Reinier Postma, 5/5, home blogger ArtEZ Business Centre

You could compare my last year to the ancient Game of the Goose: a long, winding path full of obstacles. The difference between the classic board game and my own version is that I wasn’t at all informed about the obstacles I’d encounter along the way. Like square 58. When you end up there, it means all your projects are cancelled due to a global pandemic and you have to start all over. Too bad! That’s exactly what happened to me.

Even though many of my plans were cancelled or events went very differently than I had expected, this year brought lots of new experiences that helped me grow. I was originally planning to move to Utrecht, but I’m now living in the Afrikaanderwijk in Rotterdam South. Living there has given me many new insights.

The plan is that my apartment, alongside 599 others, will be demolished to be replaced by 374 more expensive residences. The gentrification process, as well as the spectacle of departures, long-time residents who refuse to be removed, neighborhood activism, squatters, riot police and evictions – all of it is interesting to experience up close.

This past year I could also be found in the Wildemanbuurt in Osdorp. This is where The Beach is based: they cooperate with people and organizations to set up projects that strengthen communities. I did my internship there, learned about co-creation processes and realized the importance of a wide and diverse network

At The Beach I learned about ‘sustainist design’: a form of design founded on values like sharing, connectivity, localism, proportionality and sustainability. Dianna Krabbendam, the founder of The Beach, wrote the Sustainist Design Guide together with Michiel Schwarz. This book is a conversation starter about what it means to be a sustainist designer, and it shows existing projects that correspond to these values. I would definitely recommend this book to any readers of this blog with an interest in social design.

The other day I read an article on Archined about the games deployed in urban planning to improve the design strategies and participation within the contemporary city. Ekim Tan wrote the book Play the City about that. It’s still on my to-read list, but I’m already excited about it. The concept of using games to conduct research, explore complex challenges and create design through play inspired me to answer RAUM’s open call.

RAUM is an urban lab in the neighborhood of Leidsche Rijn in Utrecht. Through exhibitions and events in collaboration with locals and visitors, they aim to shape the urban life of the future. The open call presented the challenge to design an installation for public space, which stimulates social exchange between strangers while retaining the prescribed 1.5m of physical distancing.

Together with Erik Peters, a former classmate involved in speculative design, we created and submitted the following plan: Peters & Postma, mobile design company and consultancy for social exchange in future public space.
We’ll have to wait and see whether we’re selected to share more about our concept, but we want to use play and games as research methodologies no matter what.

Over the last year, I heard a lot of makers say that it’s important to keep working on your projects, even when you’re not initially making any money doing it. Of course you need money to stay alive, though. My recommendation would be to keep your costs low. Hunt down some cheap living space and get a part-time job. Because I can live at such low cost, I have enough time and energy left to invest in my projects and I know I can still pay my bills.

I’ve also noticed that I enjoy collaborating and it has a positive effect on my productivity. Sparring with people about projects is something that I’ve missed this past year. I’m planning to find other makers who want to work on social issues. I’m going to find a new workspace in Rotterdam and join organizations I find interesting, such as The Turn Club.

Since I graduated, I took a number of steps forward. Unfortunately, I also encountered obstacles and not everything went the way I expected. Fortunately, many of the projects that were cancelled this year will be moved to the next. So the agenda for 2021 is starting to fill up nicely.

In the coming year I’ll keep busy, I won’t throw in the towel, I’ll find new challenges. I’ll keep rolling the dice and this little goose will waddle on, unconcerned with the obstacles on its path. I am still confident that I, too, will finally arrive at number 63, the final destination.

Translation by: Witold van Ratingen