De Vliegtuin
Digital Infrastructure for a Creative Collective.
Project
A creative collective should be run exactly so... collectively.
While this collective way of working already existed in the physical space, through social interaction and shared projects, it was missing in the digital realm, where most web infrastructure remains top-down.
The new website provides the collective the capacity of self-determination through personal profile pages, news-items and the simplification of the website-update process.
Scope
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Design and build a decentralized web application for creative collective De Vliegtuin.
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Translate the collective’s physical self-management into a digital structure.
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Create a clear content framework for members, events, and public communication.
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Enable members to publish independently, with shared responsibility.
Execution
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Designed a clear user hierarchy balancing autonomy and moderation.
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Built a flexible content system for profiles, news, and events.
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Created a self-service publishing flow so members no longer depend on a single website manager.
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Structured moderation roles to support openness without losing clarity.
Impact
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Shifted update frequency from → quarterly updates, to → weekly updates.
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Doubled member engagement through direct content ownership.
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Increased public visibility and discoverability (improved SEO/search ranking).
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Strengthened internal cohesion by aligning digital structure with collective values.
Tools
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Ruby on Rails / HTML/CSS / Hotwire/Stimulus JS