Client: N/A (I chose this topic because it is an important topic for myself and within society)
My role: Independent. There was quite some freedom in determining the direction of the project.
Challenge: Design something to activate people around whether the question “Where are you from?” is still relevant in an increasingly globalized world.
Solution: I began this project from a place of personal discomfort regarding the question, "Where are you from?" In my case, providing a simple answer is not so straightforward. I am half Dutch, half American, but I was born and raised in Belgium. So, where exactly do I originate from? Do I have a true place of origin when I feel connected to three different countries? And I'm not the only one...
Throughout my research, I uncovered the profound relevance of this topic. I realized that this question isn't only pertinent to so-called 'cross-culture kids'—children with parents of different nationalities. When you pose this question to individuals with a monocultural background, it also sparks vibrant conversations and discussions.
During the project, I made several attempts to create an installation that would illustrate how challenging this question has become. Ultimately, I endeavored to confront people through an intervention, revealing that they often have preconceived notions about the origins of the person standing in front of them even before they ask the question. Typically, individuals are placed into boxes based on certain stereotypes, such as hair color, accent, physique, skin color, and so on. This phenomenon results in distorted perceptions because this 'technique' increasingly falls short in our globalized world.
In conclusion, the question 'where do you come from' is still important, but not future-proof,
What are we going to do about this?
Below is a visualization of the process I went through, how my goal has changed and how I have iterated my experiments on the basis of conclusions.
Design Approach: Design Thinking
Thoughts & Takeaways:
✓ How to get 'unstuck' in a design process
✓ Experience with a design question that is very broad and undefined
✓ First completely solo project, which led to a very different experience designing