Name:
Alynne de Haan
Background:
Industrial Design BSc
Track:
Research, Design and Development
Areas of Expertise:
Creativity & Aesthetics
User & Society
Interests:
Through my personal experience of volunteering abroad and living in an intercultural household, I have gained insight into cultures and their people. I have come to understand the importance of respecting differing opinions, ideas, values, cultural norms, and ideals, even when it may be challenging to understand one another fully. I am a very empathic person; I can relate to others well. I try to help others with my designs because of my experiences while volunteering in South Africa and because, in everyday life, I have seen how hard life can be on people’s mental health.
I usually start my design process with literature research to embed my design in prior knowledge. In my perspective, user research is a crucial foundation for good design, understanding the user’s psyche, and considering all aspects of their personality. My scientific mindset enables me to enjoy the research-through-design approach and academic writing, in which I have previous experience. I am good at sourcing, interpreting, and working with prior design research.
I prefer an iterative design process where I switch between ideation, prototyping, and connecting with users. I like using different creativity techniques and design methods for idea generation, such as mind mapping, rapid concept sketching, and a concept-generating matrix [3]. I prefer to use my sketching skills to visualize my concepts early in the design process and communicate them via storyboards [4].
Additionally, I often experiment with different design approaches, such as The Aesthetics of Friction [2] or the Dilemma Driven Design Framework [5]. Throughout my design process, I adopt multiple perspectives. When interacting directly with my users, I approach the problem statements from the first and second-person perspectives while zooming out to the third-person perspective when analyzing user test results and placing them within prior research.
These diverse design approaches and taking different perspectives help me shed new light on designing self-help products that empower the user to achieve their goals while maintaining a compassionate and empathetic approach to all of their needs. As an interaction designer, considering the aesthetics of interaction while nudging the user is crucial, as it is closely intertwined with how the user experiences the moment of choice or empowerment. There is often an intention-behavior gap, which could be filled with novel tangible designs to empower the user.
I approach learning with intention, always eager to expand my knowledge and skills. I am persistent and do not give up quickly in the face of challenges. Collaborating with others inspires me, and I would thrive in an environment with experts from diverse fields to share knowledge and ideas. Within a design team, I am proactive, good at communicating, and often seen as the mediator if there are strong personalities. I am excited about the opportunity to gain more confidence in my competencies by working within a design team in the future.
In recent years, close to home, I have seen people having trouble getting all their physical and emotional needs. Many young people struggle with the pressures of life, and, therefore not being able to participate in society to their full potential [3]. Often, people know what would be good for them or how to make themselves happier or healthier, yet it is not always as easy to choose something in line with this. We are people who have lots of wants and needs that push us in different directions. I realized that you can choose the ‘right’ thing if you have space in your own mind and life to do so, and thus, have taken care of all aspects of yourself. I am interested in taking a holistic approach to design. I would like to be an empathic designer who sees every individual as a whole. My designs focus on the individual, mainly as a preventive method for physical and mental health problems. Helping the younger and working generation with a more satisfying life and a more stable fundament for when they get older.
For me, the design should have an iterative user-centered process. It should take different perspectives to really understand the user. Design could help people help themselves by, for example, creating products that nudge the user to make choices that are in line with their envisioned self. These designs should be novel and effective designs that fit into everyday life, promoting a change in behavior while being considerate of the personal challenges of the user. I do not only want to nudge in one direction of behavior change but also be mindful of all the user’s concerns. Dilemma Driven Design is an example of a framework in the field of design that supports looking at the user as a whole, and I believe it shows great potential [2]. Additionally, a product should prompt a reflective choice, meaning the product should be transparent in its workings and support meaning-making so the user can learn from their own choices. It should not only give feedback or rewards while the user uses the product, so the user wouldn’t need the design to aid them forever. Examples of ways to nudge that prompt a reflective choice are creating friction, raising the visibility of the user’s actions, and providing multiple perspectives [1]. I believe the aesthetics of interaction play an essential role in how someone experiences the decision moment. Therefore, these products need to be fun and aesthetically pleasing, while tackling the areas of improvement to empower the user to be the best version of themselves. These products could be something the individual could use alone, but also services that bring people together and help the individual.
I believe design is a powerful tool to create positive change, whether that change is big or small. I am aware that change requires people. We need participants for every good cause (e.g., conservation, climate change, or world poverty). It is important to remember that these participants are individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, and problems. If these people are empowered, supported, and create positive change for themselves by the designs I could create, they can then go on to participate in the causes they believe in. Whether it’s through fighting for climate change or socio-economic equality, or simply having coffee with a lonely elderly and tutoring the kids in the neighborhood. Change starts with one.
In the future, I see myself working for a company with a clear vision that gives me a purpose to help others in society, for example, on the topics of vitality and learning. These could be services as well as physical products. I would like my designs to have a clear purpose to give me inspiration and energy, and I would like to involve users in the design process. I’d prefer to work in a multidisciplinary team and have a nice, familiar work culture. Having a good work-life balance and time for other activities is also important to me.
If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.
