This page is part of my Graduation Portfolio for the Master Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology.
My Journey
My journey in design starts during the Industrial Design Engineering Bachelor in the Hague. The program had a strong practical focus, with every semester project involving a client. However, it left me with a wish to deepen my theoretical knowledge. While I could navigate design projects, I often felt unable to justify my decisions with a theoretical foundation. Additionally, my technical skills were quite basic, and I hoped I could develop them further by continuing my studies. Most importantly though, I felt uncertain about my direction as a designer, I hadn’t yet found my calling.
When I started my Pre-master’s at TU/e, I saw that I would be able to considerably expand my skillset in all EAs. Although I enjoyed the semester project and the courses, I realized just how unsure I was about the direction I wanted to take as a designer. Yet, in all that insecurity, I knew I wanted to focus on user-centred design, as it gave me a sense of fulfilment to solve clear, user-driven problems.
During M1.1 and M1.2, I continued to explore new topics and directions. I completed projects in the Artifice squad and conducted a research project on gamification for motivation. While these experiences allowed me to diversify my knowledge and skills, I still lacked real passion for the work I was doing.
All this this led me to make a deliberate decision for my M2.1 semester to take courses outside ID to develop my knowledge in U&S and B&E. But it was the course ‘Automotive Human Factors’ that truly ignited a sense of drive and passion in me. I have always been passionate about cars, however, it never occurred to me that I could work in this domain because I had subconsciously related it with more technical studies. The course, showed me that I could combine my passion with ‘work’.
It became clear then that my FMP had to focus on the automotive domain, but I still lacked a clear goal for my project. Rather than rushing the decision, I chose to extend my master’s by a semester. This meant I could follow the course ‘A designedly perspective on IoT’, where I discovered the focus for my FMP: Tangible Interaction.
Looking back at my first PI&V from the Pre-Master’s, I can see that designing physical products has always been important to me. But before the master’s I was not able to put a finger on exactly why or how. I now finally felt a sense of direction. I knew what I wanted to explore in my FMP, and it felt good knowing it aligned with my identity and vision as a designer.
Expertise Area Development
The illustration below visualises how I view my expertise across the different EAs and how I believe they support each other. The visualisation clearly shows that User-Cantered Design is incredibly important to me. I cannot imagine working on projects that don’t address relevant user issues as creating an improved UX is one of my core values.
Alongside U&S, the illustration shows that I am also very skilled in C&A and T&R. I believe that having a strong foundation in these three EAs forms the core of a flexible and well-rounded designer. These three EAs enable me to identify relevant issues and involve users in the design process, whilst also allowing me to create visually appealing yet functional solutions and experientable prototypes.
I see B&E and M, D&C as supporting EAs that complement and enhance my core EAs. These EAs are not my primary focus, however they strengthen my overall capabilities and enable me to take a more holistic approach at projects.
User & Society
Throughout the master’s I acquired many new methods and tools that allowed me to better empathize and understand users. I learned how to approach UX design from a holistic perspective, found my own positioning within UX design and methods such as design for behaviour change (UXTP, DBC & UXD).
I also learnt how to design for speculative societal issues. Through the design of a rebellion (M1.1), I came to understand the significant societal impact that small-scale products can have. At the same time, it revealed how these products can be designed together with macro-scale solutions to amplify each other. Whilst this project highlighted the impact I have as a designer to stimulate reflection about sensitive issues, it also showed me that such societal design is not something I enjoy.
That said, it’s not societal design that I take issue with. This is evident in my M1.2 research project, where I tackled a major societal issue: littering. This project gave me the opportunity to apply research-through design skills (CDR) and bridge the gap between my growing theoretical UX foundation and expanding T&R skills. By combining these areas, I was able to evaluate an interactive, experienceable system with users (UEM)
Overall, I significantly improved my theoretical groundwork in UX design by learning the skills necessary to empathize with users and interpret their needs and values which solidified my position as a user-centred designer.
Relevant Courses/Projects (U&S)
Constructive Design Research (CDR)
Design for Behavioural Change (DBC)
User Evaluation Methods (UEM)
User Experience Theory and Practice (UXTP)
User Experience Design (UXD)
Designing User Interfaces (DUI)
Let’s Make Humans Better (LMHB)
Relevant Courses/Projects (C&A)
The Sound of Smart Things (SoST)
Unexpected Material Engagements (UME)
User Experience Design (UXD)
Automotive Human Factors (AHF)
A Designerly Perspective on IoT (DPIoT)
Creativity & Aesthetics
Throughout the master I had the opportunity to explore various design processes such as the material driven design approach. As can be seen in my PI, I enjoy projects with a specific problem that needs to be solved. As this approach starts with a material and only after experimenting with it a design is created based on its properties, I cannot identify with this approach. Experiencing this approach shaped my professional identity considerably.
