In 2019 I finished my bachelors Industrial Design at the University of Technology. There I continued with my masters Industrial Design and graduated in 2021. My development was in the direction of product design and strategy by following the track Design, Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Throughout my studies I specialized in aspects around interior product design, for instance intuitive product interaction, innovation strategy, materials and circularity. After my studies, I started my own business under the name Fabienne Crans Industrial Product Design. After having done some freelance work, I decided to focus predominantly on designing for design labels.

It is my mission to contribute to the world of (high-end) interior product design through incorporating circularity to better the world of material and products. I like to bring innovation and personalization to people’s homes and companies through incorporating interaction. And with my designs, I aim to create beautiful, comfortable and balanced home life experiences.

Vision

Homes should be a place of comfort and relaxation. Interior product design should contribute to such a perfectly balanced and comfortable life. To achieve that, I aim to create enriched and personalized spatial living experiences and happiness in homes through interactive and circular products with a story.

Design should be sustainable in more ways than one, because waste is a global problem. We need to shift to a circular economy. Products should be durable by means of biodegradable materials, locally made with minimal environmental impact and with Fairtrade processes. Technology should be upgradable and repairable. Products should be modular for easy disassembly and recycling. And design should be emotionally durable, through personalization and other underlying meanings. Elaborating on the latter, I believe interior product design should also fit in the life and personality of residents through personalization amongst others. In addition, design should make lives more comfortable and convenient.

Furthermore, screens are omnipresent, everything is getting connected and there is an overload of information, which also affects productivity. Through Peripheral Interaction design, including Ambient Displays, information and interaction can move to the periphery of our attention. When incorporated in interiors, information can more seamlessly blend into people’s lives. And as screens are everywhere, most interactions are flat and lateral. Therefore I believe they should be enriched through materiality. This also opens up possibilities in designing interactions as more intuitive and integrated in an aesthetically pleasing way. After all, having to learn interactions and having to read for instance push or pull on a door is not a satisfying experience.

Professional Identity

During the design process, I try to find new ways and explore different perspectives to guide the process, enhance creativity and keep it organized, for instance from a business perspective by filling in business models to guide the process. Keeping projects structured is important to me, but on the other hand I keep them somewhat open and approach it as an intuitive designer. With a hands-on approach, I let the design process influence the outcome and with that enhance creativity. As a futuristic person, looking for the bigger picture and the long term benefits comes natural to me. With a strong sense of responsibility, I like to get the most out of any assignment or task. Projects are a means to achieve goals to me, for the project, the team, but moreover for a positive societal impact.

Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a designer. I grew up with design, such as the Dr. Glob chair of Philippe Starck. Having designs around me and collecting pictures, made me passionate to become a designer of Interior Product Design. Creating ‘regular’ design was not enough. I wanted to be a “Designer of Upgraded Interior Products.” And with that I wish to make life more comfortable and enriched through anything from lightings, furniture, to kitchenware. It should be circular, or have additional functions or interactions by means of technology. Moreover, I like to tell stories by making references to the products functionalities, through the aesthetics of designs.

In the process of becoming a Designer of Upgraded Interior Products, I have elaborated on many aspects around it during my bachelor and master studies Industrial Design at the University of Technology Eindhoven; intuitive product interaction, business and innovation strategy, materials and tactility, circularity, user, aesthetics and lighting. Throughout this journey, I also participated in contests to practice public speaking, since it was and is my motto to ‘get out of my comfort zone.’