Jasmien Herssens is trained as an architect, Designer for all, teacher and researcher and considers herself as a facilitator in Design for All, a design methodology to increase inclusion in the designed environment. Both her professional and personal life path embody diversity and inclusion, offering her different lenses to perceive the world and to empathically embrace the diverse capabilities of users. Jasmien worked as an architect at Ante-architecten in Saint-Nicolas (Ante – Interieur en Architecten) and Wim Goes Architectuur (www.wimgoesarchitectuur.be).
Her PhD in architecture focusses on UD (Universal Design): “Designing Architecture for More a framework of haptic design parameters with the expertise of people born blind”, a study in which she collaborates with people born blind to find design parameters for designers supporting multisensory experiences.
Her expertise and research focus are put on architectural theory and design methodology founded on Design for All /Universal Design. Jasmien currently holds a vast position at Hasselt University but took a career break in 2019 after rehabilitation from illness. After this time out she worked as site manager at Labiomista (www.labiomista.be) in Genk, the evolving artwork of artist Koen Vanmechelen. Her life experiences convinced her even more to put inclusion at the heart of her work. Empowering people by means of a supportive inclusive design drives her motivation.
In 2022 she launched fourmind (www.fourmind.be), a startup that facilitates inclusion by means of Universal Design / Design for All. She is member of the executive committee of the UD living lab in Hasselt and vice-president of the European Institute for Design and disability, she represents DfA Europe at the European Disability Forum (EDF) and has been founder of the sub-consortium Design for All ACANET. For her work and attitude, she received several awards.