J.W. Hoftijzer

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Master thesis (17)

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The Future of Urban Distribution Trucking

A New Concept and Vision for DAF Trucks

Master thesis (2024) - M.I. van Haaff (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), E.D. van Grondelle (graduation committee member)

Globally, an urbanisation trend is underway that is creating a rising urban demand for goods and services. Especially in the Netherlands, with its limited geographical area, cities will be more densely populated by the year 2040. This will lead to an increase in the frequency and volume of urban deliveries. However, this increase in urban deliveries clashes with the lives of city inhabitants. Today's distribution vehicles disrupt the urban environment by congesting streets, increasing urban noise and polluting the air. Deliveries in the city are done with large trucks or lorries that are a direct burden to the city. Municipalities advocate for a liveable environment by imposing restrictions on heavy vehicles and strive for a truck-free city centre. However, there is no doubt that distribution vehicles will still be needed in the future urban landscape and will therefore have to adapt to contribute to a liveable environment. Aware of the changing urban landscape and future municipal and environmental requirements, leading Dutch truck brand DAF wants to offer a solution to this new urban context.

To realise the ideal urban distribution vehicle for the year 2040, the vehicle must meet the needs of the immediate stakeholders: the driver and the city inhabitants. After research on both stakeholder groups, the problems could be identified and a design vision established. The vision shows how DAF can set a new standard for how an urban distribution vehicle can be designed to integrate seamlessly into the future urban fabric. A concept has been developed that focuses on reducing the vehicle's area-time by offering a new unloading system that increases the efficiency of the unloading system, as well as increasing safety and acceptance levels for city inhabitants. In addition, the design proposal includes a recommendation on how the vehicle should be logistically deployed to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of the distribution network. Designing urban delivery vehicles in the proposed manner could ensure a future where distribution vehicles are accepted in cities and can safely share the streets with other road users.

A Framework for the Agency of Sketching

Master thesis (2023) - A.M.J. van der Wal (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), M.C. Haans (mentor)

This thesis project aims to answer the following research question: “What was and is exactly the agency of design sketching with its affordances in the past, in the present and probably in the future?” To answer this question, the various roles of sketching in different design phases are studied, taking both a theoretical and practical perspective.

Following a general introduction to the themes, definitions and scope of the project, chapter 4 begins with a review of the literature to produce a cohesive theoretical foundation for the role of sketching in the design process. Existing literature in the field of design sketching often lacks a wider view on the human perception of pictorial representations in general. However, the perception of sketches by non-designers, such as clients, is increasingly important. Therefore, the rest of chapter 4 zooms out to provide a perspective beyond ‘design sketching’: the human psychology behind the perception of sketches and paintings. This leads to a better understanding of the interactive human role that is involved concerning the agency of design sketching.

Chapter 5 focuses on design sketching in practice. Firstly, it analyzes the development of design sketching from the twentieth century till now. Thereafter, to gain insights on design sketching in modern times, the results of interviews with five designers are presented. This offers crucial insights into the contemporary context of design sketching as well as knowledge of current approaches to upcoming trends
that are appearing in this field and might shape the agency of sketching.

The interviews provide two observations. Firstly, there appears to be a decline in the sketching skills of young designers entering the work field. Secondly, designers tend to increasingly pay attention to the affordances of drawing with regard to outwards communication, rather than a focus on internal affordances. This might lead to an unbalanced practice of design sketching, in which some core affordances with regards to the design process are lost.

Hence, the situation calls for increased recognition of the significance of sketching in design. Chapter 6 aims to explain the key aspects of sketching for designers. The essential theoretical affordances of sketching are captured in a framework that reveals the agency of design sketching.

The Framework for the Agency of Sketching should be applicable in practice, with the following goal: to let designers rediscover design sketching as an agency and unlock its benefits. Therefore, chapter 7 provides a vision on realizing this. So, while the primary focus of this thesis project revolves around the development of the theoretical framework, its possible application in practice is briefly explored, leading to the proposal of two concept directions.

Visualization for Better Stakeholder Communication

Design of a visualization strategy tool and an empowering visual tool for multi-stakeholder projects

Master thesis (2023) - K. Zhang (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), A. Singh (graduation committee member), Hans Roeland Poolman (coach)

Personal Air Filter

A purpose-designed air purifier to reduce the spread of airborne transmissive diseases in offices

Master thesis (2023) - R.P.A. Vonk (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), G.P.M. Hoekstra (mentor), Maarten Witte (graduation committee member)

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of indoor air quality in preventing the spread of airborne transmissive diseases. Offices are some of the largest hotspots for disease transmission. To address this issue, a joint venture between FLEX/design and Euromate, called ‘X-Lair,’ aims to design an air purifier specifically targeting the reduction of airborne disease transmission.

