Michaël Harboun

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Michaël Harboun, I am 28 years old, and I graduated in 2011 from Strate.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background before joining Strate?

I grew up in Luxembourg where I studied applied art and graduated. This exposure to artistic fundamentals opened my eyes to a world of ideas and creativity.

No knowing exactly where to use this creativity, I went through several domains: graphic art, fashion, automotive, product, architecture, and it is only at Strate, that I finally discovered my vocation. The Interaction Design program helped me understand that one of the areas where design has the most impact is the digital.

In a world increasingly complex, connected and dynamic, the urgency to put meaning, simplicity, and beauty seems a colossal opportunity. Social networks, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, web objects are present in all aspects of our lives: health, mobility, policy, finance, communication, etc.

Can you tell us more about your graduation project ?

It all started from the idea that our smartphones enhance our productivity needs, entertainment, communication, but they support less our needs of reflection or introspection. “Transcending” is a platform that offers the possibility to connect us to an invisible reality, ideas, concepts and philosophical questions which cannot be perceived by our eyes. The world around us will transform and evolve when using “Transcending”. The concept invites us to broaden our thinking patterns.

What can you tell us about your experience at Strate?

The best thing at Strate School of Design is the professors and the students. Students bring together their creative differences and each teacher brings a complementary approach to the design profession. Strate allowed me to explore different horizons while providing me with all the opportunities in the field that I like the most. The supportive and relaxed atmosphere helps create the ideal context. I feel at work and at home.

What did you do after graduation from Strate?

In 2011 I did my internship at IDEO, an innovation agency in the United States. After the internship, I was offered to stay full time. Today I am a project manager, and our teams are working on many design opportunities for numerous clients in various fields: transport, health, renewable energy and education to name a few. We work in multidisciplinary teams with engineers, business leaders and designers sitting around the same table. This approach reminded me of some programs at Strate that bring together students from different disciplines and from different schools to design innovative products.

What connection can you do today between the training you received at Strate and your job?

I learned some values that I think are essential to my job. In a society with more and more specialized trades, the image of the solitary genius has become a fantasy. Teamwork is an essential art in the industry. Listening, cooperating and observing others are qualities that can multiply the impact of our products.

In addition, Strate has always put people at the center of reflection, and not technology and that is important.

What would you say to students who want to apply to Strate?

Each year, new challenges arise, and we see new types of designers emerge. Everything changes so fast; it's fascinating and unsettling at the same time. In this context I have some advice:

Stay curious for life, not just in the world of design. By observing the changing needs and behavior all around us, we keep one step ahead of the world that is emerging.

• Learn to be comfortable in complex situations. The issues that modern designers are trying to solve are increasingly vast and ambiguous.
• When engineers, marketers, strategists turn to designers and ask, "Now what?" The purpose is not necessarily to give an answer, but asking the right questions to advance the project.
• Have fun! This is one of the coolest jobs in the world, and especially a profession that continues to grow and boost throughout life.