A Material-Driven Industrial Designer
Professional Identity
I’m Koen, a designer with a special interest in manipulating the materiality of an object
relative to it’s context to boost it’s functionality and ethicality.
I do this by valuing a hands-on approach and utilizing both traditional and cutting-edge
manufacturing techniques, as the only way to truly know which materials would be
appropriate for a use-case is by physically gaining an understanding of how they could
be handled.
This physical experience is complimented by experience in CAD software
-such as the Adobe Creative Suite- and theoretical knowledge on a plethora
of materials such as wood, plastics, textiles and metals, making me aware of
how the ecosystems we get our resources from interact with each other and
industry processes to truly understand what terms like ‘circular’ mean.
I appreciate the flexibility of innovation within the set restrictions of a situation; as with the power to create anything without any guidelines, who would be able to tell if the final design was a success and in line with the original proposed concept?
By extension, I see Form and function as a single whole as they inherently influence each other; a perspective which I use to create objects where each aesthetical aspect also has an essential use in the purpose of said object. For this, the right details give enormous strength to a design, and making something as simple as possible but not too simple is a skill I strive to perfect; achieving satisfactory intuitiveness .
The ‘sustainability’ of materials is often used as merely a buzz-word. To shift the manufacturing industry to a more genuine and accountable direction, I want to serve as material advisor in a design team where I can use my expertise -as I’m quite good in connecting with people and speaking my mind- to oversee responsible usage of materials and respectful treatment of environments, and be the connection between modern chemistry and the market.
Vision
Technological advancements should be utilized to produce solutions to genuine wants and needs; yet much of contemporary manufacturing is based on adjusting concepts to fit economical production technologies and generate higher profit margins; There should be a shift in principles, where the large scale industry instead bases their efforts around sustainable and circular procedures, improving ecosystems and workers health.
Designers need to acknowledge that they are not only located at the beginning of manufacturing-, but also discardment cycles; and as such hold immense responsibility in leaving overabundant production in the past and ensuring that any processes their produced artifacts are involved in proceed in an environment-conscious manner.
Sustainability has many facets based on it’s context; as it is important to investigate reusing and recycling the artifacts already in existence, while any future design should be focused on minimizing production waste and increasing longevity
This can be achieved by relevantly curating the use of material properties to an object’s intended context, to improve energy efficiency, durability and versatility; while not impairing ergonomics, aesthetics and functionality.
The consumption of resources is only justified when creating products or services that offer an experience that isn’t yet accessible through other means. Like how the thrifting of existing objects often eliminates the need for new products that fulfill a similar functionality.
After all, good design doesn’t become obsolete; many basic needs of everyday life have stayed constant all throughout human consciousness, and thus have been catered to for such a long time that history holds valuable assets.
New developments in electronics or computation could support this responsible material usage; not when implemented in consumer grade products, but during their production phase where proper choice of digital manufacturing techniques can allow for quick (entirely digital) ideation, reliable material testing and better working conditions.