You could say I’m a strategic product designer, although for me, ‘product’ can mean anything from a digital platform to a campaign or service. I’m not that keen on the term, as it often suggests something physical that is simply produced and sold. That’s not what drives me. I want what I design to serve my vision. Still, to survive within a capitalist system and truly make a difference, they need a clear strategy behind them.

Sitenote: as design becomes more popular and specialised, the number of labels keeps growing. I’d listen if you call me a designer for sustainability, a co-designer, or an iterative designer.

A project I admire is ‘The Future of the Urban Forest’ by Sanne Keizer [1]. She created the ‘Urban Forest Portfolio’, a tool that helps plan and track the growth of urban forests over time. It’s a strong example of how design can shape systems rather than just create objects.

[1] The future of the urban forest: 2023. https://repository.tudelft.nl/record/uuid:5ab49475-cff2-412a-9d90-fdaff94fc6c0.

Nature is not just something we visit; we are part of it. But today, people and nature are often separated.

I saw this problem growing up in the Netherlands. My home country is very densely populated. Almost every piece of land is used for buildings or farming, so there is very little wild nature left. Reports from the Dutch government show that nature there is suffering because there is no space for it [2]. And it’s not just a national problem (see the UN’s sustainability development goals)…

I want to fix this. When nature is healthy, people are happier and healthier too. I want to design ways for us to be partners with nature. This means creating greener cities so that humans and nature can thrive together.

[2] Balans van de Leefomgeving 2025: 2025. https://www.pbl.nl/publicaties/balans-van-de-leefomgeving-2025.

[3] THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

The world of business is changing. In the past, businesses focused on selling products, then on experiences and knowledge. But now, it’s about solving shared problems—like climate change—by working with local people [4].

This is how I work. I believe we should “think globally, but act locally.” We cannot just copy an idea from one place and put it in another. We must look at what a specific village or city really needs. I listen to the local people to create practical plans. This is how a local project can grow to make a real difference for the whole world.

[4] Brand, Reon & Rocchi, Simona. (2010). Rethinking value in a changing landscape. A model for strategic reflection and business transformation. Philips Design.