Yesse Works With...
Intro
Hi there! I’m Yesse. I am currently in my third year as a bachelor student in Industrial design at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).
This website will give you an overview of my personal develop within my time at the TU/e. If you scroll down on this page you can find my PI&V.
Vision
The world is transitioning
- Technologically (namely, rapid developments in AI leading to massive shakeups in labor market in the coming 4 years alone. But even beyond that, the expert consensus in AI research predicts a 50% chance for AGI to arrive between 2040 and 2061 signaling the rapid changes our world and lives will undergo as we approach AGI [1, 2, 3])
- Environmentally (with a rise in global (and local) temperatures, sea level, and extreme weather events [4, 5, 6])
- Politically (with a continuous trend of global democratic increase since 1945 reaching a turning point in 2008, and declining ever since as trust in democratic institutions also declines globally, also resulting in a rise of global tension) [7, 8, 9]
These have fundamental impacts on our ways of living
Affecting our social, economic, political, environmental, and cultural circumstances. There are two approaches by which designers can help with this, in both cases it requires coordinating with governmental/societal institutions to:
- Push impact drivers (like companies) to innovate on change and adopt sustainable business practices through policy that is guided by design solutions. [10]
- Strengthen, establish, and empower communities to be actively involved in systems of governance, creating a more functional, stable, and resilient democracy that is more capable of developing holistic solutions to societal problems. [11]
This collaboration can occur in three ways shown on the right. Each section will also showcase how they address each of the two identified cases.
The different functions of designers to achieve meaningful change are to
Research
Unlike traditional research, Design Research aims to understand and develop actionable insights on a problem. .
1. This approach is necessary to guide the development of solutions to problems of societal scale not only on the design level, but on levels of governance. While also helping companies understand how they can achieve policy benchmarks.
2. Through co-creative methodologies, act as the bridge between policy makers and communities. Promote communal self-agency, and assess hinderances and opportunities for more community-guided governance.
Develop
Once the problem and user is understood:
1. Develop recommended actions into practical and integrated solutions that work on a system-level scale to transform impact drivers.
2. Collaborate with researchers and communities to develop drivers for local empowerment and governance.
Deploy
After the development cycle is complete, designers can strategically implement these solutions:
1. Within the impact drivers they work with.
2. The societies they reside in. Actively promoting, collaborating with and sustaining communal governance initiatives.
These functions work together
Different disciplines of design can work on one or multiple steps of this process, leveraging their unique skillsets to do so (e.g. design research collaborate with users to understand the negative impacts of social media, and produces some speculative design solutions to guide policy. Designers develop these solutions into practical updates for social media applications following a change in policy or to test viability. The changes are deployed, and constantly measured and updated to ensure positive outcome beyond policy adherence [10]). In general, the skillsets that are necessary to allow designers to work in this process are generally defined in Click.nl’s Agenda Ontwerpkracht.
I personally believe all designers have a duty to better the world they design for, and given how turbulent the world is going to become, it is vital that designers such as myself acquire the necessary skills to ease and center this transition around the people that are going to be impacted by it the most.
Personal Development
In my vision I defined three roles designers could have to address upcoming transitions. I identify myself most with the research role. It is the foundational role that leads into the other two functions. Because of that, it is where the most impact lies and where key decision makers can be informed. My strongest skills in this capacity are my direct skills in design-research, my analytical skills, skills relating to user & society, data analysis, and my team skills as the best outcomes to a project are usually also defined by the success of a collaboration. However, my skills in transforming research processes into a valuable output for stakeholders is still something I need to improve upon. Especially for design-research projects, where I have not has as much experience in doing so.
Soft skills
Efficient
I work well under timed conditions and stress to produce quality work in quick time
Adaptable
I can shift roles in the team and redirect planning on-the-go
Assertive
I often take up the organizing role in the process to ensure deadlines and targets are met
Facilitation
I am skilled in facilitating discussion, whether that be in a group or information gathering setting
Analytical
I can draw connections to understand broader and more intrinsic behaviors / patterns
Advocator
I advocate for the user within projects, aiming to pursue methodologies that improve the potential positive impact of our work
Debater
I debate for designs, presenting and arguing for decisions well
Hard skills
Quantitative data
I can analyze data both in a financial and design related setting (Excel & Python). And develop tools to measure data (Arduino & electronics)
Qualitative data
I am proficient in data gathering methods with users. Including interviews, diary studies, desk research, (digital) workshops, design probes, etc. I can effectively analyze this data, using techniques such as clustering, modelling, thematic analysis, etc.
Design research
I can effectively follow the design-research process, performing diverging and converging activities at the respective steps of the double-diamond process.
