Graduated in 2008 with a bachelor in Communication & Multimedia Design, with a specific area of expertise in Technics, Design & Interaction.
During my college years I have developed an interest in Front End Development combined with User Experience and making a product by using Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Dreamweaver. Not only the creation of a website is my main point of interest, it is mainly the usability and the flow what really interest me. Making a overview of what the website will be containing looking at content, organizing this in a flowchart and making scenario’s.
And eventually making wireframes so you can start building on top of the wireframes with more visual or interactive (flash) elements.
In this last bit of the Interaction phase making the website or other product connect seemless to the housestyle of the client is something I really enjoy doing and it is also a process where I can drop my creativity to the max. Pushing myself to the ceiling with every assignment is something that triggers to me do my very best, so I can develop myself to a more allround Interactive Media Specialist.
Since the start of college in 2004 I did various things at school and school related.
In my second year I did an internship at HipTV, there I was active as a webdesigner. I made (flash) banners and portal pages inside the main portal. During this period I looked at the main portal and I suggested changes in the portal that would lead to a more user friendly portal.
During the last three years I learned about communication between different educated people. Making the gap between marketing/communication and technology smaller and providing both branches knowledge that’s understandable information. During my third year I did a project with five other students. The main goal was to make a youth platform where it was possible to let young people connect and share common interests.
In this group I was responsible for all the functional/interaction design. Because I was the only person in this group that had knowledge about this kind of design I made all the wireframes, user case diagrams, scenario’s and the first prototype in flash. The prototype was used in a presentation so that the client would understand what would be possible with the platform. During this presentation I answered questions from the client keeping in mind that the client wouldn’t know anything about the technical aspect.
During this third year I followed classes in branding, usability, user interfaces, xml and action script. I also followed a minor in Game Design. During a period of three months I made a game with two others in flash. We made a final fantasy role playing game in flash. I was responsible for the whole fighting engine which was realized in action script 2. Actually I made the fighting scene from scratch, so I designed the characters, background and battle interface.
In my final year I did a six month internship at Accepté BV. There I was responsible for all the graphic work, making a lot of e-tickets and small billboards.
Also I made some mockups for a new design of the corporate website. And I helped with a new platform where I assisted two communication students with an impression of this new platform.
During this internship I tutored two other students. I taught them more about illustrator, photoshop, usability and action script 2.
Before I started my graduation project I worked at Jarvis Webstudio. There I worked on the layout of the homepage and content pages for the brand Aerea. There I worked with the main designer, we looked at the possibilities of content pages and what the layout should become. Aerea is a product that allows people to make a broadband internet connection anywhere in Amsterdam. I did some suggestions for the layout of the bundle page in a functional design which I expanded in color in photoshop. Hereby we could make a discussion of how the pages could become more functional and user friendly then the original design.
My graduation consisted out of two pieces, one was a project and the other was a workshop. For my project I chose to write a paper about the upcoming technology in locative media and how this could affect the lives of students when they were able to follow school lessons at home. This paper then got presented at school to my tutor and another person that was also an Interactive Media professional.
For the workshop I followed a class about SEO, as an end result we made a website containing information and guides on how to improve the SEO on your website. When the website got created I did the interaction/functional design with another student so we got the chance to learn from each other. This improved the end result because the other student was more experienced in the technical aspect of creating a website so he knew how to code/create the website. Leading to a basic SEO proof template.
After I graduated I got a job at ATP, The Advanced Travel Partner. Here I got hired for the function of webdesigner; during my working period there I did different projects. I started working on a new corporate website of ATP, which was already designed by somebody so I was asked to have a look at the design and have a good look at the user interfaces and the functionality of the website.
The first thing I started to do was have a good look at the website and made a list of things that should be changed and things that could be changed so the website could be improved. Because the website was in the phase of Photoshopped images and already got approved by the board, I could only change little things in the design.
During this conceptual phase I had much contact with the project leader (who also made the design). We had many meetings where I took the role of adviser and tried to make him understand what was possible for the website and what was impossible. When the website got improved I started building html/css templates and a part in flash/action script. When I completed the templates the website needed to be combined with the in-house cms. So I worked with a php coder who made the cms. He taught me the basics of how the cms worked and how I could get the template working with the cms. In this period I learned mostly all of my html/css skills and during the rest of the year working there I expanded my knowledge even more, this with the help of my supervisor who had extended knowledge of html/css/action script.
During my working period I asked the the php coder a lot questions he would then show me how to fix the problems I stumbled upon. So the next time I had to make a website and hook it up to a cms I was able to do all the php work myself and had no troubles with the front end coding in html/css.
I made some small flash action websites where forms could be filled in so that a specific department at ATP received a mail with information from a person that was interested in an event like the NYC Marathon 2009.
After this year I got a new job at “Intercity”, there I’m now currently working as a Web/Graphic Designer. In a short period of time I’ve been making a lot of products. Reaching from new pages and elements on the website to print media like brochures, billing paper, billboards and event stands. I’m expanding my web knowledge by learning more about print media and recently I also started with my Canon EOS 500D taking pictures for design use.
During my daily routine at Intercity I do more then only webdesign, currently I’m trying to improve the SEO issue of the website. Making the backend code better crawlerproof and improving the layout, text and the look and feel of the website.
This is basically who I am and what I have done and still doing. Enjoying creating new products and learning more and more each day.