Identity
As a designer, film is my way of communicating. It is particularly effective in the final phase of a design process, where the product or idea can be presented to users or stakeholders. It is necessary to convey the process and ideas that have been developed over time briefly and convincingly Recently, I have been researching how designers can use film as a reflective and communication tool during more stages of a creative design process. Furthermore, I am a person who gets energy from helping other people. This personality translates itself in both my film and design career, as I try to evoke certain emotions that trigger a spark in someone, inspiring them to view (new) subjects in a new way.
I am someone with high emotional intelligence, which means I want to resonate with my users openly to understand what they want to receive. I believe that designers need to be able to empathize completely with their target users to create something that will truly resonate with them. That is why I either continuously involve my target users in the design process or use a first-person perspective approach. To do so, passion forms the foundation of my work, guiding my design process as I choose subjects that deeply resonate with me. This allows me to build on my existing knowledge and to be motivated to learn more about the topics. I am convinced that enthusiasm and passion are essential ingredients for creating a project that one can be proud of, and that this is especially true in the field of design. I hope that my positive attitude challenges the people I work with to discover untrodden paths together.
In addition, my entrepreneurship within the design is reflected in my perseverance in realizing my ideas and not being afraid to take risks or do things differently than ‘normal’. I will always remain critical and continue to work on my ability to reflect and learn from my mistakes. In addition, I found out the value of continuously speaking my ideas out loud to hear different perspectives on my topic.
Vision
For me, design is a way of telling stories, where the user is taken along on a particular experience. I prefer to tell stories that inspire others and teach them something new about topics they may not know yet. Initially, I focused on inspiring people to explore new passions and interests. However, I later realized that I could better utilize my knowledge and skills to assist those in genuine need. I am aware of the privileged position in which I was born and want to use this position to help people who are less privileged than I am. I want to use design to amplify voices that are less often heard and envision a world where different communities care for each other in harmony, unlike what is currently happening in Western society. Here, people often look away from problems because they are too distant and do not directly experience their negative aspects. I believe that designers within Industrial Design often create too much for our society and users they can empathize with, because I understand how difficult it can be to connect with other target groups. I see opportunities to bring these worlds together through film and apply this in design to convey people’s experiences.
