To design for behavior change, I believe that a designer should have a wide scope of skills and interests to design for all stakeholders. Not only for the stakeholder with the bag of money, but also for the user, the person with an impairment, the planet and for the long-term solution. As a designer I have the responsibility to design with a clear, conscience mind.

I find it important that people around me feel ‘seen.’ I think this can be done by small gestures. This translates well to my belief about design because small change can have a domino effect on the whole live of an individual and their surroundings. Therefore, I want to design for behavior change. Change of behavior is hard to accomplish but has great power. I believe that if I make use of the complexity of human behavior and support the user in making positive change, this change can last and will make someone’s life better. I have learned the basics of behavior change in some courses form the faculty of psychology and technology.

I learned in my minor about the human body and what people moves to be physically active or not. I have used my FBP to implement some of this knowledge in a design process. I see the life changing benefits of sports and physical activity in my own life and I dream of bringing this passion to as much people as possible.

I believe that if you want to create a design that makes impact, you have to stay close to yourself. I am someone that analyses something and looks at different sides before I act. This helps me to understand the problem at hand before exploring possible solutions. But also, during the design process I will keep the bigger picture in mind and will zoom in and out in order to keep going in the right direction. This is also the role that I will play in the design team. I will not be the frontman, but I will give my input to steer and keep the team in the right direction. Not only to improve the outcome but also to promote the cohesion of the team.

I have also identified my analytic side of me as a pitfall. Because a creative process is not always so much about thinking but also about doing and creating some kind of ‘momentum’. And for me it is sometimes hard to go from thinking to doing. Therefore, I want to apply ‘the toolbox of idea generation’ that I have filled throughout the bachelor, to use at right moment within the design process. During my FBP I have used a pressure cooker to create this momentum in the beginning of my project.

I have worked to improve all my Expertise Area’s, but I have also gained knowledge with my minor about the field I would like to design for: improving physical and mental health with physical activity. I have chosen my learning activities inside and outside by bachelor, in such a way that I have been in environments where gaining knowledge and skills is encouraged. Therefore, I have ‘designed’ my environment to promote my personal development.