3rd-Year Curriculum: AMA - Academy of Arts & Innovation

Overview

This curriculum transforms the traditional Academy of Arts into an innovation studio. Students will work in teams to develop and commercialize innovative products that blend art and technology. The focus is on startup methodologies, entrepreneurship, and scaling creative ventures, with an eye on preparing students for high-profile competitions or real-world client presentations.

Objective

Introduce students to the startup ecosystem through:

• High-profile competitions (e.g., LVMH Innovation Award, ANDAM)
• Client presentations and real-world pitches
• Building innovative, scalable solutions for the future of luxury, art, or design

Profile

Students: 3rd-year AMA students, with an option for other students and staff to participate for a multidisciplinary exchange.

Level: Intermediate (ideal for students familiar with both creative and business concepts)

Course Breakdown

• 9 sessions (half-days, 4 hours each):
• 4 in-person
• 4 remote
• 1 final presentation to a panel of experts or jury

Total time commitment:

• 36 hours of classes (interactive, 50% group work, 20% theory)
• 10 hours of self-guided learning
• 35 hours of project work

Student Output:

• A full project for a client (delivered as a Pitch Deck)
• A toolkit with 300+ methodologies for business, art, and innovation
• A glossary to navigate the creative startup ecosystem
• Best practices from industry experience
• A visit to Station F and other incubators (e.g., The Foundry, IFA Paris)
• A Miro board co-created with your peers and instructor

1- Game Storming 🧠

Objective: Introduce students to entrepreneurship, innovation, and intrapreneurship through creative exercises.

• Mind Mapping: Learn to “think outside the box” to solve complex problems creatively, using tools like the 6Ws, problem-solution exercises, and iconic product case studies.
• Teamwork Simulation: Each student plays dual roles:
• CEO of a project
• Critical eye or consultant on another project.
• Sprint Work: Develop fast solutions, and understand branding, squad collaboration, and the innovation process.

2- One Problem, One Solution 💡

Objective: Identify a problem for a target audience and build a solution around it.

• Persona Creation: Define your target audience by analyzing cultural, sociological, and demographic factors.
• Problem Framing: Identify and quantify a big problem in your chosen niche.
• Competitive Analysis: Understand why no adequate solution exists and evaluate market gaps.
• Unique Value Proposition: Build a brand identity that stands out and aligns with modern values like ethics, sustainability, and inclusivity.

3- Storytelling 💬

Objective: Master the art of pitching your idea through compelling storytelling.

• Craft the “WOW” Factor: Learn how to give your product a standout feature that captures attention.
• Social Media Strategy: Theory-based learning that will be applied later in the course.
• Practical Exercises:
• Convince people on LinkedIn about your project.
• Sell an idea to 10 friends on Instagram Live, tackling a challenging topic like climate change or racial justice.

4- You've Got a Product! 🧰

Objective: Develop a minimal viable product (MVP) using no-code tools.

• Create Your First MVP: Whether it's a website, an app, or a physical prototype, students will use no-code tools like Webflow, Bubble, or Figma to create an MVP in a week.
• Challenge: Explain your product to a 4-year-old or an 80-year-old without mentioning complex technology.
• Tool Discovery: Explore the basics of no-code platforms like Airtable, Webflow, and more.

5- Understanding the Ecosystem 🌎

Objective: Build a market-ready ecosystem around your product.

• Supply Chain & Operations: Learn how to manage logistics and stakeholders effectively.
• Market Strategy: Understand market accessibility and define short and long-term strategies for growth.
• Adoption Strategy: Develop viral marketing campaigns and create a marketing plan using the best tools available.
• Growth Tools: Discover 30 growth tools that can help you build and scale your startup in under an hour.

6- Find Your First Customer 😃

Objective: Acquire your first paying customer and learn inbound and outbound sales techniques.

• Sales Hacking: Learn inbound vs outbound marketing strategies and build a lightweight CRM to track potential customers.
• Selling Techniques: Discover how to upsell and down-sell effectively.
• Sales Challenge: Use 5 euros to make 20 euros by testing different pricing and product strategies.

7- Make Your First 1,000 Euros 💰

Objective: Develop a sustainable and ethical business model that generates revenue.

• Business Models: Study different business models from various industries and adapt your offer to the latest trends.
• Metrics & Analytics: Build a dashboard to track data, analyze key metrics, and understand your next steps.
• A/B Testing: Learn how to test your offer, refine it, and optimize your customer acquisition cost (CAC).
• Spending Wisely: Learn the basics of scraping and other methods to generate qualified traffic.

8- Dream Big Like the Little Prince ⭐️

Objective: Scale your vision and prepare for growth.

• Scalability: Learn how to scale your startup with a visionary approach.
• Roadmapping: Create a product roadmap that sets the direction for your future product development.
• Team Management: Learn to manage teams remotely and in person.
• Challenge: Hire your first employee (or teammate) and build a collaborative team culture.

9- Final Pitch to the Jury

Objective: Present your project in front of a specialized jury.

• Deliver a professional pitch with a clear value proposition, business model, and go-to-market strategy.
• Feedback Loop: Receive constructive feedback from industry experts to refine your approach.