Grasp the excessive challenges of leading. The Dutch ministry of Defence is in need of tertiary educated talent to become officers; able to, but also willing to take lead. Taking decisions in this sector might confront you with more leadership challenges and power than at any multinational out there.
Yet, tertiary educated talent rarely think of taking a career path within the military. The challenge was to reach this talent and inspire them on the nature and severeness of the work, challenges and dilemma’s.
Learn to Lead. We had to solve two main challenges: how to reach the right talent, while also convincing them of considering a career in military and create a campaign reaching this goal within a very tight budget. We came up with creating a website in which visitors could experience different dilemma’s and take decisions that potentially could have drastic consequences.
Those dilemma’s were based on real life, as we got the chance to interview officers and use their stories as inspiration. The dilemma’s we’re told re-using existing material, crafting a new story. Within Learn to Lead we challenge the visitor to take important decisions, while also educating the user on the effect of their decision and what’s expected of an officer.
Putting education in the military on the map. Through omni-channel marketing, including Dutch television the expectations of putting the Dutch ministry of Defence on the map for tertiary educated talent, were exceeded. The gamification style storytelling was appreciated by the target group, familiarising them with the military and tough decision making. The campagin-website is still being used today.
I'm all about creating amazing products and experiences that are a joy to use. Doing this while trying to align business goals with user needs and desires, definitely a tricky balancing act. I've been doing this for over 11-12 years now, trying to give a unique perspective on the projects I had the pleasure working on. I rely on a combination of methods, my experience and gut instincts to deliver results that make users happy and achieve our goals.
Throughout my career, I've worked in multiple fields, including print, advertising, motion, and product design. Even though each one has its unique challenges, I find it super rewarding to partner with colleagues & clients and help a vision come to life. My passion for product and experience design has grown naturally over time. While taking on leadership roles in various design projects, to help guide and mentor other creatives another passion was born. I believe in teamwork & diversity! Unique people, views & ideas shape opportunities to make magic happen across all (digital) touchpoints.
I'll admit, my journey into design was a bit unorthodox. I didn't go to school for it or anything. But I've been tinkering with software like Photoshop since I was a wee 12-year-old, and I even designed my first website at the ripe old age of 14! Over time, my love for problem-solving, aesthetics, and technology only grew stronger, until I knew I had to switch careers and pursue design full-time. I'm so grateful to Steam in Amsterdam for taking a chance on me and letting me bring my unique perspective to their projects.
These days, you'll find me living in the suburbs of Amsterdam, zipping around on my bicycle, taking adventurous rides on my motorbike, and exploring all sorts of things outside. But before I started wandering around the flatlands of the Netherlands, I spent a bit of my childhood in France. Most of my life though was spent in the lovely city of Cologne, in Germany
I'm a people person at heart and consider myself an empathetic and caring individual, with a love story for mountains. A few of my guilty pleasures, next to design, that I can't resist—are listening to old-school rap and obsessing over Star Wars.