Annelien Hofmans, Designer-Researcher

Annelien is a designer and visual artist who sees her design practices as easy ways to communicate clearly, create awareness and tap into people's ability to connect. She’s dedicated to creating strong yet playful concepts and has a deep interest in artistic projects that tackle societal issues in the long run.

After graduating her BA/MA in Communication Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2013), Annelien continued her studies with a BA/MA in Graphic Design and Media & Information Design at LUCA School of Arts, Brussels (2017). Throughout her practice, she developed a profound fascination with the way individuals relate to their selves: a commonality we all share yet sets us apart.

November 2023, she joined the ‘Inter-Actions’ Research Unit to work towards a PhD in the Arts. Her doctoral research focuses on the potential of participatory, multisensory and arts-based methods as well as creative analytical practices to gain more insight into the lived experiences of people with dementia and their informal caregivers. The aim is to find out how it is possible to set up interventions that contribute positively to their well-being, vision on the self and personhood. This way, she wants to empower persons with dementia and their loved ones to cope with the challenges posed by this condition and change stigmatizing perceptions to prevent a decline in their well-being and delayed care.