Innovator in the Spotlight

Towards a more inclusive society to raise awareness of basic skills gaps

In the Netherlands, 2.5 million people struggle daily with reading, writing, math, and digital skills, also called basic skills. These deficiencies make it difficult for them to fully participate in society, such as reading and understanding a letter or buying a train ticket, leading to various personal and societal problems.

Follow up on the Low Literacy project

Hey! My name is Syben van der Meer, I am 23 years old and am currently in the first year of my master’s degree, Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology.

 

 

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Low Literacy project

Within the Emergence Lab at Eindhoven Engine, I am doing my research project around low literacy. More specifically, I am looking to identify the touchpoints that helped people who have had low literacy to overcome the difficulty they have in reading and writing. These touchpoints can then form the basis for future design interventions that can either stimulate or lower the threshold for people to work on their low literacy.

“Since reading and writing is so very important today, I wanted to take up the challenge of low literacy.”

Syben van der Meer
Master student TU/e

Improving quality of life

I have chosen this project because, as a designer, I want to improve quality of life. Since reading and writing is so very important today, I wanted to take up the challenge of low literacy. I hope to lay the foundations for future design interventions in such a way that these interventions are tailored to the wishes and needs of the people they are designed for.