CAD
I am proficient with CAD software (Fusion360, Techsoft-2D), and 3D printing / laser cutting
Sketching
I can sketch to explore solutions and designs
Digital media
I can work well with digital graphical tools (Krita, Canva) to develop visual designs and materials (for prototypes, probes, workshop material, etc.)
Process
The different tabs on the right allow you to see which of these skills apply at different stages of a combined design & design research process. Along with examples from my intern project of how I applied some of these skills.
Intern project planning
These skills apply in steps 1-5 of a design project (which is why some of the 1-5 tabs may be more empty, because the skills here are the only ones that apply there). Steps 1-5 are also cyclical (i.e. outcomes of step 3 can feed back into actions of step 2).
Soft skills
- Efficient
- Adaptable
- Assertive
- Facilitation
- Debater
Hard skills
- Design Research
Explorative research on case studies
My skills here allow me to broadly identify the various aspects of the problem space through research processes.
Soft skills
- Advocator
Hard skills
- Quantitative data
- Qualitative data
Mapping insights from research
My skills here allow me to converge the information from my explorative search into (visual) forms that adequately portray the complexity in a more directed manner to the design/research task.
Soft skills
- Analytical
- Advocator
Hard skills
- Quantitative data
- Qualitative data
- Digital media
Helping facilitate a workshop
My skills here allow me to validate my findings and localize them to the specific users of my project. Which can involve a design process to develop probes for the user.
Soft skills
- Analytical
- Advocator
Hard skills
- Quantitative data
- Qualitative data
- CAD
- Digital media
AI agent internal interface, one of the deliverables from my intern project
My skills here allow me to transform earlier research into a product (whether physical, knowledge based, or otherwise) which can be used by a client or user group.
Soft skills
Hard skills
- Quantitative data
- CAD
- Sketching
- Digital media
Me giving my final presentation at Stby
My skills here allow me to convey the value of the processes and outcomes to various stakeholders. Ensuring they value the outcomes and know how to integrate it into their own processes.
Soft skills
Hard skills
References
[1] D. Kokotajlo, S. Alexander, T. Larsen, E. Lifland, and R. Dean, “AI 2027,” Apr. 03, 2025. https://ai-2027.com/ (accessed Nov. 04, 2025).
[2] “Future of Jobs Report 2025,” World Economic Forum, 978-2-940631-90–2, Jan. 2025. Accessed: Nov. 04, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/
[3] C. Dilmegani and S. Ermut, “When Will AGI/Singularity Happen? 8,590 Predictions Analyzed,” AIMultiple, Nov. 09, 2025. https://research.aimultiple.com/artificial-general-intelligence-singularity-timing/ (accessed Nov. 04, 2025).
[4] “Topsectorenbeleid,” CLICKNL. https://www.clicknl.nl/topsectorenbeleid/ (accessed Oct. 12, 2025).
[5] “High-end climate change scenarios for flood protection of the Netherlands,” KNMI, 2009. https://www.knmi.nl/kennis-en-datacentrum/achtergrond/high-end-climate-change-scenarios-for-flood-protection-of-the-netherlands?utm_source=chatgpt.com (accessed Nov. 04, 2025).
[6] “Climate Action Progress Report 2024 Country Profile Netherlands,” European Commission, Jan. 2024. Accessed: Nov. 04, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/document/download/829debfe-0cc0-49b5-a7ac-4e632a921f43_en?filename=nl_2024_factsheet_en.pdf
[7] V. Valgarðsson et al., “A Crisis of Political Trust? Global Trends in Institutional Trust from 1958 to 2019,” British Journal of Political Science, vol. 55, p. e15, 2025. doi:10.1017/S0007123424000498
[8] B. Herre, L. Rodés-Guirao, and E. Ortiz-Ospina, “Democracy,” Our World in Data, Mar. 15, 2013. https://ourworldindata.org/democracy#article-citation
[9] F. Fukuyama, “30 years of world politics: What has changed?,” Journal of Democracy, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 11–21, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1353/jod.2020.0001.
[10] W. Nieuwenhuizen, T. Nieuwenhuis, Q. van Eeden, en M. van Huijstee, “Inclusive online – Towards design of apps and environments where people can be free and safe”, Rathenau Instituut, aug. 2025. [Online]. Beschikbaar op: https://www.rathenau.nl/en/digitalisation/reviewing-relationship-technology-companies/inclusive-online-summary
[11] M. A. Hajer, J. P. M. Van Tatenhove, en C. Laurent, “Nieuwe vormen van Governance”, RIVM, 500013004, mrt. 2004. [Online]. Beschikbaar op: https://www.rivm.nl/publicaties/nieuwe-vormen-van-governance-essay-over-nieuwe-vormen-van-bestuur-met-empirische