Activities
Project Growing systems
Module Composing Interactivity
Workshop in China
Project
Social Co-creation Platforms
Traveling
Asia
Indonesia
&
New Zealand
Leading Jongens van de TU
Smallplayer
Module
Sense your Heart
Module Interaction Design & Children
Leraren Congres
Thomas Paulen
Module
Dreaming Democracies
Module
Persuasive Behavior
Project
Smart Festoons
Module Remediating Media
Module From Sketching to 3D and back
Module Innovative Business Concepts
Final Master Project
M2.1
Final Master Project
KnapZack
M2.2
This is a design research project within Industrial Design TU/e and focuses on the concept of “Growing Systems”. In this research I focus on how people use media in their home environment. Due a close and continues cooperation between me and the test-users I discover what features people find valuable within their media system. I use Smallplayer, a product that I developed with Olaf van Duren outside my study, as a reference for a growing home media system to discover where this example stands in the landscape of media experiences.
In this module we did research in if it makes sense to create a notation systems for an experience and if so, how would this look like. First we worked from an individual perspective towards the case and later we combined the individual perspectives to create one notation system and one concept for an experience based on other's notation system. Eventually the module provided me with new insights of designing for experiences, my own experience notation system and a bit unexpected, a new and clear insight in design research processes.
This semester I had been given the chance to do a three-week DESIS-Lab workshop in Taicang, China. Without knowing what we were going to do I wanted simply to take this opportunity to participate since it would be a valuable experience anyhow. Therefore I did not have a specific goal, but to be open and explore the possibilities of design in the culture of China. At the start it became clear that the workshop was focused on the concept of ‘Interactive Patina of Culture’ (IPoC) and the aim of the workshop was not only to explore the concept of IPOC but also to experience and learn to design in a different culture with students from this culture.
I did a research project with the aim to create a methodology for setting up a social co-creation platform. I worked closely together with another student who did the same project and also with Woonbedrijf Eindhoven who was the client of the project. In this process I used various specified methods, such as co-creation, co-reflection, contextual interviews and experiential design landscapes. Although I made these methods explicit in my report, I didn’t make the methodology of doing research explicit enough from the beginning. In consequence, the first period of my project was not as structured as it should have been from a research perspective, which has led to a weaker result than I had intended.
In January 2012 I gave the leadership of the company to someone else so I could again enter a totally new experience: a backpack trip from New Zealand, through Indonesia with Mitchell Jacobs, to South East Asia. The trip took me 4,5 months to the most amazing places and impressions of other cultures, along with many great experiences and some bad ones. Although I didn’t expect it on forehand, I can honestly say my journey changed in a way how I stand in life.
From august to December I had the opportunity to take over the small company of a friend in which I worked for the past 2 years. During those months I started the campaign “de Jongens van de TU”, that pushed the company forward. From 2 employees in July we went to 9 employees in October and the projects increased. As for this moment I can proudly say that De Jongens van de TU became an independent enterprise with an office at the TU/e campus and is still growing. The experience of this was an enormous boost in knowledge and skills on all kinds of levels (and competencies of Industrial Design), and also proof for me that could manage my vision in a real life company context.
In the beginning of summer 2013 a friend came to me with an idea for a media player. Together we developed the concept of Smallplayer, based on the open source software XBMC and from November 2013 people were able to buy the product. (see www.smallplayer.nl) My contribution to this project is mainly focused on the user experience of Smallplayer, including communication, interface and interaction design.
In this module I learned about the biology of the heart and how we can use different sensors to get specific information from the heart and our body. We made an arduino based PPG heart sensor that we later on used in a small design assignment. In this design assignment we created a game application that uses someone’s heart rate variability as an input.
Although I found this module quite specifically focused on the heart, I did learn how we could use sensors for our body to generate input for applications other than strictly medical. I learned that by the integration of bio-feedback we can make designs that do not have the experience of a medical device, but still offers great value for monitoring health care.
In this module I worked in a team with two other students to develop a game for a gym class in primary school, while learning about the development of children in specific ages. We did this by creating personas and game concepts, based on theoretical knowledge about development of children in specific age groups and specific domains of development.
I chose this module mainly because I wanted some theoretical knowledge about designing for/with children before I start my FMP next semester. My FMP is going to be focused on the educational structures of primary or secondary schools, although I need a more specific focus in time. Although I wanted to learn techniques in how we can use children in our design process (which I did as well), I also came to realize my knowledge of children and their development over the ages was actually quite limited. Therefore I am very glad I did this module, because it feels like an essential first step towards my FMP.
To explore the context for my FMP I have been to a national teachers congress in Ede. It was a nice orientation and it has brought me some leads that I want to explore further on in my next semester.
I have been to a presentation of Thomas Paulen about his job as CEO of van Berlo, a well known design agency. This has been an inspiration for me, to begin my own design agency one day. “The best about this job is that we can bridge the gap from inspiration to realization.”
This module provided the challenge to explore the concept of transformation in design and society. This was the first time I was able to do this in a specific design case. The element I liked most about this concept is that it is really focused on improving the quality of live instead of providing just a simple or fun experience. From this point I started to develop a new direction in my vision on design.
In this module I created a design that would persuade people to be aware of the common sound level in the library and to let them adapt their sound level if needed. Persuasion is a powerful tool in design and this module provided the theoretical background to develop myself in this subject.
My first master project was a very hands-on project. I created a two meters wide sculpture of knitting and a wooden frame that was able to grow wider and smaller. The project was intended for the STRP festival in Eindhoven.
This project offered me the opportunity to explore the making and form giving side of design. Here I realized that co-design is an important element in my design process.
In this module I created an experiential space that would give the visitor a similar experience as watching a post-apocalyptic movie. I trained myself in creating experiential environments from scratch with a limit amount of time and budget. The results was a very convincing installation of a leaking plump network of chemical wast that people had to cross.
In this module I wanted to learn tricks and skills to improve my form giving skills towards a very practical level, which I could make use of later in my career. The planning of the two weeks were focused around two design cases. In the first week we had to design a saw handle, by the use of workshops in sketching with fine-liner, sketching with pencil on transparent paper and workshops in using Photoshop CS6 and Illustrator CS6 tricks to design or improve your sketch and model. Also we did a workshop in foam modeling. All workshops had a quick and dirty approach to design, so I could practice and discover which techniques suited me best to make quick, but qualitative steps in the design process. In the second week I implemented the techniques we learned of the first week in order to design a hand mixer.
In this module we continued to develop the concept “Moving Avatar” toward a business concept. The first week was mainly focused on developing the concept itself, while the second week was going into depth about the business strategy and finance. Each week on the Wednesday and Friday we had to present the business concept to possible investors, while in between we had to develop the concept itself. What stood out was the Kickstarter campaign that we created to convince the investors.
My Final Master Project is a project of one year that I can direct entirely from my own vision on design. During this project I develop a portfolio tool for students of primary schools. This tool portrays the knowledge, skills and interests of each student in a sensorial way, to make reflection on the personal learning development possible. During this first semester I managed to get an internship at Onderwijs Maak Je Samen with whom I am going to develop my concept to its final state.
KnapZack is a digital portfolio tool designed to integrate within the educational program of primary schools. It allows children to store learning experiences from their point of view, enabling them to look back and reflect upon activities through the use of technology that is available for schools. In schools children develop skills that regular methods prescribe to them. ‘KnapZack’ is designed so children can explore and develop skills that actually matter to them.