This project focuses on developing an air purifier solution that not only effectively reduces the spread of airborne diseases but also considers user experience and implementation in office environments. While primarily designed for placement above desks, the proposed solution has the potential to be applicable in various contexts.

Extensive literature research, user tests, empirical studies, interviews, and mind- mapping techniques have been employed to explore the research domain, identify design drivers, and establish a list of requirements. An iterative design approach, including tests with smoke and computational fluid dynamic analysis, have guided key design decisions. Additional tools such as Midjourney and virtual reality have facilitated the elaboration and visualization of ideas in their intended environment.

The final design proposal of the Personal Air Filter features a suspended configuration above desks, providing a large capture area to effectively filter the user’s breath. Plume propagation is considered by locating the air intake at the edge of the hood. An integrated lamp ensures comfortable ambient lighting, enhancing the device’s aesthetic appeal in office settings and improving employee well-being. A user interface, including a smartphone application, allows for convenient control of ventilation speed and lighting intensity. Smart features like the ‘smart mode’ enable autonomous operation, while interconnectivity between multiple devices enhances overall effectiveness and reduces noise.

A functional prototype was developed to validate the device’s efficacy and user experience. Smoke tests demonstrated the Personal Air Filter’s effective smoke capture at both 100 and 200 m3/h, indicating the potential for downsizing the device without compromising its performance. Special attention should be paid, however, to ensure that the Personal Air Filter operates at an acceptable noise level below 45 dB, taking into consideration the need for a quiet and comfortable office environment. Furthermore, user tests emphasized the need for a smartphone application and adjustable height for the Personal Air Filter.

In summary, the design of the Personal Air Filter represents a significant advancement in improving indoor air quality and promoting the well-being of office employees. The Personal Air Filter has the potential to become a unique and effective solution for mitigating the spread of airborne transmissive diseases.

Balancing Autonomy in a Shared World

An Urban Mobility Concept for Cortina in 2035

Master thesis (2023) - A.S. van Ginkel (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), S. Hiemstra-van Mastrigt (graduation committee member), Arif Veendijk (coach)

The mobility world is changing due to demographic transformations, sustainability challenges, and technological advancements. Consumers and governments seek sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions that cause less environmental strain, less noise pollution, and safer traffic. The mobility solutions must combine into a coherent platform for convenient and comprehensible communication towards future users through innovations such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and mobility hubs. This report proposes a strategy for Dutch bicycle brand Cortina to navigate the future mobility world. Cortina is the second-largest seller of city bikes in the Netherlands and is mainly known for its bicycles featuring front carriers.

A trend analysis about cities, mobility, and cycling in 2035 served as input for constructing a future worldview, described by the disappearance of private possessions and the rise in shared mobility, resulting in a decreased feeling of responsibility and autonomy. The design statement 'enabling people to feel like a part of something bigger without losing autonomy so they can be their authentic selves' was created in response. The statement is reinforced by an analogy describing the envisioned interaction between future user and context, forming the design vision of the graduation project.

The design insights gathered in the discovery stage form a design brief categorized by the pillars of the user-centred design described in the Delft Design Guide; desirability, feasibility, viability and responsibility.

The proposed future strategy for Cortina encompasses a café, bicycle, and roadmap. The Cortina café will be located at future mobility hubs, serving as a location where travellers can repair their bicycles, buy refreshments, or meet up with someone else. The café concept is accompanied by the Cortina Endurance bicycle, designed for durability, personalization, transport, and easy repair, capitalizing on expected right-to-repair legislation and providing Cortina with a first step towards the project's final vision within its area of expertise.

The strategy created for Cortina leads to the design vision through three stages, as described by a roadmap. The first stage encompasses reinforcing Cortina’s existing knowledge by designing a bicycle while seeking collaboration. The second horizon is expansion and experimentation, in which multiple pilots will test the concept of the Cortina Café. The third horizon describes integration and disruption, which will be the launch and growth of the Cortina Café. All these activities will eventually lead up to the future vision of 2035: creating an interaction that elicits autonomy, responsibility, trust, and cohesion.

