Growing up in a tiny town in the Netherlands, I spent my happy childhood days feeding the animals and driving the tractor on my grandparents’ farm. I promised my grandpa to become a farmer like him one day. Unfortunately for him, my grandma noticed I liked to draw and tinker, so she encouraged me to look for a creative profession.

I moved to Eindhoven, which sparked my obsession for design. Before, I always thought design was about making slick furniture – I was so wrong. At Industrial Design I saw people design products using technology in ways I had never imagined before. It made total sense to me, so I decided to join them, one of the best decisions in my life. To me, design is the perfect blend between exploration and value creation, combining research and creativity.

My curiosity to set out for new experiences led me to move abroad, to Sweden in particular. There is an excess of cinnamon buns, mesmerizing nature and a humanistic mindset baked into the culture - not the worst place to be. Initially coming for a master's in Interaction Design, unfolded in staying for a PhD.