Welcome!

My name is Lianne, a user-centred design researcher with a focus on education.
In this portfolio you can read all about me, my growth, work and future plans.

Vision

Looking at the trends currently visible at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the educational landscape as a whole, the need for learning beyond knowledge is emerging. According to the 2030 vision of TU/e, the engineers of the future should learn how to become life-long learners, who are able to constantly adapt to ever-changing knowledge and circumstances. This new education landscape asks for a different way of learning and teaching. As a design researcher, I want to enable more motivating and meaningful learning.

By conducting empirical user-centered studies, I want to disrupt the way we educate. Emerge myself into the context and iteratively switch between abstract challenges and concrete solutions. I believe learning should be personalized and contextualized, so there is no one-size fits all solution. My goal is to use both design and the design way of thinking, to enrich learning experiences.

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Identity

I love to be around people, connect with them and ultimately learn from each other. During my study I have learned to dive into a context and listen carefully to all stakeholders. I enjoy constantly learning, from the people and the world around me, and I use design to research how I can enable a similar experience for others. With a focus on education, I aim to create more hands on, contextualized and self-directed learning experiences.

In my way of working I am structured and analytic, using a methodological approach in both gaining and analyzing user-input. For me, visualizing and concretizing, is a way to stimulate thinking and the other way around. Especially in the interaction with users, these skills can open up a whole new dimension for conversation. Ideally my way of designing is a combination of structuring, communicating, analyzing and concretizing.

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Growth

During my master program I specialized in Design and Research Processes, User and Society & Math, Data and Computing. Click the icons below, to read more about my growth per Expertise Areas.

Design and Research Processes

Looking back at my master program my main development has been in the area of Design and Research Processes. Simultaneously with the department’s shift towards more research-driven education, I shifted from a research-oriented designer to a design-oriented researcher.

I boosted my scientific writing skills, in order to report in paper-format and learned how to make scientifically sound arguments. I learned to systematically gather and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data, by critically applying descriptive and inferential statistics in order to make claims and using thematic analyses to understand the how and why.

User and Society

My way of working is defined by active user-involvement both in shaping and evaluating design-choices. In my master I have experienced how using different techniques can influence the information you will receive from users and/ or stakeholders.

Methods I used are cultural probes, card-sorting, co-constructing story sessions etc. During electives I learned how to correctly apply these techniques and evaluated the applicability during projects, taking what you have learned and make it your own. Being able to take the essence of a certain technique and apply it in a way that fits the project.

Math, Data and Computing

During my program I have learned to use data as a way to evaluate and create designs. Next to using different type of statistics, I got acquainted with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. By running several projects I gained new insights on the interplay between collecting and interpreting data as a means to realize intelligent interactions.

In group-context, I conceptualized how to use K-nearest neighbor and content-based filtering to give dinner suggestions; realized a web-application that uses decision trees for dinner recommendations and proposed Meeb. a mediating system for smart-homes.

Technology and Realization

For me it is important to know enough about technology to know what is feasible in translating ideas into designs. During my master I did not focus on gaining new skills in this area, but I did gain some experience.

In group context, I realized the hardware to detect the presence of a receipt, using an IR distance sensor and connected several sensors and ESPs in order to gather air-quality data. My personal favorite is the tinfoil LED, created for a MOVE project, using the bare minimum in both costs and complexity, to let these kids experience what we do at ID.

Creativity and Aesthetics

As a designer I have always struggled with tasks such as sketching and high-end prototyping. During my M1 project we focused on creating an aesthetically pleasing product with an eye for detail. Hereby we did several material- and form explorations to fine-tune our product.

For me, the most valuable insight happened while creating a cultural probe. By investing a little more time in the appearance and interaction, we managed to create an experience. Which led to higher commitment from participants and thus more valuable insights. During later projects I used this insight when designing different moments of user-involvement.

Business and Entrepreneurship

For me the essence of this Area of Expertise lies in positioning and presenting both yourself and your work. Which is slightly different, but just as relevant for a researcher; knowing what is happening in the field, connecting with relevant parties and putting yourself out there.

During my program I have been actively working on becoming aware of the value of both myself and my work and how to communicate this. I have gained a lot of work experience at our department by tutoring, squad-coaching, PI&V coordination etc. and managed to get a temporary contract to continue this work.

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Work

During my master program I completed three projects and six courses/ electives. Click the images below, to read a short recap of what I did per activity and how this contributed to my overall development. For more in-depth information you can check-out the attached deliverables.

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What’s next?

On top of my curricular activities, I have been actively involved in our department’s education as a professional. I have been a member of the Program Committee, supported coaching in the Seamless squad, tutored students in from Idea to Design and had a coordinating role in the PI&V learning line. All these activities boosted my skills in communicating, organizing and collaborating, and allowed me to approach my own education from multiple perspectives.

In February, I will start in a part-time position at our department to coordinate PI&V and support P1. Simultaneously I will be following the master of Science and Communication at the ESoE. Via this program I plan to gain more theoretical knowledge to evaluate if, and how, design can influence learning experiences and -outcomes. Hence, I can then combine this with my gained insights, on how to evaluate if people understand and appreciate the design.