Working on Vision!

Hello there,

During my internship at Studio Roosegaarde, I have been paying lots of attention to figuring out my vision. With all the experience I gained there, I created the following. Hope you like it!

Vision

Design in general is all about creating value; creating new possibilities for people in a positive way. This can be done in two different ways; by improving existing design (incremental) or by creating design with new meanings (radical design) (R. Verganti - Design Driven Innovation, 2009).

During the sober economic period we live in now it is important to be creative in (re-)using resources and designs. I believe that designers need to take the responsibility for this. Designers and artists are the people that can still dream in a way that big changes can be brought about. In extent to this, I believe in a world in which small design firms collaborate with others to get the best solutions and realize those concepts as well. (E.g. Studio Roosegaarde works together with constructor Heijmans to realize a sustainable, smart highway of the future). This co-creation is also about finding the harmony between different elements; combining the best of multiple worlds.

At this moment, technology is being implemented in our daily lives (smartphones, cars, televisions, etc..). It is becoming a new default to walk around with a ‘techno-skin’, a new layer. This new skin is disconnecting people from each other, not getting people together, even though we know more and more about each other (e.g. by social media we know and see what people are doing/have done). Design is also about understanding how to use the information that is (becoming) available.

This techno-layer is also disconnecting people from their senses; from their natural habits. People only see things on a small screen, without actual depth or anything and hear recorded sounds. I want to get people out of this drag and let them experience by hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and even tasting; to get in touch with the natural richness people posses.

Great design is reached when the synergy of all the elements in a design (user, interaction, aesthetics, context, etc..) is bigger than the sum of its individual elements. “Perfection is not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away” (Antoine de Saint Exupéry).

Another aspect on which great design sets itself apart from bad design is in the details; how does the product sound?, how does the design allow itself to be plugged onto a cable? How well does a design fit the hand of the user?, etc. The more attention is put into the finishing touches at the end of a design process, the better the product will appeal to people over time.

Identity:
As mentioned in my vision, one can design in two different ways; incremental and radical (R. Verganti – Design Driven Innovation). I am a designer that searches for the latter, to create new meanings for people through existing as well as non-existing products. This basically means that I want to create proposals (visions) based on research, discussions and .

I like to be in touch with the products I create; experience them by making them and adjust them with the results discovered from tests and discussions. This hands-on approach connects me to the senses of people and shines light on the good and bad aspects of design. Since I am designing from an experience point, I can use these pros and cons to improve the design.

I am always open for new ways of thinking, creating and making. Inspiration comes from everything around us, including ways of approach. This also means that I can adapt to new situations quickly and be productive without a lot of time wasted. I work hard not afraid to be critical towards my own work.

I do not believe in an approach that always works, but I do believe in the process of searching for the right methods and techniques for a particular project. In this process, it is a discussion between intuition and knowledge, both needed for a designer.   

My qualities lay within the combining of all the elements; technology, interaction and user come together in a bigger picture. Although I mostly design starting from an interaction point of view, I am not afraid to let go of my design when discovered that another perspective fits the case better than the old one.

Once the concept is nearly done; it is important to take time to create prototypes and a final product. During my education and internship I have seen the positive effect of putting effort into sanding, painting and other techniques to finish products, mold etc.