My particular interests are empathy, social interaction, and the rapid changes in society driven by technology, science and culture.
My ambition is to improve, foster and enhance our interactions with others, as well as with products and systems. I have worked on projects in six countries and in collaboration with school teachers, medical researchers, a social care charity, and an organisation for the elderly, as well as organisations including the Fraunhofer Institute, Carbon Trust, Volkswagen and the Design Museum. These experiences and my time studying abroad allowed me to develop a global perspective on human behaviour, which I use to identify challenging opportunities and as inspiration for forward thinking solutions.
Projects
- Behaviour Aware FacilitatorWhat if self-awareness could be increased through an artificial mediator in the workplace? Dominant, interruptive and overly passive behaviour are a universal experience in the work environment. This leads to frustration and conflict. The biggest cause is a lack of self-awareness, and how your behaviour affects others. Behaviour Aware Facilitator embodies gentle repetitive movements in emotionally adaptive furniture. This triggers self-awareness, and is much more effective at changing behaviour
- Empathy ExploratoriumThe Empathy Exploratorium activities are designed to encourage empathy between children in a facilitated educational environment. In such an environment, children have the opportunity to learn empathic skills with each other, supervised by a trained professional, the teacher. Each activity focuses on a different aspect of empathy. The first on relationship skills, the second on self-awareness, and the last on social awareness. Through a playful and exploratory process they expand their understanding of human interaction and the impact of their behaviour.
- See it, Hear itSee it, Hear it, is an experimental installation to enhance people’s understanding, for more empathic behaviour in face-to-face interactions. By testing this with people, I realised that simple techniques can be effective at shifting behaviour. Speaking through a cone connected via a tube to headphones that another person wears creates an intimate and real-time influence on the other person’s ability to focus on you. By looking through a mirror with a cut-out for the eyes, each person’s face merges with the other person’s eyes. This stimulates and magnifies perspective taking, because you are more aware of your emotions being expressed through facial expressions, as well as becoming more aware of how the other person might feel, and how they might perceive your behaviour. A tangible embodiment of empathy.
- Ephemeral EmpathyA speculative and provocative exploration of the question What if our empathy was the price we had to pay for radical artificial enhancement and excessive use of technologies? Scenario: When public empathy reached an all time low, governments around the world decided to create Ministries of Social Emotion to direct people’s empathy back to a ‘human-like-level’. In these ministries they developed programmable nano particles that can stimulate your brain to feel empathy again. Through a newly formed task force of empathy enforcers, these nano particles are distributed. They do this with an empathy gun which fires empathy particles at people’s faces. These particles are so light and small that humans are able to inhale them. Through the nose and mouth the particles go straight into the nervous system, entering the brain and spreading their stimuli.
- Touched by TechnologyAn exploration of impacts and future perspectives on humans’ relationship with digital technology An exhibition is an environment where everyone can let their thoughts unfold to explore the exceptional as well as the desirable. It frees people up from constraints that they might have in their usual environment. The following fictional exhibition spaces enable me to draw a speculative picture of the future that can be then explored and reflected on in a more tangible way – in your mind through your imagination. This dissertation presents an experimental approach to extend our understanding of humans’ relationship with technology by looking into current research trends as well as historical developments. I will illustrate this discussion in a fictional exhibition space to create an open arena for growing thoughts and perspectives. An exhibition is an environment where everyone can let their thoughts unfold to explore the exceptional as well as the desirable. It frees people up from constraints that they might have in their usual environment.
- The Skin as InterfaceSELF-SCREENING SYSTEM Skin cancer is the most common cancer disease at all. Every year approx. 234,000 people in Germany are newly diagnosed with skin cancer. The self-screening system presents a new perspective on prevention. The aim was to create a concept which redirects peoples awareness on their own body - an educational approach.
Work history
Digital Design Intern
London, United KingdomInternship
> Working on future retail experiences
Industrial Designer
- London, United KingdomInternship
> Managed Designs of the Year 2015 Exhibition for Design Museum London. In this project I was responsible for exhibition design, management and realisation.
> Worked on electronic consumer products, applications & communication
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Skills
- Experimental Design
- Industrial Design
- Human Behaviour
- Empathy
- Empathic Design
- Experience Design
- 3D Prototyping
- Adobe Indesign/illustrator/photoshop
- Soildworks
- Arduino Programming
Education
Master of Art
- London, United Kingdom
Global Innovation Design
Master of Science
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Global Innovation Design
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Awards
Warp & Weft Design Competition
WinnerInternational Bicycle Design Competition
Merit Award