Julia van Zanten

Since then, van Zanten has transformed her designs into a successful healthcare business called the LifeSense Group. Her products have garnered support and subsidies from various international and national healthcare systems including the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and Sweden.

In a recent interview with independent curator, writer and DAE alum Tiiu Meiner, van Zanten reflects on her journey, highlighting the fusion of creativity, practicality, and persistence that underpins her achievements at the intersection of design and healthcare.

→Tiiu Meiner: What brought you to the discipline of social design and how did your time at Design Academy Eindhoven inform your path into the healthcare system?

Julia V. van Zanten: My journey into social design began with a personal connection to aging and the elderly, particularly inspired by my grandfather’s experience with incontinence and the stigma associated with it. I chose this path because I wanted to empower individuals like him.

I applied a few times before I was accepted into the Social Design Master because initially I started off with a background in textile design. I had specialised in high-end interiors but found the work lacking in meaning. This realisation led me to explore alternative design paths, ultimately bringing me to the Design Academy Eindhoven’s Social Design MA programme.

During my studies I focussed on understanding people’s real needs and how this is essential in design. It goes beyond only aesthetics, theory or data; it requires direct contact and empathetic engagement. Even if you start with promising data, it’s the intimate connection and empathy that reveal the true challenges individuals face in their daily lives. This focus on practical, impactful solutions is something I outlined during my time at DAE and it continues to inform my work today.

→TM: Social design is a field that delves deep into personal and intimate aspects of people’s lives. Could you share insights into the ways you build connections and trust around these intricate topics?

JvZ: To build trust and collaboration with vulnerable groups, I took a hands-on approach. I spent time volunteering at an elderly home, immersing myself in their world by engaging in activities like card games, bingo, and crafts. This allowed me to connect with the residents on a personal level.

For other projects involving diabetes or mobility in aging, I would simply visit people, chat with them, and explain my intentions. Building relationships and being adaptable in my approach has been key in connecting with these diverse groups and understanding how design could positively impact their lives.

→TM: You graduated with a project where you designed underwear for people with incontinence issues, using special fabric. How does your background in social design influence your motivation and approach at a company creating products for actual patients within the healthcare system?

JvZ: When I presented my project at Dutch Design Week during my graduation in 2014, my main goal was to turn my project into a real product. I felt frustrated that many projects ended up on the sidelines without real-world impact. I started visiting factories, crafting prototypes, and connected with a colleague whose work on a pelvic floor exercise app aligned with my vision on developing innovative designs for incontinence— together we set up the LifeSense Group. This partnership taught me a lot about the value of adaptability and cooperation with people outside of the design scene. We continued to pitch our project to factories and other healthcare professionals at fairs and conferences. Over time, we connected with individuals who facilitated the certification of our products for market entry. It has been a slow process with many steps along the way and I definitely recommend collaborating with professionals adept at navigating international and local medical systems for product certification.

Now, at the LifeSense Group, we often design something we think is useful but then send it out as a prototype to people for testing. Users don’t always follow our intended use, so maintaining contact with them is crucial. Over the years, I’ve called many customers to connect with them, ask open-ended questions to avoid influencing their feedback.

Involving users at every step, from the very beginning, is critical. It’s been a fundamental aspect of my work since being a student at DAE, and it remains crucial as the focus shifts from a practice to a full-fledged business. In this new context, our users and customers are at the heart of what we do and maintaining that connection is vital.

→TM: What is it like working on a health care business spanning an international scale and what has it meant for your role as a designer?

JvZ: To be honest, I am no longer as involved in the R&D like I used to be and my role has evolved more into a communication and marketing emphasis, overseeing multiple websites and maintaining event and training platforms. We’ve commercialised our products, catering to women, kids, and men. Currently, we’re balancing innovation and research projects while focussing on scaling our existing ones.

A major achievement for us has been the successful sales and reimbursement of products that originated from my graduation project. These products are now integrated into healthcare systems in countries such as Sweden, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Taiwan.

“Our users and customers are at the heart of what we do and maintaining that connection is vital.”

→TM: What do you think the different fields of healthcare, business, and design could learn from each other?

JvZ: I think the medical field could learn from design in balancing aesthetics with utility for a better human experience in healthcare. Similarly, designers could benefit from understanding and communicating their value better by appreciating business skills for growth and sustainability. Bridging these worlds is challenging but essential for effective collaboration and innovation.

→TM: What guidance do you have for young designers aspiring to merge their skills with the medical sector?

JvZ: I think it’s important to establish a strong positioning for your ideas during your studies and make sure they are easy to understand and applied to real world problems. Transitioning from the design to the medical world involves a significant shift in resources and time and you need patience beyond the enjoyable creative process. For example, securing certificates for our products meant navigating country-specific requirements and collaborating with knowledgeable distributors. The process has been complex and slow, demanding persistence. While administrative tasks may be tedious, they’re essential to the journey.

Once you have your project, consider joining an accelerator or similar organisation to kickstart your project. Embrace advice from diverse perspectives, and set a flexible timeline, perhaps two to three years, for you to gauge your progress and determine if it’s time to pivot or persist.