The report's final design's value proposition includes autonomy, sustainability, social cohesion, and education. The Cortina Café enables users to be in charge of their mobility and reduces private car usage. The café serves as an educational platform, promoting repairing over replacing among younger generations.

The result of this graduation project should be treated as a visionary proposal that aims to inspire and guide society to a better world. Mobility players should work towards a joint visionary long-term worldview, as today's decisions will influence society's future.

The ideal daycare

An interior redesign process for Erasmus MC Sophia

Master thesis (2023) - B.W. Haantjes (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), M.A. Gielen (graduation committee member), Maaike Peters (coach)

This thesis describes the design process of the ideal daycare for Sophia Kinderziekenhuis as part of Erasmus MC. The hospital finds itself at the start of a renovation process that will possibly give Sophia an entirely new space. This new building will only be ready in 7 years, which is why the result of this project is twofold; a design proposal for an ideal situation in a new building and a shortlist of recommendations to improve the current situation in the short term.
The report is structured according to the double diamond process. The discovery will elaborate on the interior design process itself, the current situation at WKZ and SKZ, brainstorm sessions with the staff and interviews with the parents and children. It shows the daycare is extremely noisy, insensitive to privacy, inconveniently arranged, boring, outdated and not stress relieving for any of the users involved.

The insights of the discovery are condensed into 6 persona’s and 3 design drivers, which combined form the design vision of the ideal daycare. There are 2 parent-persona’s: Matt and Julie, with a distinction in time spent at the daycare. There are 3 children-persona’s: Ethan, Olivia and Jackie, with a distinction in tolerance for external stimuli. Finally there is a single staff-persona: Sarah, because there are no clear distinctions in value sets between different staff members. The 3 design drivers are defined as privacy, routine and atmosphere, and each of the three user groups has a different view on each of these drivers. These views combined will form a definition of what the ideal daycare means to them.
The development describes three iterations, each one pushing the design forwards in a different way and concluded by a simulation with one of the stakeholders. The first one was about creating maximum improvement with minimal change, which invoked a pivot in the project after the simulation with the architect. The second iteration revolved around ideating on the ideal arrangement of all the spaces, which was simulated with managing partners of the department. The third round focussed on developing different design solutions for each of the area’s, so that they could be combined into concept arrangements for the ideal daycare. These concepts were used for simulation with the daycare staff, who gave feedback on the designs and then made an ideal version of their own.
The delivery focuses on the visualisation of a final design proposal. It shows several impressions from an eye-level perspective of what the modern future of Sophia could look like. It applies a nature theme with a large tree that anchors the space, symbolizes health, growth and serenity, and is functional as sound isolation, table and play area. There is a central coffeecounter for the parents, secluded beds for enough rest and a separated staff area.The project is concluded with a set of recommendations for short term improvement. The hospital should invest in - amongst other things - a daily food service, freeing up spaces for an extra treatment room, better chairs, a proper break room with comfortable couches, and sound absorbing furniture.

Digital Nomads: the shared sailing opportunity of 2040

Master thesis (2022) - J.W. Tielken (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), J.R. Alferink (mentor), Robert Vijselaar (mentor)

This report contains a future vision for sailing yachts. It differs from many other visions as technology is not used as the basis for development, but behavioural change. The starting point is chosen as the upcoming Digital Nomad culture: Working from anywhere in the world. The thesis is done in cooperation with Contest Yachts, a sailing yacht builder from the Netherlands.

The analysis is done in two parts, which meet at the conclusion of the chapter. It consists of a brand analysis and a future use study.

Contest as a brand has three important values to cherish in the future to remain true to their current brand identity. These values are safety, quality and comfort and innovation. There is also a foreseen change, to make their current semi-custom approach more manageable in the future.

With the use of the ViP-method, future behaviour is predicted and separated in four different quadrants, each characterised by multiple habits. From these four, one is chosen to design for: The Trusting Tribe. With a strong focus on community and an inherent drive to be in nature, these people are interesting for Contest to build a new model around. The following vision is formulated: “We want people to uninterruptedly explore themselves and the planet through an open and flexible yacht.”

The starting point for the ideation is shared ownership in combination with the tribe analogy. As the model of sharing is getting increased attention in the yachting business, also noticed by Contest. Within this system, it is important that the sailor still has a feeling of responsibility. The result is the Florence CS. She is a combination of a lease service in combination with ownership. The yacht exists of a fully functional interior and two empty private modules with their own heads. The shared space holds a galley, lounge area and workstation.

