06. December 2009
Repositioning and open design strategy for International Xchange Erasmus Student Network (I*ESN)
A visual language that stimulates individual people to create their own amature designs, based on provided visual language.
- Assignment: Repositioning and development of an open design strategy I*ESN
- Commissioner: International Xchange Erasmus Student Network (I*ESN), International Board, Brussels
- Authorship: Design: Koeweiden Postma, Amsterdam /
Consultancy to I*ESN International Board and strategy development: Evert Ypma - Year: 2004-2006
Open design strategy for I*ESN
The International Xchange Erasmus Student Network is a voluntary organization in 34 countries across the European continent and has its headquarters in Brussels. The ESN network consists at this moment out of 342 sections. These local associations are functioning as hosting and supporting organizations for student mobility within the European Union. While rapidly expanding the network of local associations this European's largest student network organization needed to be repositioned in order to serve better its network members. Also the I*ESN headquarter in Brussels had to redevelop its relationships with international stakeholders, such as private and public parties. I*ESN has tight relationships with the European Commission.
Stimulating amature creativity: No design control
The organization and communication culture of I*ESN is characterized by its informality and improvisation. This demanded for an open design strategy, rather than a closed and controlled design system. The open design system gives individual members (non-designers) maximum freedom to develop their own communication material. The traditional set of design parameters, which mostly is based on control needed to be re-thought and were transformed into a mode of open source and almost no design control. The result is a visual language that stimulates individual people to create their own amature designs. A visual overview can be found under the issues section.
