B0715 - Seminars: Marketing and Management (Gr. A)

Learning outcomes

Students at the end of the seminar will acquire high standard knowledge and skills directly from experts in the fashion fields, alongside special lectures held by scholars and researchers.

Course contents

Seminar: Fashion Startup Lab

Tutor: Eleonora Sette

 

 The ‘Fashion Startup Lab’ is a theoretical-practical training course designed to offer anan interactive and experiential approach to business design in the fashion industry to the students.

The knowledge and skills attained at the end of the course will be:

• Knowledge and understanding of the Emilia-Romagna and international startup ecosystem, of the key processes for starting a business, with a particular focus on the fashion sector.
• Entrepreneurship: ability to identify market opportunities, develop innovative ideas and translate them into concrete business initiatives starting from a user-based approach.
• Intrapreneurship: ability to adopt a proactive, innovative and change-oriented attitude in various contexts, not limited to start-ups.
• Prototyping: knowledge of prototyping and testing processes of products and services in the fashion market
• Public Speaking: ability to effectively present one's entrepreneurial project to potential investors, partners and customers, basic understanding of ‘pitching’ techniques and potential application in a real context.
• Soft skills: leadership, conflict management skills, negotiation, ability to manage working groups and team spirit, communication, ability to work in a team, collaboration and cooperation, empathy, listening skills

 

During the laboratory, designed in collaboration with the ART-ER Competencies and Territories for Innovation Unit, participants will learn the basics of business design through the Sustainability Business Model Canvas, a tool for visualizing a business activity with economic, social and environmental impact.

The 12 quadrants of the Canvas will be explored theoretically and through practical exercises following this programme:

• 1st module: Icebreaking, basics for business planning, brainstorming on existing challenges in the fashion industry, problem identification

• 2nd module: Theoretical/practical focus on value proposition, customer segments, competitive advantage and channels to reach customers
• 3rd module: Theoretical/practical focus on solutions and key metrics
• 4th module: Theoretical/practical focus on cost and revenue structure, economic, environmental and social impact, public speaking/pitch
• 5th module: Simulation of a team business project in response to an external challenge

Local actors and stakeholders will be involved during the course.

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

Free and accessible online resources, background materials and reference texts in the field of fashion business design will be recommended during the course.

Teaching methods

The learning methodology adopted in the Fashion Startup Lab emphasizes the "learning by doing" approach, which argues that the most effective learning occurs when students are actively involved in the learning process. This means that they won't just be passive listeners, but will actively participate, putting what they've learned into practice in a real context.

Another key methodology that will be used in the course is "Design Thinking". This approach to innovation focuses on understanding user needs, generating ideas to meet these needs, and creating prototype solutions to test these ideas. Design thinking fosters collaboration, experimentation, and iteration, all of which are critical skills for the success of a fashion startup.

In addition, the course will use tools such as canvas (e.g. Lean Canvas) to help students visualize, design and test their startup business models. These tools offer an effective way to explore the opportunities and challenges of an idea and to communicate the strategy to other people.

Finally, students will work in teams, simulating the dynamism and collaboration needed in a real startup environment. These groups' work will foster the development of team building and leadership skills, as well as promote idea sharing and co-creation. The ultimate goal is to provide participants with an in-depth and practical understanding of how to launch and manage a startup in the fashion industry.

Assessment methods

Fashion Startup Lab includes a final assessment where students will be asked to present through a pitch the business idea that they developed during the entire duration of the lab.

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

In addition to the slides of each single module, indications will be provided for carrying out in-depth analysis in blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts and other multimedia contents relevant to the Laboratory.

Office hours

See the website of Ines Tolic