Career Mapping: Designing with meaning and purpose
Key Takeaways
Nicole Craanen’s journey illustrates how aligning personal values and professional interests can lead to meaningful work and fulfillment.
Her diverse education and career experiences, including roles in retail, restaurant design, and academia, contributed to her realization that well-being and nature should be central to her approach.
Nicole’s story shows that perseverance through challenges, both personal and professional, can ultimately result in clarity and the creation of a purpose-driven business that positively impacts others.
When you are in the moment, the signs don’t always clearly reveal themselves. With time, age and experience comes reflection, knowledge and perspective. You can look back on your life and see the key moments that have led you to the right place in your career. Nicole Craanen’s story provides a great illustration. The impact of nature on the human experience and the benefits of designing with a biophilic mindset have been fueling her creativity and passion all along.
A Passion for Design & Nature
Nicole grew up in the design industry. Her father owned a furniture dealership—he started the business when she was three (and she even worked there during college). Beyond the familial tie, she was always fascinated by architecture and would sneak onto subdivision construction sites to see the ins and outs of how everything came together. As a young child, that was a favorite thing for her to do. She also enjoyed exploring nature during those years and found a sense of peace in the woods with her dog.
As she delved into higher education, she started studying architecture, transitioned to anthropology, went back to architecture with a minor in psychology, and then switched to interior design. At the time, other people were confused by the relationship between these areas of study, but it always made sense to Nicole. She knew there was a meaningful connection, and soon it would all come together.
Learning & Growing
Upon graduation, Nicole found herself at Kohl’s Corporate, immersed in retail psychology and part of the Design & Innovation Team, mapping the retail space with future-forward concepts. The ability to manipulate shopping behavior both fascinated and troubled her at the same time.
This retail experience led to a position designing McDonald’s restaurants across the country. An interesting part of this opportunity was that the company had a manufacturing facility. “You designed it, and they built it,” says Nicole. This very creative opportunity also exposed her to the mentality of the quick-serve industry. For Nicole, the experience revealed how disruptive this industry was to sustainability around the world—another level of awareness that she was playing a role in something she didn’t believe in.
The Right Path Emerges
Meanwhile, in her personal life, she had been dealing with a variety of health issues, including two autoimmune diseases and having her gallbladder removed. Her health journey led to yoga teacher training and more of a focus on well-being, which began to pose questions for her professionally. How can we use design to support healthy behavior and help people feel good?
Nicole recognized an inner turmoil. Her moral code and values were not aligned with her work. Still, the path forward remained unclear. In 2013, she found her way to the University of Wisconsin to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Human Ecology. While she knew she wanted to focus on well-being, it was an encounter with a new professor who introduced her to the topic of biophilic design. Once she read more about biophilia, everything clicked for her, “All of my disparate interests were able to convene in this one field of study and area of design.” She has been consumed with the topic ever since.
During the program, she served as a Teaching Assistant. This was the first time she found herself in a role where she needed to present in front of a larger group, something she never wanted to do. But once she got in front of the students, she found enjoyment in the educator role. While academia would have allowed her to teach, she wanted to be out in the world actively applying the theory while educating people. Her thesis project was a website focused on biophilic design education, which led to speaking opportunities and expanding her network with like-minded professionals, such as becoming a member of the International Living Future Institute. Attending a conference exposed her to the power of a group of people with a collective vision and mission.
Finding Fulfilment
It took research, consultation, collaboration and time for Nicole’s business vision to be fully realized and take shape. Having a daughter, time as a UW-Madison adjunct professor, a corporate healthcare position, Covid-19, and surgery were moments along the way. As she recuperated from surgery, a call to a colleague gave her the push she needed to make the vision a reality. Nicole’s business, The Biophilic Design Institute, now aligns with her experience, passion and values. In addition to speaking on biophilic design, facilitating workshops and consulting with industry partners on projects, Nicole offers The Biophilic Design Certification Program: Biophilic Fundamentals. Designing with meaning and purpose drives her, guides her business decisions and provides inspiration for others. She finds great satisfaction in leveraging her design expertise to positively impact as many people as possible.
Does your position and/or company align with your value system?
Are you designing with meaning and purpose?
If not, what kind of change do you seek?
What to learn more?
Read A Conversation with Nicole Craanen to learn about the people, resources, and actions that helped give her the clarity and confidence to createThe Biophilic Design Institute.