For as long as I can remember, I have had an interest in technology and the products and systems we create with it. Using electronics, programming, 3D printing and other prototyping tools to create things has become one of my biggest hobbies. I have taken the opportunity to develop this interest into my future career.
After finishing my Bachelor's in Industrial Design at the TU/e, I entered the Master's program. Throughout these final years I have developed my professional profile as a designer, focussed on design for healthcare related applications.
I believe that technology plays an important role in our everyday life, which will only increase over time. Sensors and cameras can measure everything about our body and mind, one can walk around in realistic virtual environments and all of this is becoming affordable for consumers. These technologies can improve many aspects of our life, from making small tasks easier to making a difference in life or death situations. I believe it is important to realize that the resulting products will be used by and for humans, meaning that interaction and function should always benefit us, the humans. Design is required to achieve a proper balance between usability and function to achieve these benefits.
I am interested in designing and applying products for people that really need it, where my designs can create great impact. Although this is applicable in many fields, I currently am mainly interested in healthcare. Many problems such as loneliness, forgetfulness and countless others can be solved with technological solutions, many of which already exist. However, such solutions may not work for people with certain disabilities. I consider it an interesting challenge to design for specific target groups, taking into account their limitations and strengths, in order to achieve solutions that address their specific needs, by means of an interaction fit uniquely for them. Furthermore, context and people around the intended target group are equally relevant and should be incorporated, both throughout the design process and in the resulting concept.
I see myself as a maker. I enjoy working on physical and digital prototypes, both for my studies and in hobbies. In my design process, prototyping is the part I generally spend most time and effort on. This shows in my role in team projects as well. As a result, I believe strong points in my design processes show mostly in later stages. I generally solve this with a hands‐on design process and trying to make decisions quickly.
Furthermore I believe design is something I should not be doing alone. I have noticed great value in collaborating with the target group and the people close to them, as well as with experts and others familiar with the subject. Including experts in the first phases of projects allows for discussing related literature and the specific assignment, in order to get a better picture of its context. The target group is not solely used for validating, but also for discussing explorations in earlier phases if possible, resulting in incorporating their feedback in the design process.
Besides working closely with the target group, I believe that projects I work on show reach their full potential in collaboration with a team. Throughout my academic career, I have worked together with people from various backgrounds, in many cases with specific skills in for example visualization, programming or business aspects. Combining these skills with my multidisciplinary, user-centered knowledge is how I believe I can generate true innovation.