Hi,
I design research and strategy.
I question the past and present to answer the future.
Still sounding vague?
In brief,
I inform and orient the design process.
By Understanding how and why people do something.
Reflecting why and how it could change.
Then concluding changes with people, a common intent (why) and plan (how).
These people are users, non-users, clients, collaborators, stakeholders, or any other experts, be them scientists, artists, bankers or farmers.
In "buzzwords",
"I am a design thinker who facilitates innovation",
But in definitions, in theory, in practice, (...), and in reality, it's never the same story.
About Methods & tools Experiences Wild manifesto
In definitions,
My role is
Research
Design
Practice
here
design is to design the design of a design
1
a general concept,
policy
2
an activity
3
a plan or intention
4
a finished outcome,a product
Human factors
Architecture
Industrial
design
Sound design
Human-computer interaction
Information architecture
Visual design
Content
(text, a/v)
Interaction design
DESIGN OF
RESEARCH
"HANDS OFF"
Design
Research
Knowledge
Knowledge about design
Research
Design
RESEARCH ON DESIGN
Knoweledge
RESEARCH
DESIGN
Research
DESIGN
THROUGH
RESEARCH
Knowledge
Knowledge about design
Design
"HANDS ON"
Knoweledge
RESEARCH
THOUGH DESIGN
And
there
Derived from past knoweledge
BASIC
RESEARCH
THEORETICAL
Mathematics
Art history
Engineering
Scientific
APPLIED
RESEARCH
Practiced-based
Lab studies
Craft
Based in present experience
EMPIRICAL
In sum,
Considering design as an artefact
Design Research & Strategy
=
+
=
(1)
Research
=
Ask & Answer
questions
(2)
Strategy
=
Define & Conclude
the answer
(3)
Design Orientation
=
Facilitate & Direct
(4)
The
Design
=
Develop & Formalize
an artefact
In practice,
There is no ultimate theory.
"Innovative" projects often require unreplicable methods, tools and process.
Depending on the case, investigating market, ethnographic, scientific, historic, visual, or and user research could be required. Interviewing 200 people or just 3 would be needed. Read 50 books or just stay 2 weeks immersed in a context would rather bring the right answer.
I define, plan and execute research. Collect, analyse and synthesize data. Communicate and translate insights. Craft and instigate innovation.
I develop and prototype tools to research and elaborate design strategies.
I strongly value quantitative data, although I've mostly used qualitative methods and tools to understand people, their environment, profile, values, needs, inspirations and aspirations.
In the making of,
I produce research guides, tools, reports and prototypes.
I develop various preliminary, intermediary and final research outcomes,
such as: conversation guide and transcriptions, field/desk multimedia documentation, focus group activity tools, surveys, literature review, visual analysis, secondary research report, cultural probes, usability studies, a/b testing, persona, journey maps, affinity maps, trend forecast, design principles, strategic recommendations, prospective scenarios writing (+ format of video/comic strips in collaboration), design concept, mood boards, design workshops, and so on.
In an ideal meme,
I would
See sharp
like a Tarsier

Fitted with supersonic ears, a nocturn vision and a 180° neck flexibility,
It climbs up trees, explores diversity,
and jumps down on opportunities.
Source
Think wide
like a Dandelion

collaborate a lot
like a sociable weaver

Strongly driven by its context,
light in assumptions, and blown by its mission. It flies DNA's to new territories, comes down to earth safely,
and grows up organically.
Source
Clustered around a common pillar,
It builds social nest out of various fibers, shares resources, and weaves individual spaces, in community.
Source
In reality,
That's me!

I've worked in Belgium, The Netherlands, Australia, Hong Kong, Benin and India. I got a master in Industrial design (2015) and kept learning things on the way.
Over the last 3 years, I have stepped in many design fields and investigated different sectors of knowledge. From service to product, digital, space, crafts and new medias. By understanding how Indian like to eat pizza, reflecting why people would watch a minigrids video, or by crafting innovation Beninese with weavers. I have immersed in many different contexts and bumped into many life walks.
I've collaborated with the corporate sector (consumer electronics, food service, home appliances, retail spaces) as well as with the art world (fussy fields) or development sector (electricity, healthcare, craft, education)
See CV
See Projects
In the future,
There are many things we could discuss more.
And many projects we could start.