from Germany
• Consultant co-creation at an up-and-coming agency
• Specialist Social Care and Monitoring at an up-and-coming agency

• The multicultural composition of the international classroom with many different nationalities is the best learning environment you could wish for
• You will benefit from a large and international network of organisations, universities and alumni, with whom you will collaborate on real-life projects and share experiences