Future Tribe members can lease a yacht on one of the seven Contest harbours (Seen in step 1.) with friends, family or strangers. The local Contest crew fits the interior and prepares the yacht for departure (step 2). Contest provides a full and careless sailing experience to their future members (step 3). After the trip, the Contest crew removes the interiors and store them in local warehouses (step 4). The ship is checked, serviced and prepared for the next group of nomads to use.

The final proposal disrupts the current yachting market. It introduces a new business model for Contest in the shape of a lease service. Also, it includes shared ownership.

For future developments and innovations, it is up to Contest to make further work of this. Possible next steps are: redoing this project with another graduate student; developing it into a case study and share it with more experts and enthusiasts; organising a creative day for employees and let them share their thoughts and expertise.

As innovation is embedded in Contest, the above-named options should be within reach. Outcomes of these options can help to make Contest future-proof as well as to make the brand the booster the yachting world.

Ambulance drones in The Netherlands

A vision + concept design for 2035

Master thesis (2021) - J.R. Dielemans (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), D.I. Brand (mentor)

In the previous decade, a new type of air travel has seen a surge of interest from established and start-up companies alike: Air Mobility, a type of short range air travel as an alternative to taking the train or the car. Part of air mobility are a new type of aircraft, called Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs), which hold potential for many new use cases.

Design agency Modyn wants to profile themselves within the field of air mobility through a vision concept for an ambulance drone. This use case, they reckoned, would be a good starting point for Air Mobility and eVTOLs, as it attracts more public acceptance than commercial use cases, such as an air-taxi service.

Modyn’s vision project was turned into this graduation thesis: an ambulance drone concept for the scope of 2035. Far enough in the future to capture the imagination, but near enough for it to relate to our present day reality in 2021.

Keeping the project grounded was one of the main challenges. It required a good understanding of the current ambulance system in The Netherlands. Which was the first research subject. A visit to ambulance station Delft and interviews with people from the field were all valuable input.

After establishing the current status quo, a look into the future was taken. Here, plans towards Air Mobility were investigated, in order to see how much The Netherlands is interested in this idea. The influence of technological and societal developments that relate to Air Mobility were plotted on a timeline, creating a roadmap towards 2035. This roadmap would create an input for the technical architecture of the ambulance drone.

Having a good picture of the present and a potential future, the research was distilled into a vision and a mission. The focus now clearly went towards using ambulance drones to replace the current ambulance helicopters. Also, the design challenges were identified and a program of requirements was compiled.

The design phase started off with the ideation, in which Virtual Reality was used to generate interior layouts. The interior is the most fundamental part of the design, as it is responsible for 90% of the interactions that the users have with the ambulance drone. An inside-out design approach was therefore the most sensible.

From the VR based ideation, the most promising interior layouts were translated into concepts. The direction was still rather open at this point, so in order to converge towards the final concept, a lot of experts were consulted for feedback on the concepts and the direction of the project.

This led to the creation of the final design, which was loosely based on two of the concepts. Thanks to the feedback from experts, the final design underwent quite a metamorphosis compared to the concepts.

The result is an ambulance drone concept with novel features and interesting ideas regarding the interior layout. The final concept has a recognisable, yet unique identity from a visual standpoint, being professional and approachable at the same time.

Hardt Digital Lab

Virtual Reality Design Review tool for Hyperloop Development

Master thesis (2021) - J.M. Rodriguez Diaz (author), D. Aschenbrenner (mentor), J.W. Hoftijzer (coach), J.E. Sanchez Perez (coach)

Due to the increase in flight demand and pollution impact that it has, the idea of the hyperloop concept has gained relevance in our society. Even though the hyperloop concept is still in a conceptual phase, there are already several companies working on it. Here in the Netherlands, Hardt Hyperloop is developing its vision. The hyperloop is a new mode of transportation that requires a lot of public-private collaboration from diverse sectors, generating an ecosystem. Hardt is a very technical focus company that has problems communicating its vision concerning the hyperloop. Without a good communication strategy between Hardt and the stakeholders, the hyperloop ecosystem will not reach its full potential. Good communication is required internally between members, but also externally with the stakeholders. Due to COVID-19, Hardt is facing how to keep alive the ecosystem with a working-from-home situation. Remote meetings are not as engaging as face-to-face meetings. Onboarding new stakeholders through virtual conferences, instead of visits to the Head Quarters, was not effective at all. The communication through text with other stakeholders who were already part of the ecosystem was not fluent. Hardt with the pandemic situation started to have difficulties reaching their milestones. This could affect the development of the hyperloop. Currently, the video conference tools used are obsolete (Teams and Zoom). As an alternative, a virtual environment where to showcase virtual prototypes was proposed. The concept is called Hardt Digital Lab. It is a multi-user review platform that can be accessed from the web browser, avoiding installations for those who want to participate in the design process. The platform can be accessed with PC and smartphone. Virtual Reality is also a possibility but cannot be used through the web browser. Communication with interactive visualizations improves significantly. A prototype was developed with Unreal Engine 4 to prove this concept. The project was evaluated by Hardt members with positive feedback. Even though they considered the environment to had simple but effective functions, they thought it could have promising features in the future. The main concern was to adapt the environment visualization to the workflow of the company.