On a more practical level I was also able to grow as I learnt how to consider not just the visual aesthetics of products. SoST allowed me to view design from a new perspective which I had never considered before. This course showed me the ability for sound to communicate ideas and meaning. I was able to explore this knowledge in AHF, and whilst doing so I further solidified the theory behind sound design from a Human Factors Perspective.
Next to this I also learnt to consider the aesthetics of interactions (DPIoT). Thinking about what my designs afford users to do, instead of just what I want the designs to do, was something I had never registered before.
Overall, I would say that these two years broadened my understanding of what aesthetics actually means and also provided me with new techniques to design from different perspectives (UXD).
Technology & Realisation
My design style was always to brainstorm first, then work out these ideas further on paper, and only afterwards, start prototyping. The DPIoT course however, introduced me to a new design process which resonated with me deeply. We were encouraged to immediately build lo-fi prototypes after the initial ideation to explore the concepts. This allowed me to experience possible interactions and helped me to identify oversights right away, something I had struggled with before where prototyping always happened too late. For this reason, I set a personal goal of applying this approach in my FMP.
At the beginning of the master’s program, my technical skills were limited to creating very simple prototypes. My focus was on the physical form rather than making prototypes experiential. I learned the basics of electronics and had my first introduction to Arduino (CE) and although my skills were quite basic, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and develop my Arduino skills to make a functional research device (M1.2). This experience showed me the pleasure I take in bringing concepts to life, so I can communicate the features of the design.
I also decided to learn more about digital prototyping tools such as a new coding language, Python, and creating interactive web apps (EIB, DUI). I also learnt other rapid prototyping tools such as ArUco markers which provided me with skills to quickly create physical prototypes with minimal hardware effort, giving me the tools to create more feasible designs (Disconnected Controller). The addition of these digital and physical prototyping skills made me a more flexible designer, capable of skilfully addressing any part of the design process.
Relevant Courses/Projects (T&R)
Creative Electronics (CE)
Designing User Interfaces (DUI)
Embodying Intelligent Behaviour (EIB)
A Designerly Perspective on IoT (DPIoT)
Gamified Trashcan (M1.2)
Heat Aura
Disconnected Controller
Pump-Dive
Relevant Courses/Projects (M,D&C)
Stakeholder Perspectives in Design (SPiD)
Embodying Intelligent Behaviour (EIB)
Math, Data & Computing
I learned how to use Python to clean large sets of quantitative data, combine data from different sources (Arduino, Miband, etc.), and create understandable visualizations that could be used to draw research conclusions. This skill allowed me to transform complex data into actionable insights, making it easier to communicate findings and draw research conclusions.
I was able to expand on these new data analysis skills by working with machine learning models, such as GMM and K-means clustering, which I used to develop a non-judgmental app. Additionally, I learnt how to evaluate the performance of these models using the Silhouette Score and integrated various XAI methods to increase user-friendliness (EIB). These experiences deepened my technical expertise and highlighted the importance of balancing advanced computational techniques with user-centred design principles.
During the Excitable project, I learned to consider the relationships between devices in home environments. This meant analysing the data flow between different devices and using the OOCSI network to visualise the exchange of data. This experience taught me to consider external data sources and how they can be used to enrich and inform my own designs.
Business & Entrepreneurship
The IIPR course equipped me with the skills to navigate the field of intellectual property rights and conduct thorough patent research. Using tools such as Espacenet and DII, I can identify relevant and innovative patents, analyse market gaps, and evaluate the appropriate patenting strategy for new concepts. While B&E is not my primary expertise area, I believe this knowledge makes me a more well-rounded designer, capable of considering the commercial and legal aspects of innovation.
I also learned how to navigate the complexity of multi-stakeholder networks (SPiD). I gained the ability to analyse various parties involved in design projects and collaborate with them to align with their values and goals. This skill ensues that my designs not only meet user needs but also address the interests and expectations of all stakeholders involved.
Relevant Courses/Projects (B&E)
Stakeholder Perspectives in Design (SPiD)
Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights (IIPR)
To read more about my development during my FMP: