Creative Technologies and Entrepreneurship

Basic prior knowledge required in programming

In this course you will study the basic concepts of game design and how they are documented. You will also apply this concretely in a game sample, so bring along your coding skills!

You can expect the following content of the course:

• An introduction to the international and regional gaming industry.
• The importance and fluidity of Game Design and an introduction to established design rules and paradigms
• An in depth look at hidden and visible game mechanics
• Creating / prioritizing our own Game Design Principles: developing our "Design Bible"
• The life cycle of an idea or concept
• Steps towards publishing a game and determining potential company roles as described by those steps
• Writing up a GDD, applying Game Design Principles to a GDD and using a GDD to create a game

You learn how important desk research is in the development and substantiation of a (media and entertainment) concept, product, or service. Trough theoretical lessons, examples, and individual and group assignments, you learn different search and processing strategies to find existing information (such as literature, trends, data, research, etc.) and test it for relevance. You learn how to interpret and process that existing information critically and correctly (for example in a paper). You will learn what plagiarism is and how to correctly apply the APA reference style.

We go through all steps in the research process: determining the research objective and questions and drawing up a research plan, choosing the appropriate research method, collecting and processing data, and reporting the results.

Learn how to use AI tools in a productive and ethical way to improve and speed up your work.

iPhone or Fairphone? Local produce or eco-friendly Brazilian coffee? Tiny house or digital nomad? Which trends will be popular next year? Why do we choose one trend over another? Who decides what we like? Over the past decades, trend forecasting has become an increasingly important creative industry, reflecting on the most prevalent cultural moods of the present and predicting the sensitivities of the future.

In this course you learn how to do trend research and to identify trend manifestations. Further, you will translate trend(s) into innovative application possibilities, services and/or products. Based on your own trend analyses, you will design and present communication proposals (such as a blog, paper, podcast, vlog, etc.) applied to a relevant sector of your choice.

Do concepts like Internet of Things, Smart Cities and Wearables tickle your fancy? Are you always curious about the latest or are you simply visionary? Do you want to be a pioneer in the Media Technology sector? Then NxT Technology is all about you. You go in search of the NxT big thing. You will visit companies, start-ups and incubators. You go to conferences, festivals and meetups. You crave knowledge and want to be ready for the new (digital) world. You do this by scouting for new technology both online and offline. In this profession, you eat, sleep and drink new technology.

Unlock the secrets of business financials!

Ready to take your knowledge of business finances to the next level? In this course, we delve into the fundamental pillars of financial success, covering everything from revenue models to funding methods in a start-up/scale-up context. This is not a course in accounting, but a course that guides you in how to interpret your financials.

Here's a sneak peek into what you'll learn:

1 | Revenue models: Gain insight into the diverse range of revenue models (both product and service driven) that help businesses scale. Learn how to identify the most effective strategies to maximize revenues.

2 | The financial plan: Learn the art of crafting a solid financial roadmap.

3 | Pricing strategies: We will dive into the world of pricing strategies and uncover the tactics used by industry leaders. 

4 | Identifying the most suitable funding methods: From bootstrapping to venture capital, learn how to identify the perfect funding solution tailored to specific business needs.

With a focus on practical application, this course goes beyond theory to provide you with actionable insights that you can implement immediately. This course is ideal to help you in your financial literacy that will empower you to make informed financial decisions about business cases.

During this course, you learn the basics of both photo editing and vectorial drawing:

• You develop a professional interface
• You design a vector logo
• You understand the rules of usability and know how to apply them in your project
• You are able to design characters, assets and environments for your game
• You are able to design a moodboard for a game
• You are able to design branding for your game

This course will help you to develop your skills in Dutch, the language spoken in the Netherlands and in Flanders. 

The learning objective is to reach level A1 of the CEFR for languages: 

• Understand and use familiar everyday basic phrases.
• Introduce yourself and others.
• Interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

However, students who are fluent in German tend to learn Dutch very fast and can reach an A2 level in one semester and will have the chance to do so. 

• You’ll learn about the culture of Antwerp and Belgium.
• You’ll recognize grammatical structures (A1) and use them (A2).
• You’ll develop your vocabulary, listening and speaking skills.
• You can choose between a more interactive and fun approach or a more classical approach focusing on grammar and vocabulary.