Creative technology
In the beginning of the master, limited technical knowledge meant that my design process was primarily driven by aesthetic considerations in terms of form and material, as my ideas to sketch to physical artifact. During my projects and courses like Designing User Interfaces with Emerging Technologies and Interactive Materiality, I developed experience working with microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators, I became increasingly confident in integrating electronics earlier in the design process. In my M2 projects, technical prototyping became the starting point rather than a later addition. By first establishing how the technology behaved, I was able to understand the interaction and experience prototypes.
This approach was particularly evident in how I worked with haptic motors in my FMP. A significant part of the design process focused on shaping the internal structure of the device to clearly accentuate haptic feedback. Prioritizing the technical aspects in the end resulted in a more coherent and refined aesthetic experience. Working in this way encourages an iterative process in which aesthetic and technical decisions continuously influence one another. In the FMP, this took the form of a tightly interwoven design of the haptic experiences, where the characteristics of the motors informed the design of sensations, while the desired qualities of those sensations guided choices in construction, shape, and material.
This process also requires a higher number of iterations, which has become central to refining the final quality of my work. Instead of moving quickly from sketch to finished object, my desk is often filled with small experiments and partial prototypes that represent tested ideas and learned mistakes. Apart from technical problem-solving, each iteration also involves aesthetic decision-making, contributing to the development of a distinct design language across my projects. This became evident during Demo Day, where several visitors recognized my project based the design, even when I was not present.
Critical design
Previously, my main focus within industrial design was to express my ideas creatively in a physical form. However, through courses such as Design for Behavioral Change and User Experience Theory and Practice, my approach shifted toward a more user- and society-oriented perspective. I became increasingly aware of the importance of integrating users into the design process through interviews, observations, and user studies, and of designing from perspectives beyond my own first-person experience. This shift not only helps set clearer direction within the design process but also enables products to move beyond just aesthetic expression and provide meaningful societal impact.
This development has also informed the approach to critical design that I have adopted over the course of the master’s as I have designed a range of speculative devices. In my FMP, it became clear that inspiring societal change requires more than critique alone. For critical design to have impact beyond discussion, the products produced should serve a purpose and address real user needs in order to be meaningfully integrated into everyday life. Through user observations and interviews, I tested my concept to better understand how they could provide value among people that do not have a commitment in my vision. In my work, critical design therefore functions not only as a tool for questioning dominant technological norms, but also as a method for developing alternative products that are both reflective and usable at a broader scale.
Designing with data
Human experience is grounded in the senses, while computational systems perceive the world through data that is often abstracted into numbers and statistics far removed from lived experience. Through my projects, I have come to view data not only as a tool for measurement or optimization, but as a material that can reveal the uniqueness of specific moments and situations.
During my M2.1 project, I explored this by working with AI tools and sound classification models to highlight ambient audio recordings and images as a reflection of the transient data present in everyday environments. Rather than treating this data as something to be stored or generalized, it was used to highlight the momentary and contextual qualities that make each experience distinct. A similar approach informed my M1.2 project, where bearing and angular calculations were applied to location data to create a functional navigation device.
In my Final Master Project, this approach was further developed by integrating algorithms that allowed spatial data to directly influence the behavior of the device in response to how the user moved through space. Thus, understanding how data can be shaped in creative ways that reengages our senses and reinforce our immediate environment, rather than distract from it, plays a vital role in my work.
Parametric design
My interest in parametric design lies in its ability to create unique designs through contextual parameters. In the Parametric Design course, data such as weather conditions and light simulations were used as variables that directly influenced the design of an on-campus event space. This demonstrated how data can be leveraged to create designs that are responsive to specific places and moments.
Beyond contextual data, the course also highlighted the role of parametric design in balancing creative vision with business-oriented constraints. Designing a combined student accommodation and event space required managing factors such as cost, material use, and structural feasibility alongside level of innovation. Embedding these constraints directly into a parametric system allowed for creative exploration took place within clearly defined limits.
A similar logic informs my approach to time in design. As time is often treated as a commodity, products that promote slowness can be a difficult sell. Approaching slowness as a design parameter allows it to be adjusted according to user needs for various contexts. Therefore, a central aspect of my work is identifying situations in which slowness is not a drawback, but a deliberate and desirable quality that brings value to users. In my FMP, I had to take this into account when contacting companies for collaboration, causing me to market it for travel and adventure based on user feedback. From an entrepreneurial perspective, this understanding is essential for ensuring that innovative ideas can leave a meaningful impact beyond the design context.