The coffee is brewing and the morning sun rises over the roofs of the Palosaari university campus, as young students gather at MUOVA for breakfast and brainstorming. Young people sit together at common tables to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Vaasa region. Many wishes come up: “More events for young people”, “More summer jobs for people of all ages”, “More information about the training required by companies”. Vaasa’s potential is also highlighted: “Vaasa is a small city with lots of potential and great expertise”.
The first event of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences’ Design Center MUOVA’s IMPACT change campaign, Design Buffet, was organized on Thursday, November 16, in MUOVA’s new premises. Both young people and adults arrived to discuss the development of the Vaasa region. The event included filling in a wall of hopes, design-themed lectures and presentation of projects.
Making promises to future makers
During the event, the young people filled in the wall of hopes and thought about their own wishes for the Vaasa region. Adults, such as teachers and representatives of organizations, wrote promises through which they commit to creating a meaningful future for young people. Many were eager to reflect on the importance of their own role in the lives of young people.
“I promise to support students to find their dreams” one teacher wrote. Another promised to invest in cooperation between universities and companies: “I promise to improve university-company interactions”. The goal of the IMPACT change campaign is to gather actions that will help us reach a better future. The promise of the Design Centre MUOVA is to bring Vaasa youth, decision-makers, experts and influencers to a common table. Together, we can develop a region of Vaasa, where it is meaningful for young people to build a long-lasting future.
From wishes to reality
The wishes and challenges collected at the Design Buffet will be discussed in the next week’s Design Think Tank. Design Think Tank is an invite-only event where local young people, influencers, stakeholders and experts have been invited to discuss the development of the Vaasa region. The event includes, a welcome speech by the head of research in Design Centre MUOVA, Pertti Aula, a youth dialogue about the future of the Vaasa region as well as visioning and planning the implementation of ideas. The event highlights personal and organizational promises and challenges partners to join the change.
Design Think Tank will take place on Thursday 23 November 2023. The results of the workshop will be published in the media and a podcast series will be compiled from them on Design Day 2024. The results will also be celebrated in the evening’s Design Lounge, which will be held at the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art.