Renee de Vlugt - MADA NOW 2021 - Art, Design and Architecture

Hi! My name’s Renee, and I’m a UX/UI designer based in Melbourne.
I also have a background in Media and Communications and Culture Studies, and love designing products that look inviting, communicate clearly, and are fun to interact with.
My studio project, ‘Together for Good’, is aimed at remedying loneliness in young people while also supporting the environment, as up to 25 per cent of 18 to 25 year olds reported “problematic levels of loneliness” in a 2019 VicHealth survey. To do this, I have created a website that makes it easy for young people to hang out, two posters that raise awareness, and ‘character badges’ that can be used to upcycle and mend your clothes.

‘Together for Good’ Home Screen

This is the home screen for the ‘Together for Good’ website. When the user scrolls down they find information about the group, what the group has to offer, and some upcoming events. The website also includes a collaborative cookbook, and a message board where people can connect. Based on the findings of the design research kit that I created, 100 per cent of the participants prefer meeting friends in person. Because of this, this website is aimed at making it easy for young people to organise events, and then catch up face to face.

‘Together for Good’ Posters

These posters are meant to emphasise the idea of connection and raise awareness about ‘Together for Good’. They use finger painting, which was created collaboratively with a group of friends, as a way of communicating the collaborative and fun nature of ‘Together for Good’.

Together for Good' Character Creator

The character creator is designed to help group members feel like they’re part of a group. The character creator on the website is meant to offer users inspiration for what their character might look like. Once they’ve made a character using the creator, they can save this as their ‘avatar’ which appears on their profile page.

Together for Good' Character Badges

These character badges are inspired by the ‘Character Creator’ on the website and are hand sewn. In fact, group members can plan an event on the website where they can make badges together. The badges are designed to bring a sense of belonging to the group.

How Do Electric Cars Work?

This project, including a ‘driving mat’ and an app, seeks to teach kids from ages seven to nine how electric cars function in simple terms. As kids play with the ‘driving mat’, they come across icons along the road. These icons correspond to the app and, when clicked on, provide information about electric cars. When the kids have viewed all the information (supported by a ‘Reading Assistant’ function) they can continue to play with the mat, consolidating their knowledge.

Oma’s Spoon Collection

In this project, entitled ‘Gezelschap’, I documented my Nana’s silver spoon collection, which she collected throughout her life in the Netherlands. Altogether, the collection consists of 25 silver spoons. With this project, I wanted to draw a connection between the spoon collection and the idea of keeping each other company and enjoying time together. As the spoons were frequently used when my Nana had family or friends over for coffee or tea, they represent the idea of ‘gezelschap’ to me, which means ‘being together with someone’ in Dutch. The spoons also document some important moments in Dutch history.