About

Molly van der Weij is a Dutch visual artist and communication designer-researcher based in the UK.

Molly applies artistic thinking, imagery and design tools to aid communication processes, using a wide variety of visual communication and design methods. Her professional drive is to utilise imagery and imagination to help develop and convey ideas by making knowledge or information 'visible'. The main purpose of applying her skills is to help improve mutual understanding processes, as a tool to gain insight, and to inspire the process of innovative thinking and business development.

Graduated in Fashion Design and Illustration at ArtEz Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, the Netherlands Molly received her MA (with Distinction) in Fine Arts (Communication Design) from Bath Spa University School of Art and Design. Her design research project on visualising people's experiences of physical pain or chronic illness (see Research) won her the University's Innovation Award (2010).

Before moving to the UK in 2006, Molly worked as illustrator, art teacher (drawing, design, presentation, digital media) and author (arts, fashion illustration) in the Netherlands and Germany until she accepted a position as special consultant at the FutureLab at the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (NST), University Hospital of North Norway (Tromsø) in 2000.

Here she was responsible for the visualisation and visual communication of ideas, visions and knowledge applications around telemedicine, which included concept and idea development within new telemedicine services, and was closely involved in new product and service design. During her tenure at NST she expanded the use of visual communication and visualisation into a powerful and effective communication tool in the multidisciplinary environment that she was part of and used it as part of a wider set of futures methodologies such as scenario-building.

Molly's work has received awards and is described as innovative, thought-provoking and inspirational, and has instigated and contributed to a variety of research projects and new areas of interests. She works independently for clients in private and public sector as well as for charities, and gives lectures and presentations on invitation. Her career as a visual artist has a long track record of exhibitions, commissions and other activities. Her body of work consists of drawings, paintings, photography and digital media productions.

As well as her native Dutch, Molly speaks English and Norwegian.