‘Arnhemse Nieuwe’ has been a jumpstart since 2006 for newly graduated designers from the ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design. This initiative by Ontwerp Platform Arnhem (OPA) gives young designers a flying start in the creative industry. Meet the Arnhemse Nieuwen 2025!
Anna Fehn
One of the six Arnhemse Nieuwen is Anna Fehn. Four years ago she moved from Cologne to Arnhem to study Product Design at ArtEZ: “It was still during the Covid period when I was exploring design programs. I love the tangibility of objects, I like working and thinking in 3D. I also like it when designs have a purpose, an application. I even briefly considered studying sculpture. But above all, I was looking for an English-language program, because the design world is very international. When I discovered Product Design at ArtEZ University of the Arts, I was immediately enthusiastic. And besides: Arnhem lies on the Rhine, just like Cologne.”
Rhine city
Anna took the entrance exam and had a video call with the head of the program. “ArtEZ immediately felt right. Compared to Germany, the Netherlands is pleasantly compact, with a network that’s easy to reach. And people here are a bit more relaxed, I noticed. Arnhem is a comfortable size and feels cozy. So I looked for and found a room and moved to this Rhine city.”
Anna Fehn mirrors your perspective
Let’s fast-forward to her graduation project: On Eyelevel. With it, Anna shows how things in the world are often made to one standard size. Anna herself is quite short (155 cm) and wondered: why is everything always at a standard height? With her interactive and playful designs, she shows what it feels like to be taller or shorter than average. “My first experiment was a mobile stool that you can take with you to the supermarket, to reach products that are too high on the shelf. But I didn’t want to think in terms of solutions so much; I preferred to draw attention to the problem. Through a VR headset and a periscope, I arrived at the idea of adjustable mirrors.”
Wonder
Coming up with an idea is one thing; executing it was quite an undertaking. Anna: “By making prototypes, refining them, and testing, I carefully shaped and adjusted every detail. In this interactive design, people’s reactions, together with valuable feedback from teachers and fellow students, were essential. For the first time I tested the design right in the center of Arnhem. With children I saw the greatest sense of wonder: thanks to the mirrors, you suddenly find yourself at eye level with an adult. Being short sometimes also literally means: feeling small. With physical objects you can change that perspective. Then big or small suddenly becomes tangibly relative.”
Collaboration
In addition to the mirror object, Anna designed an adjustable seating piece and a slanted table that plays with our perception (optical illusion). She thrives on the mix of art and design, craftsmanship and technology. How did “Arnhemse Nieuwe” help her? “I found it very special that my project was selected from many submissions, and it gives a nice sense of validation. And the publicity that comes with it is also very welcome.”
And how does she see her future as a designer?
“It’s exciting; the big, gaping black hole is lurking. What I do know for sure: I prefer working together with others. My projects are usually about how you can look at existing things in a different way. What can be better, what can be different? That’s also called social design. It’s mainly about new ideas, raising questions, and making people think. That can be commissioned work or autonomous work, or a mix of both. In ten years, I hope to start a small studio with a colleague. For now, I mainly want to gain a lot of experience.”
Want to become a member of OPA too?
Ontwerp Platform Arnhem has been offering a program for 20 years that identifies, presents, and discusses key developments within the (design) world. We are here for the individual designer/studio at every stage of their design practice. We are also here for policymakers, companies, innovators, and anyone else who is interested.
This Article was originally written in dutch by Nicole Beaujean
