I missed something in B1.1 and in the next semester I got to develop it: useful designs, user involvement, stakeholders, and bigger societal benefits. The project choice was key in reaching these goals: ‘Smart Teams on a Smart Pitch’. Especially the professional approach helped me. It gave insight how to work with clients and helped improve my presenting skills.

The elective “Co-creation” gave me new design tools for ideation and helped me set my first steps towards systemic thinking. ‘Creative Programming‘ helped to develop coding skills. Through visual art and game making, I got a basic understanding of digital prototyping. Within the project, I worked more on the electronics.

During the great first year, I got acquainted with all competencies. I was able to steer a design process with less guidance. I gained especially a lot of development in my communication methods and report writing. Also, I found out I am a team player.  The competencies that were less developed were focused on integrating technology and math data and computing.

PDP B1.2

Showcase B1.2

Activities

Project, SToSP                                  showcase, report

Co-creation                                     essay, showcase

Creative Programming                    showcase

USE Basics                                       –

Modeling                                         –

A challenge at the start for myself: work towards a system in a more scientific manner. In my third design project, Enigmo, this meant: a process based on methodology and finding values through user studies early on in the process. The project was explicitly steered to a Value Sensitive Design approach. Leading to a sentimental concept and a physical interaction with a digital system. Interests for well-being and intuitive designs came forward through the project, as well as the Use Learning Line ‘Quality of Life‘.

‘Basic Formgiving Skills‘ was one of the most influential electives of my bachelor. It sparked interests in form giving and abstracting. It resulted in getting a feeling for the creative and aesthetical aspect of design. Overall I think this elective has shown the importance of taking a step back and taking in forms and designs. Analyzing in a different way and not just do.

In ‘Engineering Design‘ this was harder. Working with students from other studies that are not familiar with designing and a ‘free’ approach was time-consuming. However, taking responsibility showed to be the best remedy. What I learned is to delegate more tasks and not have to do everything by myself.

PDP B2.1

Activities

Project, Enigmo                                report

Basic Formgiving Skills                     report

Use Quality of Life (I+II)                   report

Engineering Design                         –

Calculus                                           –

After finding out where my interests lay, this was a semester where I truly wanted to do what I liked. One problem, I like a lot, so I did a lot. Every activity was chosen deliberately from a vision or identity perspective. In order to have a more methodology based view on UX-design, I chose the elective ‘User Experience Design‘. I got familiar with methods to collect design relevant knowledge and evaluating a user experience. This knowledge could be integrated into the Research Project Healthy and Active Aging. My first research through design project. A project through which I have gained a more professional attitude towards research and presenting yourself. This was learned the hard way, through critical coaching. Doing research was found to be challenging since you have to ‘find out’ instead of ‘make’. Dedication, however, resulted in an ‘excellence’.

With the electives USE QoL Project, “Design for Active Lifestyle” and “Digital Craftsmanship” I chose electives in line with my vision in order to shape it more and find out what suits me. Next, to that, I wanted to develop in visually conveying my thoughts, for which I did the electives ‘Visual Experience Design‘ and ‘Exploratory Sketching‘.

This semester was about the importance of always showing a professional attitude, self-confidence and the duty of designers to make choices. All together I am proud of what I accomplished this semester and hope to have contributed to the world and society with our research, which I will keep on trying to do, by designing towards a better Quality of Life.

PDP B2.2

Activities

Project, ENNA                                  paper, video

User Experience Design                   –

Design for Active Livestyle               report

Use QoL Project                               report

Visual Experience Design                 report

Digital Craftsmanship                      report

Sketching                                         reflection

Modeling                                         –

At the end of B2.2, I felt I was balanced in competency development. However, I wanted to explore a different kind of design area. Resulting in choosing Minor Sports Innovation rather than Movement Sciences. My passion for sports and well-being combined with design. The possibility to learn a lot from traditional industrial design approach and having actual courses were convincing.

