I also asked people from my target group what they thought of my design. They all reacted enthusiastically. Some people had some suggestions, some people asked me if they could buy them from me, some people wanted to test them out for me, and I got invited to talk in two podcasts about my design. I do recognize that further testing of the design is necessary for validating the design. I realized too late that I could have compartmentalized the idea and tested different aspects separately. Users who might not have been the target group could have provided valuable insights to me. I could have asked them how they felt using the design, if needle felting and caring for the bag made them feel some type of way, or whether the reflecting influenced their behavior.

The design offers a creative solution to a societal problem. I used my business knowledge to design the business model and reflected on what data means to me. Because this was an individual project, I was able to let my vision drive my design decisions. I came up with a design that I think represents who I am as a designer, but also showcases what a want do use my expertise for. Important elements of the design are its repairability, reusability and the materials that were chosen for it. By doing this project on my own, I learned a great deal about how I work and what my strengths and weaknesses are. I learned that ideating and creating are things that come easy to me, but contacting experts and planning my process are things that I struggle with. I am proud of the things that I managed to do but recognize that there is still a lot for me to learn. Luckily, I am competent in self-directed learning, and able to reflect on my learning activities and set goals to keep developing my competence.