Past

With a B.Sc. in Industrial Product Design and experience in furniture design for large companies, I have developed the technical skills in prototyping, 3D modeling, market and user analysis and hands-on work. In overall terms, I have learned to single-handedly take product design jobs from concept development to finished product, incorporating industrial production methods. However, I don't feel fulfilled in this very repetitive field of work. I think that my work can have a more meaningful approach in working with ecological systems and should move away from the focus on human-centered design. In this master's I aimed to learn how materials and ecosystems can become active collaborators in a design process and how this shaped my journey into the areas of more-than-human design and material-driven design.

 

One of the first defining projects was the M1.1 project called ReBarking, where the focus shifted from designing solutions to designing and learning from and with materials. Working with a variety of tree barks and manufacturing processes, it became clear that working with an often overlooked by-product of the timber industry helps to embrace unpredictable properties of a material and the qualities that come with it. This project gave me the opportunity to revise my approach: Design by direct engagement and iterative experimentation. Coupled with the processes from the Unexpected material engagements course, the result is that material properties can be seen as an invitation to discover new perspectives and possibilities rather than as obstacles.

Through this experience I defined my first core learning objective: To use material-driven design to explore the hidden potential of overlooked materials. The hands-on process of working with materials deepened my understanding of natural materials and how a design process can be driven by them. Furthermore, an understanding of how natural materials enable the creation of meaningful interactions. This inspired me to look further into the challenges that ecosystems, and the sea in particular, go through and how design in these contexts can tell stories and inspire meaningful outcomes.

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The Oyster Matter project (M1.2) built on this foundation aiming to utilize my understanding of interdisciplinary collaboration and site-specific work to deal with complex ecosystems. Working closely with stakeholders from diverse fields ensured that I learned how overlooked and discarded materials can be used to create artifacts for potential habitat restoration. Being immersed in the context of the oyster industry and collecting data on site by observing farm processes and the marine habitat sharpened my ability to incorporate different perspectives into the design process. However, it was especially important that I used my own thoughts and reflections to gain impressions and knowledge. I gained a deeper appreciation of how design can respond to multi-species environments.

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Beyond that, this project has reinforced my belief that direct observation and field engagement are important for creating meaningful and context-sensitive prototypes. Integrating a speculative approach to context paired with practical and material-driven engagements serves as a lens to bring my theoretical framework (such as more-than-human design) into a real environmental context. Through this approach, I was able to address both material investigations and stakeholder collaboration, thus addressing my second design goal: To incorporate biodiversity in the context of habitat design that supports ecological processes.

Reflecting on the projects and courses I have been through, I realize how they have enhanced my strengths and professional growth. I am confident in my ability to conduct material-driven experiments and create prototypes through iterative cycles. I am able to incorporate personal and stakeholder information and data into my designs and place a high value on being close to the context for and in which I am working in my design processes. Furthermore, I have found that I am good at working in complex circumstances and maneuvering them especially through my perceptive way of data collection. Addressing these aspects and challenges has become a key part of my learning process.

Overall, the projects and courses at the TU paired with my exchange at the Politecnico di milano prepared me well to incorporate my knowledge from different areas of design as well as the handling of complexity into design processes. By working in and across fields such as Creativity & Aesthetics (material exploration, storytelling and various design enquiries), Technology & Realization (creating prototypes and using various production methods) and User & Society (incorporating stakeholder perspectives, collaborating with experts and ecological engagement), I have found and learned a holistic approach to my chosen field of design.

 

These experiences have shaped me into the designer I am today and the approaches I take to my work. I have grown into the role of a designer who values curiosity, openness, and respect for complexity. I believe that my skills in design are shaped by listening to materials and ecosystems and recognizing unpredictability and change as an important part of the process. I see design as an approach of discovery and reflection - a dialog with the world around me. Each project I have completed has reinforced my position in design and science and has contributed to my belief that design can contribute to meaningful involvement in the field of habitat creation and conservation, emphasizing connections that go beyond the human perspective.