Digitaltag

Do you have an interactive experience, object or tool? Do you think your project has a new, creative approach to technology? Would you like to test it on the market and see if you can scale this idea?

During the first part of the workshop we will discuss strategies and possibilities for developing and funding your own project, and present two programs more in detail: the Z-Kubator at ZHdK and DART17 in San Francisco. Flurin Jenal of Struckd, ZHdK graduate and DART17 participant, will share insights from his first year as a startup founder. During the second half, the three of us will answer individual questions about your project or your application.

Today, our interactions with technology, the virtual world and new interfaces are on the rise. We have more and more smart machines all around us. This also raises questions: how do we want to interact with these technologies? How do we want to use them to design a world we actually want to live in?

New ideas emerge from interdisciplinary approaches: when designers, artists, researchers, and technologists come together and co-create. Creative minds are most important, because without imagination and interesting content, technology is just a tool. We must stop working in silos and collaborate together in wide open spaces.That’s why we created DART 17, funded by swissnex San Francisco, Swisscom, Pro Helvetia, Engagement Migros and the Gebert Rüf Foundation.

We welcome participants who push the potential of a new technology like AR, VR, Robotics, IOT, AI, Brain-Computer Interfaces and beyond. Many of these interesting projects are happening in and around universities and art schools. DART 17 can provide these projects with a space to experiment, test, and scale their ideas in San Francisco.

San Francisco has the highest density of tech companies and venture capital investment in the world. This, alongside the deep feedback and networking culture in the city, make it an ideal testing ground for any creative technology. Project leaders or teams, from Switzerland or anywhere else in the world, are encouraged to apply with a prototype that’s ready to test in the market during a one-to-three month program in San Francisco. Each accepted project receives a $5,000 USD travel grant, a work space, coaching, mentoring, and as many introductions as possible. The criteria, services, and application form are here: dart17.com