Genesis Symbiosis

Luxury mobility reimagined for a more sustainability-oriented future

Master thesis (2021) - V.M.J.J.M. Bonnemayers (author), W.F. Kets (mentor), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), G Mignot (coach)

The main finding of this thesis is that sustainability does not have to be a compromise for luxury (or vice versa). In fact: it can be a starting point for experiencing luxury mobility in new ways that are more beneficial to the environment, the user and the brand - in this case Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai. Based on this, a vehicle interior design proposal was developed for a sustainability-oriented future Europe (2035).

Problem

The automotive industry is under increased pressure to become more sustainable and has responded to this with electrification and new mobility services. However, there has been less focus on the interior design, especially in the luxury segment. The underlying problem is that luxury and sustainability do not easily seem compatible, resulting in sustainability efforts that are mostly limited to the trim and decoration of the product. The aim was to go one level deeper (the interaction level) by envisioning a new and more responsible interpretation of luxury mobility.

Analysis

Using the ViP-method, the three pillars of the project - the brand, luxury and sustainability - were deconstructed. This led to the conclusion that traditional luxury is 'ego-focussed'. Conversely, sustainability means looking beyond the ego, namely balancing the needs between users and the environment. This could be achieved with a circular approach to products and reinforcing human-nature connections in interactions. To innovate on this interaction level was considered most interesting, since this was lacking in Genesis' current sustainability strategy. This could be a way to bridge the gap between the brand's ambitious 'New Luxury' slogan and their current interior designs.

Vision

With an overview of the status quo, now the future context could be explored. This was done by studying sustainability-oriented, societal and technological trends that shape future ('new') luxury. With this the Eco-Luxury travel trend was identified, that united luxury benefits (digital detox for mental wellbeing) with environmental benefits (awareness for more responsible behaviour). Based on this an interaction vision was created of exposing users to their environment, inspired by yachts with open-air lounges. This led to a moodboard and scenario that became the
foundation for the design.

Design

Next, several ideas were explored for the overall vehicle architecture that impacts the interaction. A GT proportion with off-road capability was selected to fit the interaction vision. Based on this a basic technical package was developed as well as several concepts. The selected concept reinterprets the 'majestic bonnet proportion' of typical luxury cars, with a yachting-inspired lounge deck. Here the user is invited to unwind and connect with his/her surroundings.

The lounge can accessed via an interior that is designed to fully immerse in the travel environment. The space looks airy thanks to the enlarged visibility and a calm and honest design, to prevent any distraction. Autonomous driving makes you focus fully on the road ahead, thanks to the absence of a dashboard with steering wheel. Instead the vehicle can be assisted when nessary with a joystick from the comfortable seating position of a hammock.

Evaluation

The design was optimised after extensive reviewing with professionals, experts and users. This led to a final design that was created in 3D. The design is presented with 2D renderings, as well as an interactive, Augmented Reality model.

Improving doctor-patient communication by visual thinking tool design

Master thesis (2020) - C. Tsui (author), Valentijn Visch (mentor), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor)

Currently, mental healthcare recognizes the benefits of optimal communication between patient and doctor in the treatment process. However, the protocols and therapeutic doctor-patient interactions are not yet designed to fully realize their potential, as patients who have differ ...

