Isabel Henschen
she/herLou&You
Isabel Henschen is a Berlin-based conceptual artist and founder of Lou&You, developing the world’s first digital companion for victims of violence. Lou guides users on their journey towards healing, showing them what they need to know to navigate their situation and where to find support. She has a background in art history and ethnology and has made significant strides in the creative industry as a curator in several startups and with Lou&You, for which she was recognized as a Culture & Creative Pilot 2021 by the German Government. After bootstrapping Lou&You, Isabel secured funding a foundation and the BMWK. In her work, Isabel focuses on the humanization of technology and trauma-informed design, emphasizing an intersectional approach that suits the lived realities of those affected.
Project
Lou&You is a web app that supports victims of violence. It contains advice on personal safety, selected contacts for support services, information on emergency medical care, preservation of evidence and legal issues as well as long-term emotional support. By using a digital persona called “Lou”, which has been carefully designed with the needs of victims in mind, users feel accompanied and emotionally supported. Lou&You is a pilot project for digital empathic communication within a sensitive area of society that is stigmatised and highly personal. Currently, few initiatives implement creative digital approaches in such contexts and address both the physical, digital and emotional safety concerns of users. Lou&You is about to change that by developing a radically different, innovative and compassionate support for victims.
