Remke
I am a designer and an anthropologist with a strong commitment to equity. Curiosity drives me; I consistently seek to learn from and with my surroundings and the diverse people I meet.
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I combine my background in design and anthropology and apply methods from both fields to understand complex contexts and to imagine alternative futures with the people affected by the design outcomes. My approach to design is bottom-up, grounded in empirical research and building on principles from design justice and feminist design, emphasizing equity throughout the design research process.


Design Anthropology
Climate change, urbanisation and conflicts in the world, which cause people to seek asylum abroad, pose unprecedented impacts and challenges to our societies, including a shortage in housing, heatwaves, inequality, pollution, reception and integration of newcomers, an ageing population and loss of biodiversity. Addressing those challenges requires a transformation in the way we give shape to our cities and the ways of living and caring together.
I acknowledge that reality is messy, and there is no quick fix to these challenges. Life is complex, and it is often in the spaces where we try to simplify it that we cut out the experiences of marginalised groups (Haraway, 2016). However, I do believe that design anthropology has the power to help guide societal transformations. Design anthropology combines the power of design to imagine possible futures with the ones affected, with anthropological theory and sensitivity to the value orientations of various groups affected by design outcomes (Gunn et al., 2013). Taking the plurality of experiences that exist in the world into account.
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With my design and research, I strive to contribute to societal transformations within cities and the social domain. To build sustainable and caring societies that are open to everyone, we must involve the people affected by the transformation. I believe designers should centre the voices of those impacted by the design outcomes, especially the experiences and knowledge of marginalized groups. Every person is an expert based on their experience and has beautiful contributions to make to the design process (Dombrowski et al., 2016). By questioning dominant patriarchal culture and narratives and centering the experience and knowledge of marginalized groups, we can create a more inclusive and equitable future.
This is why I approach this transformation as an accountable, accessible, collaborative process. I am driven to make civic participation more accessible through creative methods and interventions that match the issue at stake and the people involved.