My identity as a designer..
is deeply intertwined with my vision, centred around the value of tangible, visual, and collaborative sense-making for learning, thus extending beyond the products I aim to create and integrated in my personal workflow.
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When confronted with a design challenge, my immediate response is to immerse myself in the subject, actively sharing my findings, experiences, and ideas with others. This collaborative approach allows me to develop a multi-perspective view before making critical decisions, serving as a solid foundation for the emergence of well-founded ideas. This collaborative mindset aligns harmoniously with my overarching vision of the significance of collaborative sense-making, tapping into collective creativity and carefully defining user needs. I often adopt an observant attitude during this process, naturally prioritizing the exploration of others' perspectives as a means to facilitate the development of a collective vision. As a result, my initial hesitance to express immediate strong personal opinions does not stem from disinterest or lack of comprehension, but rather from a form of open-mindedness.
In addition, I firmly believe that a good design process requires a decisive approach. From experience, I believe that ultimate designs result from iterative processes in which 'wrong' decisions should not be feared, as each decision offers opportunities for reflection and, therefore, knowledge to build upon. The design process, therefore, can be viewed as a unique context of learning. This is where the value of tangibility also comes into play, as quick and low-fidelity prototyping can offer unique perspectives for reflection through visual sense-making. My decisive approach illustrates my goal-oriented vision, as I tend to review aspects of a design more practically and critically than others. Although this may limit out-of-the-box thinking, it positively contributes to staying focused on a design goal and allows me to anticipate whether a design step will contribute to the final design. Rapid prototyping can spark creative thinking and innovation to enhance out-of-the-box thinking, compensating for the earlier mentioned limitation as visual aids can lead to unconventional and groundbreaking ideas that might not have surfaced through traditional discussions alone.
In fact, tangibility also plays a significant role in the communication of ideas. Tangibility and visuals make abstract concepts easier to grasp, fostering a deeper understanding of design challenges. Through physical models, sketches, or prototypes, designers and stakeholders can "see" and interact with ideas, leading to more informed decision-making. In particular, visual representations of ideas serve as a universal language that transcends barriers, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings between stakeholders and ensuring alignment on project goals.
