PI&V – Daniël de Goederen

Hello,
welcome to my portfolio!

This is me!

My identity

In a design process I like to work within constraints and problem spaces where I can make real impact. My way of working is organized and analytical, guided by intuition. I prefer to understand a problem space as holistically as possible before designing, as I like to base decisions on actual data. In the past this meant that I leaned towards a more linear process, but over my study I have learned to adopt a more exploratory approach inspired by the Reflective Transformative Design Process (RTDP) from Hummels and Frens (2009). Whereas in the beginning I passively mapped design process phases onto a canvas for their own sake and primarily reflected on action, I now actively reflect in action (Hummels & Frens, 2011), using the insights revealed at each step to determine the next one rather than simply following a fixed sequence.

To discover where I want to make a difference, I tried as many design disciplines as possible during my Bachelor and developed into a well-rounded designer. My main strength, however, is combining a societal (U&S) approach through an entrepreneurial (B&E) lens. I work within contexts that can improve lives while thoroughly understanding stakeholders through focus groups, surveys or interviews, such as my FBP, where I interviewed more than 20 elderly about their social lives, technology use and needs. I also integrate expertise from professionals to deepen my understanding, and aim for products or services that could survive in a real market, considering financial and legal structures as in my FBP.

My biggest weakness lies in the Math, Data & Computing expertise area. As a firm believer in fostering what you are naturally better at, I chose to become proficient rather than expert here, since I add most value in understanding users and building propositions. My goal was to understand limitations and communicate requirements to engineers in future teams, which I believe I achieved.

In a team I bring an enthusiastic, ambitious perspective and thrive with multidisciplinary backgrounds, as I believe a good atmosphere in a diverse team can make twice the impact of a similar-background team lacking motivation. My typical role has shifted over my study, and I now like to take a more coordinating role, since my strengths lie in seeing the bigger picture, leading, planning and motivating group members. I aspire to be a collaborative, supportive leader who involves teammates in decision-making, ensures they are heard, and fosters their growth for long-term success. Because I haven't had many chances to practice this, I want to improve as a leader by gaining more real-world experience.

My vision

Society
My mission is to leverage the combination of design and entrepreneurship to create sustainable societal impact at scale. We face many complex societal issues nowadays such as inequality, an ageing population and social isolation. I care about these because I feel privileged enough to both be aware of them but also able to actually act on it, so it seems only logical to do so. My ambition is to become a social entrepreneur, inspired by people like Stef Traa from Droppie, who is revolutionizing the waste world with a unique collection method that stimulates people to recycle all types of consumer waste, or Harro Schwencke from Upfront, who tackles the modern health crisis by providing honest, accessible and healthy food.

Entrepreneurship
Realizing this requires entrepreneurial ambition. I believe the synthesis of thinking big and taking risks allows for more potential impact, and so to positively impact more lives. While not yet satisfied with my risk-taking, I strive to increase my tolerance by gradually escalating exposure, as taking risks is sometimes necessary to shift perspective and learn enough to achieve the goal in mind.

Design
Another crucial element is design, which for me means thinking about a problem's context, how it can be influenced, and how stakeholders within it are collaborated with to achieve the most optimal outcome. I think design is not only physical or digital, it is about the bigger picture surrounding it, ensuring holistic understanding and an appropriate approach.

AI
Given the considerable role AI plays in our lives and how it will likely alter our future at scale, I think it is important to voice my opinion on it. AI is an excellent tool to leverage our abilities as designers, but it must be used with care. If used wrong, it can weaken our writing, problem solving and, most importantly, our critical and original thinking, eventually leading to cognitive atrophy. It is therefore crucial to clarify for yourself what you use it for and what you don't. I find it great for repetitive, straightforward tasks like summarizing large documents or organizing big data sets, but I avoid it for ideation or anything requiring creative muscle, because authentic creativity is based on personal experiences and beliefs, which AI does not have and cannot replace.