My graduation project Data Door allowed me to explore a topic that was close to my heart, which was giving control of data back to users, moving from my care for people and the drive I feel to keep technology human. The start of a clear vision. I began the master Industrial Design with the goal of exploring different perspectives on the complexity of data and AI to become a specialist who can protect human values.
A focus was placed on Business & Entrepreneurship and User & Society. The business context is where the complexity around technology arises as described in my vision, society is where the consequences are felt. Choosing the master track RDD allowed me to operate in a design space that seeks to understand both companies and users, consisting of emerging challenges that still require extensive research, but also rapid responses in designs. I have guided my development by occasionally switching between these two areas, taking a holistic perspective and looking for surprising connections that allow me to unravel the complexity.
This led to projects exploring the perspective of users, society, big tech and the agency industry, allowing me to gain a full understanding of the complexity. In between these projects I consciously choose courses to gain a set of skills working towards my vision, that I could place in practice in the projects.
Projects
Final Bachelor Project
Starting with a small reflection on Data Door that gave direction to all upcoming projects. My care for people was embodied by putting users at the center of the project, their values and thoughts, by inviting users into co-speculation sessions. From a technology perspective, I learned to what extent I need to understand technological systems, analyzing smart products and data flows to define opportunities and challenges. A first direction of my Design DNA came to life when I relabeled interaction and used metaphors to make a complex topic relatable, next to the entire presentation design to make it a speculative exhibition where citizens can experience a part of the future.
M1.1 semester
Within the first master project Delta Feminism, we explored how our society could start a movement in response to unfair use of AI. When I was TA for Trends and Forecasting, I learned how to look at trends, as well as the past, to create possible future scenarios. Storytelling was used to make the scenario come to life by using the first-person perspective to really step into the scenario and empathize. This was further explored in Researching the Future Everyday, which taught about the importance of detailed speculation in such a topic open to debate and moral conflict. A movement like this is almost like an organization that needs to run, so we applied methods on Service Design, as in the UX Theory and Practice course, to the speculative context to simplify the complex scenario.
Courses

Design for Behavioural Change
M1.2 semester
In the research semester, the CDR course introduced how to consciously choose a research method. My M1.2 project explored the perspective of big tech to prevent rather than fight fire, an exploratory topic in a specific context. As a result, I chose a field method to collect in-depth data, followed by translating the insights into a showroom to provoke reflection and further research, resulting in The Critical Employee. A PDP goal was set around Strategic Design, investing in understanding organizational structures and which current strategies need transformation, for example, from a focus on growth to a focus on ethics. Models like Rethinking Value in Changing Landscape or Radical Innovation, as introduced in the UX course, become tools to reflect on strategies and transformations. From a data and technology perspective, Data Ethics is explored through research on regulations, techniques, as well as mechanisms to achieve Data Ethics. Creativity and Aesthetics of Data and AI challenged me to define my personal design DNA, which consists of making a complex topic relatable and inviting to all, seeing beauty in moral values and ordinary things. This is reflected in the mechanisms developed in The Critical Employee.
M2.1 semester
I collaborated with design agency Above to explore how to embrace the power of AI while balancing AI with its potential consequences, resulting in Fruitful Friction. Where I normally rely on my critical eye, I deliberately chose to explore an opposite positive perspective. I discovered that I have a good knowledge of data and AI at a high level. As during Creativity and Aesthetics of Data and AI, I discovered that as designers we need to understand what is happening in a system to see the opportunities and challenges, but that the details are skills of other disciplines. For example, during the course we delved into negotiation and reinforcement learning to see how it affects human values, but we stopped at the point where it turned into mathematical formulas. I am able to understand the technical language and present my perspective, which can be an aesthetic, business and even philosophical perspective, as was explored by taking Interactional Morality, which introduced topics such as a responsibility gap, the notion of caring for technology and how we tend to humanize technology. Another personal perspective was articulated in a manifesto on dependence on technology for the UX course. Working part-time at Fabrique as a UX designer taught me skills in Experience Design, but also stakeholder management, balancing between client and user value, as in a project for NS. At Above, this relationship with the client was emphasized, to become a strategic discussion partner and determine future directions together.
Skills
Business and Entrepreneurship
‘Understanding how complexity arises on the business side to define and design a transformation’
Creativity and Aesthetics
‘Unraveling complexity by using creativity techniques according to a personal design DNA’
Math, Data and Computing
‘Understanding complex systems, being able to define opportunities and challenges’
Technology and Realization
‘Unraveling complexity by using realization techniques to explore, visualize, experience and demonstrate ideas’
User and Society
‘Understanding human needs and values to bring complex issues to a human scale’
- Scenario building
- Service Design
- Stakeholder management
- Strategic Design
- Trend analysis and forecasting
- Craftmanship
- Design storytelling/fiction
- Metaphorical design
- Perspective switching (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- Presentation design
- Basic coding
- Data and AI understanding
- Data Ethics
- Data visualizations
- Quantitative research
- Basic electronics
- Construction techniques
- Experience prototypes
- Exhibition design
- Imagination prototypes
- Ethics and Morality
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- User / Qualitative research
- UX Design
Conclusion
Reflecting on the design and research processes of all projects, a certain pattern can be seen: I first dive into the full complexity through research, followed by unraveling this complexity through design. In all projects, this is done in close relationship with stakeholders, aligning values and validating decisions. I use my professional skills to present a complex issue, using different communication strategies based on the context, in addition to using my social skills in stakeholder management.
During the master’s, I planned my curriculum in a way to develop my identity toward my future vision as a designer. I appreciate how morality and philosophy became methods to embody my care for people, and how criticism and speculation are always present in my way of working as moving in an evolving and uncertain field. I appreciated how I gained a holistic view: having an overview of different perspectives and making surprising connections to create an open discussion. I am glad that the master allowed me to explore my vision from these different perspectives, which make it the complex subject that it is. I believe that as a designer I should not simplify this complexity, but embrace it and delve into all aspects. My education gave me the tools and methods, including an attitude, to then unravel the complexity again, aiming to bring the subject to a human-scale subject. The list of perspectives on the complexity of data and AI is closed by the context of citizens in public space during my graduation project, where an extensive reflection can be found here.