The programme consists of several elements spread over the course of either 10 weeks (short track) or 20 weeks (long track). Both tracks start simultaneously and follow the same schedule.

Da Vinci will kick off with the ‘Jam week’; a week during which you will get to know the students in the program, the principles of Design Thinking, and working with a stakeholder on a challenge. In a so-called ‘Design Sprint’, you will get you will get acquainted with the challenge of the stakeholder and come up with a prototype to the challenge they pose. During this week, you will be thrown in the deep, but Da Vinci will give you the tools to work efficiently to work towards a prototype. Not only will you get to know your fellow students better, this week will also prepare you for the team challenge you will work on over the course of Da Vinci.

After the Jam Week, you will get started on your team challenge with your external stakeholder and fellow students. To fully immerse yourself in this professional environment and actually work with the stakeholder, you will work on-site two days a week. For the remaining time, you and your group can decide where you would like to work.

To structure your work efficiently, Da Vinci is divided into Design Thinking iterations. During an iteration, you will go through several phases: gathering data, identifying insights, establishing criteria, generating ideas, prototyping, and experimenting. It has been shown that during this process, you will experience personal growth that prepares you to become a sustainability changemaker.

The first iteration lasts 10 weeks (after which the short-track students will finalise their prototype), followed by a second and third iteration of 5 weeks each. Halfway through the first iteration, and at the end of every iteration, you will report on your findings through a report and a presentation. Furthermore, for the first 10 weeks, you will attend workshops on Mondays to equip you with the tools to tackle your team challenge effectively. These workshops include Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

Below you will find a general overview of the Da Vinci structure. The final schedule will be announced before you start the course.