Introducing NightCap — 2018 cohort of Creative Founders @ cca

On September 7th, we launched NightCap — the Fall 2018 cohort of the Creative Founders class at California College of the Arts.

A designer has never had more opportunity in the world of business to create impact. Many venture capitalists today understand the value and are demanding that design be included in the founding of start-ups.
~ Christina Wodtke

To make a dent in this universe, CCA hosts an annual studio/incubator course for designers looking to learn the ins and outs of starting a company. The class was pioneered by designer, founder and author Christina Wodtke, who shaped the curriculum based on Lean Startup and IxD design principles.

You’re invited to share their journey through this Medium publication.

Introducing the 2018 Creative Founders

I’m pleased to announce the kickoff of the latest cohort: 12 designers organized into three teams:
* ArtBoard
* Elev8
* Hatch

About the Incubator/Studio

In this studio, CCA upperclass designers apply their interaction design skills to designing not only a product but also a business. They build an idea into a venture.

This is not about writing a business plan or doing library research. Members of the cohort are fearless designers who will connect with actual customers and prototype ideas.

The’ll experience the chaos and uncertainty of how many startups actually work. They’ll work intensely as a team. They’ll learn how to use a business model to brainstorm each part of a company and use customer development to get out of the classroom to see if anyone other than the founding team would want and use the product.

As technology advances and disruptions continue to shift how business works, startups have more ways than ever to shape the world; in 4 months together, this cohort will explore the ethical and societal ramifications of startups.

Each week is a new adventure as they test another part of the business model and share their learnings with the other teams in the cohort. By the end of the incubator studio, each team should have a prototype and a pitch prepared.

The process is rigorous and experiential. Each week the teams present their learnings and chart the course for the next week. Team dynamics, competing priorities and ambiguous challenges combine in a crucible of learning, designed to demonstrate how startups really get built. Through this experience, participants understand how business functions in order to be more effective designers.

Stay tuned as the journey unfolds!