Denise Huigen (25) makes cuddly toys for adults. Her cuddly toys can now be seen during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, just like more than two hundred other graduation works from the Design Academy in Eindhoven. “I want it to be completely normal for adults to have a hug.”
“You can put it very comfortably over your shoulder,” Denise demonstrates. As if she were placing a baby on her shoulder, she cuddles with her cuddly toy called Knuff. Denise completely surrenders to it and closes her eyes. She rubs the back of her stuffed animal with her hand. “It is also a bit weighted and that gives some pressure. It gives a soothing feeling.”
“This is for every adult who loves to cuddle.”
Denise is also a puppeteer. She designed Knuff because she noticed that all the soft toys on the market were aimed at children. And yet adults can also benefit greatly from hugs. “The head is shaped like a heart. This is for every adult who likes to cuddle. Cuddling with people is very nice, but unfortunately they are not always there. So if someone is not there, it is very nice to be able to cuddle. People say that they can be a child again.”
The cuddly toy maker hopes she will be discovered during Dutch Design Week. Then during the Graduation Show with graduation works, scouts from major brands and stores will be walking around, such as Ikea, Nike and Hema. They are looking for talent.
It could be that Denise is discovered. Then her cuddly toy could just end up on the shelves of a store. “That would be fantastic.”
Dutch Design Week
During Dutch Design Week, 2,500 designers present their work. There will be nine days of exhibitions, lectures, debates and presentations spread over a hundred locations in the city. It attracts around 350,000 design enthusiasts.
Visitor Margriet Keegstra is immediately enthusiastic and throws a hug over her shoulder. “This just meets a need. That you need a cuddle every now and then. I also have my husband for that, but he is not always there. This one is. If you pick up a child’s cuddly toy, you look like someone who is not on track. I am not four anymore. When you wear this, it looks like a neck support. You can walk around with this.”
“It’s a kind of Ikea for the garden.”
Benjamin (27) Onno Dikmans also hopes to be discovered by a scout. He converted a shipping container into a mobile workshop for gardening. In addition to many garden tools, there is also a workbench and even a kitchenette in the container. The container can be configured entirely according to everyone’s wishes. “It’s a kind of Ikea for the garden.” He has been nominated for the Social Design Talent Award from the municipality of Eindhoven.
With his design he could easily win ten thousand euros. “Imagine you have a new apartment with a communal garden. It is for the community. Then you can place such a container there. Everyone in the community has a key and so you can work on the garden together. A shipping container is a metal box that can certainly be locked. It is a robust construction.”
In a country where there is little available, an agricultural project can be started in this way. “You put it down and you can immediately start cultivating land.”
“Many scouts from major brands come to watch anonymously.”
Showing their graduation work could be a career springboard. “It is very important that students can present themselves,” says Ella Oyee Keukelaar of the Design Academy. They stand at their work for nine days. Thousands of visitors come to take a look.
“You can see these products later in the store. Or it is the starting point of a product that you will see later. Many scouts from major brands come to watch anonymously. Students should not behave differently. The scouts want to see what the student’s intention was. They are looking for raw talent and do not want a theater show.”
