As a third-year student of Information Services Design at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, I’m accustomed to viewing things from different angles and seeking not only functionality in projects but also deeper meaning. Upon reading the syllabus for the course “Business as Unusual,” which promises to explore business models as forms of activism and artistic expression, I thought it could be an exceptional opportunity to understand business as something that goes far beyond profit.
That said, I’ll admit that, for me, the idea of “business” has often carried a bit of a ‘90s feel: a sweaty race for money, deceit, and insincerity, which is best avoided. Even though I know this view is biased, it was influenced by an experience from my childhood. Back then, business meant sand mining, for example, which led to my family losing our farm far from civilization – the place where I spent my childhood. When the mines destroyed this place, it was left in ruins, as if it had never existed. Perhaps this is why I’m drawn to the idea of business as something that can have meaning and purpose, not just for profit, but also for people and the world around us… but that’s another story.
Business as a Design Space
I see the “Business as Unusual” course as a chance to view business models differently – as a “design space,” where experimentation is possible, where new forms of organisation can be tested, and where business can even be seen as social activism. I hope the course will bring practical examples and show how design work can reflect values beyond traditional business models. This approach could help me reshape my own concept of business and demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be “business as usual.”
The Ecological Dimension of Business: Operating Within Planetary Boundaries
According to the syllabus, the course will also focus on ecological economics, which I view as a crucial theme that reflects the philosophical nature of our faculty. I’m interested in how design can contribute to more sustainable business practices within ecological limits, and I look forward to the course providing concrete tools and methods for designing products and services that meet broader social and environmental needs. I’d like to see these approaches in my future work, where I hope to design information services that respect both nature and people.
Alternative Forms of Organisation as Inspiration for Service Design
The syllabus indicates that the course will introduce inspiring examples of companies and organisations that operate differently from traditional corporations – from cooperatives and social enterprises to decentralised autonomous organisations. These models could inspire me in designing information services that foster responsibility, sharing, and fair ownership. I believe that a selection of case studies and examples will provide insight into modern business and help me in my work, where I would like to draw from these innovative structures.
Designing Business Models with Positive Impact
Finally, the syllabus suggests that we should gain skills necessary to design business models and structures that have a positive social and ecological impact. I hope such insights will be reflected in my work, where I would like, as a designer, to develop services that are not only profitable but also contribute to sustainability and values that are close to my heart. I’m excited about the practical tools that I could use to reshape business into a space for genuine positive change.
Conclusion: My Expectations of the Course
I expect “Business as Unusual” to be an inspiring space that will open new perspectives and allow me to see business as a vehicle for change and creativity. As a design student at the Faculty of Arts, I want to discover how business models can be transformed to meet people’s needs while also enhancing ecological balance and social values. I hope to gain knowledge and tools from this course that will enable me to design information services with real purpose – not only for profit, but for the world we live in.
I believe that the course will bring me examples and tools that will help turn my ideas into practice. One day, I’d like to create services that truly change the way business and social values influence the world around us.