It’s time to take the next step
There are moments to explore, moments to reflect or moments to just sit and listen. I have realised recently that in order to become a better designer I need to stand entirely in what I believe is the right path for me as a designer and as a person. My endless journey through curiosity it has only increased through the years. That curiosity has taken me to live in England and Finland and focus on social challenges and how designers could provide some answers to very complex problems. But my interest hasn’t stopped here. As a designer, I need to also explore what the right setup for designers to bring the most value to very complex issues and how to collaborate better with other experts to bring our best.
At the end of May, I left my job after three rewarding years working on health & development challenges. I always understood the importance of transitioning between life stages. I took this opportunity to spend the last two months to transition into my next step. During June, I had the opportunity to be part of the organising team in IDDS Hogares Sostenibles (International Development Design Summit) in Guatemala as a design facilitator. It was a very enriching experience to discover Santa Catarina Palopó, learn more about sustainable homes and having the pleasure to meet some amazing people along the way from the community, from the country and from the world. During July I achieved something I really wanted to experience at least once in my life, a proper cycling trip. I spent almost 3 weeks travelling across Estonia and Latvia.
The last two months I have been questioning and rethinking my role and where could I bring most value as a designer. To improve the life of others and your life, we need to look systematically. To attempt to improve the current situation we need to question the system where it belongs. To be a better designer, I need to rethink how designers could work better together to tackle all the complex challenges our societies are facing. And this is where I want to focus my next step. This is why I will be working as an independent consultant, but I´m not alone.
There is a growing number of development challenges need to be addressed. There are many groups and individuals are working, but we need to bring all the forces together. We need to bring the right skills, individuals, communities & organisations to resolve the problems together. This is why we are building a new collective of experienced global design minded professionals with the aim to inspire, connect & accelerate groups in the development sector. We believe in a sustainable world that promotes diversity and equality, and we need new ways of working and new ways of creating value. We are by choice a flexible, adaptable and diverse group without the operational and managerial constraints of a commercial company to be affordable, accessible and value driven. I am excited to go on this path with partners around the world, who are invested in the same questions. One of them is Melanie Wendland, an amazing designer and thinker that is been my best support and inspiration in the past years. Others will follow soon.
The last three years I have been working in development & health projects. Maternal Health is in the heart of my design practice today. I´m very passionate about women´s health and the importance that plays in our society. I want to continue working in the field and expand my understanding on social challenges across different issues, context and cultures.
This is not a new beginning. This is just the continuation of the path I started a long time ago. I´m truly excited to share with you, and I invite you to be part of this journey with me.
More exciting news coming soon. Stay tuned.
