Vision
Science has become an endless source of new discoveries and technologies. These technologies are fascinating because of the essential role they play in shaping our world. For example, how the digital revolution has lead to ubiquitous computing. This has completely transformed how we work, communicate, and spend our leisure time. I envision the development of technology to be the solution to big societal issues such as climate change and accessible healthcare. But, it also poses new health and social challenges. That is why I find it very important to stay on top of technological developments. Design should be deployed both as a method to support the democratization of technology, and as a intervention tool to reflect on the digitalisation of everyday life.
At the same time, I observe growing divisions in society. People from different backgrounds hold different values, which can lead to misunderstanding and polarization. Many individuals find themselves in social bubbles, surrounded by like-minded people. This can create distance and even aversion toward those outside the bubble. I believe that design can be used as a mechanism to bring people closer together. For example, by creating shared experiences using design for entertainment.
In current industrial design trends, entertainment is often merely used as a tool. But I want to move beyond that. I see entertainment as a serious design goal, since it has the potential to contribute directly to quality of life. Think of using design to create inclusive social atmospheres, or offering escapism in a world that constantly demands our attention through the energy-draining cycle of doomscrolling, posting, and liking.
This is something that I cope with myself. Over time, I’ve become more easily distracted by my electronic devices. This affects how efficiently I use my time, resulting in a significant impact on my daily life. In the near future, design should be used to used to reverse this trend. By embracing the philosophy of slow technology, designers prioritise reflective and meaningful interaction over speed and efficiency to counteract the overwhelming pace digital world.
Lastly, I believe entrepreneurship plays a indispensable role in realizing societal change. A design can only achieve real impact if it is also economically viable. Take for example the ‘war of the currents’ between Thomas Edison's direct current and Nikola Tesla's alternating current. Despite the fact that alternating current was overall superior, Edison’s entrepreneurial strategy caused a broader implementation of the direct current.
I believe applying a combination of user-centred design approaches together with corporate theory are key to design not just for a user, but for a consumer. This allows the creation of designs that are not only meaningful, but also economically viable and societal impactful.
Professional Identity
Design has been a passion of mine from a young age. I wasn’t the type of kid who build LEGO models to play with them. I was playing by building, and tearing down previous builds in order to redesign and rebuild. I really liked applying my creativity to education and leisure. After I did a high school internship with product designers, I decided to pursue design in a professional career, starting with the bachelor’s degree Industrial Design at the Technical University of Eindhoven .
Enthusiasm and creativity are elements that characterize me. When I am passionate, I am motivated to develop original ideas, user-centered solutions and meaningful results. While designing, I stick to using a thought out approach. I prepare before I act, because without structure I tend to lose focus and work like a headless chicken. I’ve learned that I can get stuck in the planning phase for too long, however. Therefore I search a balance between thinking and doing.
My designs have a purpose for users and fulfill practical roles for communities. I seek commercial opportunity to optimize viability of societal implementation. In early stages of a concept, I focus on a specific target group. I identify their characteristics and challenges, and Fine-tune my ideas to fulfill their needs. In later stages of a project, I am drawn to improving the universal appeal of my design. I assess possible improvements to eventually create inclusive products that are accessible to a broad audience, regardless of their background.
I’m driven by what I call “grateful design”, since I always seek confirmation from others. I create a personal sense of fulfilment when my designs have a direct, positive effect on users. I’m especially excited about designing for entertainment. I want to specialize in bringing joy and positive impact to people’s lives.
I am also deeply curious about (novel) technologies and how they can be implemented in innovative design. Technical skills are essential to how I explore, test, and communicate ideas in a iterative design process. For example, I use physical prototyping methods like utilizing electronics, laser cutting and 3D printing. I familiarized myself with digital visualizing using programs like Processing, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro and Fusion 360. These tools help me communicating ideas professionally. I also have a basic understanding of Python, HTML, and JavaScript coding for creating data-driven and explorative computational design. I aim to use more low-fidelity prototyping methods in order to make my iterative processes more efficient.
I am socially inclined and a real team player. Therefore, I have a strong preference for a collaborative team setting during projects. This allows me to optimally perform in ideation processes, helps me in decision-making, and dealing with concentration challenges. I listen to different perspectives to build further on input from others, and I am good at identifying areas for ethical or feasible improvement.
I enjoy sharing my skills with others and providing support wherever necessary in the team. However, I find it harder to ask for help. I actively work on this by structurally scheduling sessions for ideation and peer feedback. I also want to expand my ideation capabilities by applying more creative brainstorming techniques to push the originality of my concepts.
Within teams, I take on flexible roles. I enjoy leading because I like motivating people and creating a positive group atmosphere. Taking the lead also pushes me to stay efficient and organized, which counteracts my chaotic personality. I am also comfortable in supporting roles, as this allows me to focus on and structurally develop a specific part of a project.
I have also gained a lot of extracurricular experience through which I developed additional soft and hard skills, which add to my competence as designer. During years of voluntary work and employment I have build up a strong sense of responsibility and perseverance, and I learned how to position myself in large-scale projects. I can adapt to different organizational cultures and I learned to manage many expectations from co-developers around me.
Future plans
I will continue my journey in Industrial Design by with the master’s in Integrated Product Design at the Delft University of Technology. After experiencing the self-directed learning system in Eindhoven, I realized that I often find it hard to shape a structured curriculum based on my personal vision. Therefore, I believe that the more systematically structured approach offered in Delft aligns better with my current development goals.
In Delft, I aim to build upon my professional identity using theoretical lectures and improving my skills in engineering methods. I will dive deeper into topics such as human-computer interaction and design for entertainment. I also look forward to participating in company-involved projects. These will allow me to further develop my approach combining user-centred design and entrepreneurship, while also improving my prototyping skills and conducting more advanced user research.
Another reason I am drawn to studying in Delft is the fact that I enjoy new experiences and meeting new people. This curiosity also causes my interest in doing a minor at a university abroad. I am excited about the perspectives and insights that such an experience could offer, and I believe it will contribute to my growth as a designer.
Finally, since I do not yet have a clear vision of my career path after completing the master’s program, I want to start exploring professional opportunities during the conclusion of my student life.