Guus Röben
Professional Identity
I am a social designer driven by curiosity and motivated to create meaningful, community-focused solutions and experiences. Guided by trust, empathy, and collaboration, I thrive in user-centered design processes and managing external relationships. Looking ahead, I aim to deepen my expertise in community building.
Characteristics and Motivation
I am a social designer motivated to create meaningful experiences in community contexts. Described by friends and family as a calm yet outgoing person, I connect easily with others and blossom in new environments. Driven by curiosity, I am constantly intrigued to explore and learn, which allows me to quickly adapt to new contexts and continuously develop my skillset as a designer. Meeting people energizes me, and through these interactions, I have developed strong interpersonal skills. Trust, empathy, and collaboration are core values that guide how I connect with others and approach design challenges.
Typical Team Role
Within group work, I prioritize harmony and fostering a positive, encouraging atmosphere to keep the team moving forward. I naturally take on roles that emphasize collaboration, creativity, and managing external relations. These roles allow me to explore new opportunities, connect with stakeholders, and contribute innovative ideas to the table. However, I recognize areas for growth. I sometimes prioritize group harmony over making difficult decisions, and my preference for divergent thinking can make it challenging to focus or settle on a single direction. By balancing my creative and collaborative strengths with structured techniques and clear goals, I can effectively address these tendencies and contribute meaningfully to team success.
Community Focus
I believe in the power of communities and the role of design to facilitate connection, curiosity, and creativity within these groups. My work often revolves around creating, maintaining, or strengthening communities to generate valuable insights and impactful project results. Currently, I work as a field worker for the social design studio cocosmos, where I frequently engage with target audiences and project stakeholders to bring these personal goals to fruition.
Design Approach
I thrive in value-driven, user-centered design processes within multi-stakeholder environments. By observing and listening to users, I uncover hidden needs and their underlying values, which are critical for effectively communicating insights to project stakeholders. My networking and external relations skills enable me to identify opportunities and resources for success. Transparency is central to my approach, as I strive to foster mutual understanding among stakeholders and end-users, ensuring meaningful collaboration and impactful outcomes.
ENFP-T: Campaigner
Resource Investigator, Idea Plant, Teamworker
Future Career
Looking ahead, I aim to deepen my expertise in community building. Societal developments, such as the housing crisis and newly passed Dutch laws, highlight the increasing need for public participation in urban development projects. As a designer, I see myself playing a pivotal role in facilitating community development and fostering involvement to address these challenges and create sustainable, community-based solutions.