I worked on a research for design project closely involved with the company BBB cycling. Being in a multidisciplinary forced me to become the facilitator and actively reflect upon design processes. Having to explain why something is relevant to do in a creative process is very confronting and useful training. This resulted in my own research and concept development process, with new influences of methods used in Delft.

Overall the minor was inspiring, fun and offered me a lot, which made half a year a great experience. It was motivating to have a working high-end prototype which was implementable in the current market. It was the first real ’round’ design cycle. Although traditional product design was something I enjoyed I missed the engaging services and systems around products. Also having a distinct division research and design showed to be fruitful, though I prefer more user involvement throughout the project. This showed that I prefer myself to become a  user-centered system/service designer rather than a hardcore product developer.

(made before choosing Sports Innovation over Human Movent Sciences)

PDP B3.1 External Learning Activity  

Activities

Project, Design MSI                          report, video

 

Project, Research Part MSI               presentation

Ergonomics

Innovation Methodology, Biodynamics, Sports Engineering, lightweight design & aerodynamics

Due to the fact that I was not allowed to start my Final Bachelor Project without having passed all my first years’ bachelor college courses, I chose to focus fully on them. This resulted in passing it.

To develop myself, I chose to follow extra electives. Ones that would challenge me to think a little different. I wanted to explore different areas of design and different approaches. I wanted to try out how to trigger a thought process within people, evoking emotion.

‘Design for Debate‘ challenged me as a ‘down-to-earth’ person. The elective helped me to have a more critical attitude towards work for myself and others. The overall insight was showing the power that playing with perception can have. Overal the elective was fun and engaging

Even more fun was ‘Game & Play III‘. It was playful, obviously. We pushed ourselves to boundaries. It is nice to not be too serious at times. On the other hand, we did put effort in it so the result was also convincing: Connect four at your toilet door.

Two electives that pushed me in a different sense were ‘Technology for Connectivity‘ and ‘Creative Mechanical Engineering‘. These were more technical and focussed on Internet of Things and mechanical design.  Both challenging though taught me hard skills through learning by doing.  It showed that connected and mechanical products are way more complex than I thought on forehand and make you think more in system models. It also gave me tools to chose the appropriate materials and technology in different contexts.

Overall this semester was one to develop myself a little broader and did not come to waste. Next to the electives I also did some promotional work for a festival in Delft and for committees.

Activities

Design for Debate                           report, video

Game & Play III                                report

Tech for Connectivity                       report

Creative Mechanical Engineering    report

This semester I developed myself a lot towards an independent, competent designer. All the loose ends came together and shaped my vision and identity to a more specific, defined version of myself. With my designs, I want to empower, in order to create a better Quality of Life.

Before starting my final bachelor project, I envisioned the perfect project for myself. A project that would allow me to show my strongest side, yet at the same time offer unexplored parts of design. I am at my best when I can work with something big and challenging. Projects with challenges are something I prefer over something that is almost predefined. When I heard of the Eckart project, I immediately knew that it was a challenging yet truly new opportunity to work with multiple stakeholders and a high-fidelity interactive system. Hands-on with Technology. Concept design. Interesting process. Value creation. User Involvement. Business.

I have learned of all these parts of the design process and what it takes to be a designer. I evolved myself on the fuzzy front end of innovation. Working on complex systems made me more aware of using technology as a tool. I acquainted the hard skills to test user experience of digital products, which I did not do before. The project is the perfect example of a product with an interactive system and related services that make life more comfortable.

Of course, as in every creative project, there are ups and downs. For instance, the technology of the Eckart system let me down a little when I needed it the most for experiencing. Though I managed with quick digital prototyping to find a way to convey my concepts (mockup with Arduino). I have also learned that designing through multiple stakeholder insights can be challenging. It taught me to always think about ‘why?’ in the process. Every design choice should be justified. Overseeing the process and criticizing your thought in order to see the bigger picture.

Landing page Eckart+

Activities

Project, Eckart+                                        report, video

Chief Promo & External Affairs Educie     –

Dutch Health Hackathon                          –

Design Marathon (hackathon)                  –