Enjoying a few laughs with fellow design thinkers...
What makes me tick?
I find orchestrating experience touchpoints as interesting as inventing new devices. I started flexing creative muscles as an industrial designer but also discovered a passion for service design. Problem-solving motivates me and I enjoy the process of uncovering insights through research, design thinking and multidisciplinary teamwork. I look at user experience problems holistically, considering interaction points as well as the ecosystems that influence them.
Innovating myself...
After years focused on "tactical" design problems I wanted to have greater influence at a strategic level. I went on to build skills in design strategy, user and market research, innovation management and entrepreneurship through the Strategic Product Design Master’s program at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Beyond gaining greater understanding of the many influencing factors on product and service development, I had a truly great life experience with talented people from across the globe.
I was also bitten by the entrepreneur bug. My first venture into the world of creative business builders grew out of my connections at Delft. I co-founded a beverage startup called "Oto" that focused on healthy, natural enhancements for tap water. We developed a healthy lifestyle brand and system of pods and beverage-making bottles to make it fun and convenient to do something good for oneself and the planet at the same time. While we didn't secure the necessary funding to commercialize the product, it remains a great idea and hopefully will resurrect again! In the meantime, I continue with other entrepreneurial ventures...