From experience designer to something more

Prior to starting this master, I completed the Bachelor of Industrial Design at the TU/e. During my bachelor, I developed a strong interest in spatial, immersive, and experience-oriented design. This interest was shaped primarily through my internship at Motion Experience Museum and my Final Bachelor Project, Sensus Totum, both of which focused on creating engaging and meaningful experiences for users.

I entered the master with several strengths. I was confident in concept generation and had developed a broad digital technical skillset that allowed me to rapidly prototype ideas. Through previous projects I had gained experience with visual design in TouchDesigner, audio design in Ableton, and the development of interactive systems using Arduino-based sensors and actuators. These skills enabled me to quickly translate ideas into tangible experiences.

At the same time, I was aware of several areas in which I wanted to grow. My work was largely driven by intuition, while theoretical grounding and research methodology played a limited role in my design process. I lacked confidence in conducting rigorous design research and had not yet developed a clear professional niche or design vision. While I entered the master as a designer primarily concerned with creating experiences, I was still searching for a deeper understanding of why these experiences mattered and how design could engage with broader technological and societal questions. The master became an opportunity to develop this understanding.