Charlotte Kin has won the Social Design Talent Award from the municipality of Eindhoven with “Through Eyes“, a photo project to show problem youngsters their positive aspects. With the award, Kin can make her project accessible to more people on behalf of the municipality. Through Eyes also tries to ensure that parents see their child as a carefree child again.
To achieve her goals, Kin follows children for a full day and then makes a photo book of her pictures. The award was presented during a breakfast for entrepreneurs in the Town Hall – on Entrepreneur’s Day, a national initiative of MKB-Nederland. Together with VNO-NCW Brabant Zeeland, the municipality of Eindhoven organized this breakfast, where entrepreneurs and design students met. The jury could choose from 6 projects of Industrial Design (TU/e) and Design Academy Eindhoven students.
“The presentations of all six projects show that the view of these young designers on society provides a beautiful solution to everyday problems”, says to the jury. In addition to Through Eyes, two other projects of VNO-NCW Brabant Zeeland were offered a coaching programme. Milou Bergs designed ‘Align‘, a bicycle rack that you can only see when it is used, so that the space can also be used for other applications. Through ‘Pink & Blue Eyes‘ by Caro van Kessel, Sam Janssen and Daphne Muller the user is allowed to experience the stereotyping of our society via VR. For example, it allows men to experience a #MeToo experience as a woman.
Charlotte Kin is currently in Asia to investigate how her photo project works when there is a language barrier. Via skype she was live at the award ceremony in Eindhoven. As soon as she is back in the Netherlands, the municipality will be looking at how Through Eyes will be followed up in Eindhoven.