Past

Having done my bachelor's at TU/e as well, I am not new to the concepts presented at this university. There are, however, a few key ways in which I wanted to develop myself. Firstly, my FBP, AUD_I/O Left me very hungry to keep exploring the possibilities of novel music control interfaces. Secondly, I wanted to develop my skills in business development, since this has always been quite appealing for me, yet I had never had the chance to explore it during the Bachelor's. These two goals were the main criteria for my Master's project selections. Additionally, I am fascinated by AI, and I am naturally a very pragmatic person, which is why I chose to do some courses about AI, and some that are more speculative, respectively.

Present

Overall, I feel like I have strongly developed myself as a designer. The jump in quality between my Bachelor's and Master's projects is quite large. I think aesthetically, I am a much stronger designer now. The improvement in the Rootnote user interface is evidence of that. I developed myself as a researcher, and I am now able to conduct research in a lab setting. I have also developed myself as a programmer, and I am now able to write code that is production-ready. I am more confident in my skillset, and I am able to better translate my concepts to commercial realities. The following sections will briefly summarize my personal development in the expertise areas. My vision is much more refined than it was before, and I feel that my skills are now of such standard that I can make a meaningful contribution to the design space. This is a feeling that I lacked at the end of the Bachelor program, so I am enthralled to have reached this point.

Business & Entrepreneurship

The course Design Innovation Strategies helped shape my understanding of business models. It gave me an appreciation for the usefulness of business development tools. This knowledge was applied in Rootnote. Additionally, this project helped shape my design leadership skillset. Talking to other founders has taught me a lot.

Be it Rootnote or something else, going through the process of starting a business (ficticiously or not) has taught me a lot about business development, making it a lot less scary if I were to follow the entrepreneurial path.

Technology & Realization

As someone who almost went to study computer science, I have always leaned towards the technology side of projects. There are a few major developments that happened during my Master's, however. First off, the programming done for Rootnote goes far beyond that of a prototype. It was the first time that I had to write code that would run for longer than 2 weeks. Other projects that heavily relied on my technological realization skills are Dynamix, Meflex and Pomato. These activities have opened up new career paths for me, allowing me to look for jobs in software engineering. Ideally, I hope to be able to bring a designerly touch to these roles, one not often seen in software engineers.

Creativity & Aesthetics

Throughout my Bachelor's, the aesthetics of a prototype were mostly an afterthought. I was more interested in the technical aspects of a project. However, during my Master's, I have come to appreciate the importance of aesthetics, and how it can be used to strengthen functionalities. No project captures this better than Dynamix. Projects such as the Turrell Speaker and the Parameter Radio Highlight my 3D-rendering skills. the web design of Rootnote and this portfolio highlight my growth in UI design.

As a pragmatic person, speculative design does not come naturally to me. I always struggled with projects that are supposed to be very far into the future. The course Creativity & Aesthetics of Advanced AI was the first time that this kind of design actually clicked for me. It gave me a better appreciation of the the TU/e's design philosophy at large. While I am still not the best 'storyteller' on campus, I am glad to have been at the TU/e, since it gave me a perspective on design that would be very hard for me to gain elsewhere (or by myself). I will keep applying this perspective to all my future endeavours.

Math, Data & Computing

As someone whose vision is related to the use and consumption of personal data. I of course need to have a good understanding of it. The course Data-enabled Design taught me how to use data as an ideation tool. This new perspective data, and that it can be useful before the validation phase, was crucial in my development of this expertise. The data analysis performed for that project, as well as Social Translucence within Shared Music Listening helped me develop my data analysis skillset. Looking forward, I am sure that these skills will be useful in my future career, with applications ranging from in-depth research to A/B testing.

User & Society

My research project Social Translucence within Shared Music Listening best highlights my growth in this expertise. Additionally, the course Constructive Design Research taught me how user research is done within a lab setting. The course Data-enabled Design helped shape how I do user validation, and has made me more aware of the value of quick and frequent testing. This philosophy translates well to my professional skills, where continuous development and A/B testing are the norm. Looking forward, I will now not only user test through field study research, but I will also use data as an ideation tool, and will use lab setting research to validate my concepts when applicable.

Future

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the TU/e. With my time at the university coming to a close, it is important to start thinking about the future.

My interest in technology is no secret. That is why I look forward to a career in the tech industry. I am eager to apply my skills to real-world problems, and to learn new skills along the way. I am particularly interested in the intersection of data and design, and I hope to find a job that allows me to explore this intersection. The coming months will be make-or-break for my startup Rootnote. While it would be dream come true to continue on the entrepreneurial path, I am also open to other opportunities.

Hopefully I will be able to spread the TU/e design doctrine for many years to come, and bring just a touch more humanity to an ever more digital world.