Katy is passionate about understanding humans and working to create a more sustainable, ethical and empathetic world. They do this by creating safe spaces for open conversation and exploration. They love design research because of its powerful and unique ability to help people reach new perspectives. Katy particularly enjoys employing creative research methods with tangible elements because it incorporates their excitement for arts and crafts in the quest for the “why”.
Katy began their career as a photographer which lead them into the visual and interaction design world and then to design research, as they sought for deeper meaning in their work. During their Master’s in Digital Design at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Katy focused their studies on design ethics and design research. The theme that has stayed true throughout their diverse career endeavours is that they remained dedicated to doing work that connects people, creates meaning and values well-being. Katy approaches every project with generous curiosity, an open mind and space for spontaneity.
Katy sees the world through a lens of optimism for change and believes that every effort, big or small, can make a difference. You can often find them getting into conversations about technology’s effect on mental health, frustration about single-use plastics, ideas on slow living or different kinds of soup recipes. If they weren’t a design researcher they’d be a musician playing acoustic folk music on small, intimate stages around the world.