I am Naan Eldering, I develop ideas into concepts, visualize them, organize them and tell their story; in order to gain public and grow. I make ideas happen. Kijkman means Watchman, someone with overview and understanding, who keeps an eye on the whole process, to create synergy.
Observation, perception, representation, conceptualization, reflection.
I’ve always been a curious observer with an eye for detail, connections and storylines. I perceive very precise, creating an alternative perspective on the things you looked at so often. By experience, I know a little about a lot of things, which makes me a good connector. I’m fascinated by how humans perceive and represent the world in concepts as language and visual culture and how we’re able influence that.
Design for good, create a better world.
How do I participate in the process of creation, by observing?
I ask questions. I write, draw and take photos to explain and share what I see. This way I create new connections, ideas, insights, possibilities and solutions. In terms of design I’m a storyteller with a good sense of interaction and leadership. In cooperation with specialists I can translate ideas, step by step, from a prototype to a living and working organization.
My ambition is to help people ‘perceive better and be more amazed’.
Now, let me tell you what shaped my way of perceiving the world, connecting the dots.
I was born in 1985 in the Netherlands in an old farmhouse in the middle of a forest. The first few years of my life I spent hunting gnomes and building tree-houses. I was fascinated by the Codex Seraphinianus and drew a lot. Getting older I started drawing landscapes and still-lifes and followed a visual pre-artschool course. I also developed my interests for nature, information technology and design.
During university I was trained broadly as a media and communication designer where I learned many bits and pieces about communication, marketing and collaboration, online applications and development, storytelling and visualization.
Understanding the basics of these subjects I started connecting and coming up with media concepts and gathering teams to create these stories and making them happen.
In that process I started my own media conceptstudio ‘Wijdoendingen‘ (WeDoThings), which produced unconventional media projects for three years. One of them being an ever changing interactive artwork that told the 100 year history of a city in development.
I moved to Amsterdam, to be one of the first of a 45 people start-up in online food retail. I designed online applications with use of new technology in order to make shopping for healthy food easier. In the same time I took the opportunity to develop the version 2.0 concept for developing mobile food application, BoodschApp. A product scanner on your smartphone, that gives measured evaluation and alternatives for scanned products. I developed a businessmodel based on paid filters for intolerances and diets like lactose, gluten and vegan. From there I wrote the functional design document together with the present team.
I started writing essays, coaching creative processes and giving presentations about projects I was part of, to share experience and inspire others.
After going through a bankruptcy, I felt it was time to take a distance, to oversee my development and to understand more of the world. I left for South-America and traveled there for six months, realizing that we live together on a planet, that sharing is a beautiful experience, and that I don’t live to work.
When I came back I decided I wanted to develop myself more. I joined a personal development course, with focus on personal values, collaboration, leadership and philosophy. After that, I was selected for a master in Information Design at the renowned Design Academy in Eindhoven (the Netherlands). I dropped out.
During this paragraph I shifted from big commercial projects to smaller, more personal and idealistic endeavors. I took some distance to focus on myself and to reconfigure my values. I kept doing small freelance production projects, adjacent to art, culture and design. I participated in Dutch festivals, built a theater in an abandoned hangar and initiated a local wing of a monthly theater platform De Mus (the Sparrow).
I went on a second big trip, this time to India. I continued through Thailand and Vietnam and reached Melbourne, Australia, where I resided for two months.
During this trip I saw a lot of beauty, and a lot of things I can do better as a human being.
I also learned a lot about (the difference in) trust and faith.
All this traveling got me the experience to work as a tourleader for Djoser, taking groups around the world showing them what I saw.
Right now I’m figuring out what will be the next step. What I like to do, to become better, in order to be able to make a difference, without letting my ego decide. Not to be famous, but to be good and to do good, to become better. To understand that I am able to do an awful lot if I believe in something.
My core values: synergy, autonomy, personal development and beauty.
Previous experiences gave me a broad experience in fast adaptation and learning, working with (creative) people, seeing possibilities (problem solving), developing concepts, visions, goals and philosophies, public presentation, food retail and start-up organisation.
I want to get better at visualization, visual and graphic design, photography, working from values, quoting philosophers.
I love: understanding, the start of things, “..when a plan comes together“, working with specialists (while they can make me a little bit uncertain at times).
Nice to meet you, I am Naan Eldering and I am a storyteller.
You can find references about me on my Linkedin profile.
If you have a project or opportunity which you think I’m suitable for, or is suitable for me, please let me know by giving me a call, or sending me an email.