Hangar of the Future

Concept development using VR as an alternative prototyping tool

Master thesis (2020) - A.A. Dalal (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), M. Sypesteyn (graduation committee member), Timo Pauel (coach)

The global aircraft fleet was predicted to grow by approximately 40% between 2017 and 2027 by Oliver Wyman (2017). This fast-growing fleet needs to be supported by equally developing Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) divisions of airlines. In light of the growing need for more efficient and technologically advanced aircraft maintenance, this project called the Hangar of the Future was initiated. The Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) division of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of the largest MRO service providers in the airline industry. KLM’s Hangar 12 at Schiphol carries out A-checks for its entire Boeing 737 and 787 fleet. These are the airplanes that are the most promising for future use and KLM is acquiring more of them every year. For this reason, Hangar 12 has an increasing responsibility for sustaining the company. For the development of the hangar, KLM has several priorities that were initiators of the project:- New technology is required to continue to be competitive and to maximize the efficiency of maintenance. - KLM believes in retaining a sustainable workforce for which ergonomics i.e. providing a pleasant and healthy working environment play a huge role. - Sustainability is a strategic pillar for the company and is hardwired into KLM’s future mission (The attention to this topic was minimized going forward in the project due to several reasons).While considering these factors, the project was tackled with a fairly methodological approach. It was guided by the overarching Double Diamond structure of industrial design. The scheduling of the project was done in line with the four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. Clear goals were set for all the phases before starting them and within each phase, one or more design/research methods were used to achieve these goals.In the Discover phase, research was carried out about the working of the hangar, the employees, their problems, and requirements. A broad understanding was gained and documented in this starting phase.In the Define phase, the research was analyzed and converted into usable data. The problem statements that would be the most beneficial to address were identified. This phase was crucial in guiding the focus of the project.The Develop phase was the one that resulted in the highest quantity of innovative ideas due to the brainstorming activities incorporated in this phase. It was intended to go broad again, explore ideas, research on the possibilities, and come up with multiple directions that address the problem statements.Lastly, the Define phase was the one where it all came together. The ideas were filtered, concepts were given shape, and validation was carried out. Virtual prototyping and concept animation was done for presenting the concepts.The project resulted in a family of three concepts that fit the hangar: a collaborative inspection robot for full ground and drone inspection, an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for moving materials and tools, and a dashboard that updates the teams with realtime information at the hangar workfloor. These three concepts address the top priorities of the stakeholders and are backed by well-grounded research.

Interior design of a future passenger car for Škoda

Master thesis (2019) - L.C. Lambrichts (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), D.I. Brand (graduation committee member)

Cabin Interior Design of the Flying V

Master thesis (2018) - H.T.I. Chung (author), P. Vink (mentor), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), Roelof Vos (mentor)

The design goal is create a passenger-centric cabin interior design for the future concept commercial airplane: The Flying V. The vision is to provide the feeling of self-ful ...

The design goal is create a passenger-centric cabin interior design for the future concept commercial airplane: The Flying V. The vision is to provide the feeling of self-fulfillment when leaving the cabin by providing focus areas to achieve personalised goals. In this vision, the old situation where in-seat dining, resting and watching IFE is experienced, makes place for a new situation. As sleeping is associated with a bedroom and working with an office chair, the new aircraft interior is in line with these expectations. At the same time, a redesign results in an opportunity for movement onboard, which is considered a significant health aspect. The combination of an appropriate redesign of cabin space and the freedom to move is shown to have positive effectson health, comfort, and has a higher potential to reach product pleasure. In the interior of the Flying V several zones are defined, which facilitate different activities; stimulating social opportunities (Lounge Zone), the creation of new seating arrangements (Transition Zone) and a more productive setting for work and sleep purposes (Focus Zone). These zones are created to reduce the static sitting and increasing in-zone or zone-to-zone movement onboard specifically for long-haul flights.The detailed product features with colour, textures are applied to the digital prototype. With the use of Virtual Reality tools, the future travellers could experience the interior in 3D, while being interviewed. The results are validating the concept regarding the viability, desirability and feasibility of the next generation cabin concept proposal.

Designing for Opportunity – Drones & Sport

Master thesis (2018) - J. Frielingsdorf (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (coach), C.M. Coimbra Cardoso (mentor)

What if drones could be a tool for enhancing or enabling (new) sports and how could Sony play a role?
As odd as this question might sound at first, future technological advancement will likely make it possible. Drones are fast, agile flying robots, that are increasingly lear ...

What if drones could be a tool for enhancing or enabling (new) sports and how could Sony play a role?
As odd as this question might sound at first, future technological advancement will likely make it possible. Drones are fast, agile flying robots, that are increasingly learning to understand their environment and interact autonomously with it, including other drones, humans and objects. These factors would allow for potential new use cases in the realm of sport, health and fitness.
SONY as the collaborating company of this project is driven by entertainment enabled through electronics and is in a process of re-inventing itself - looking beyond its normal business areas and models for new opportunities in all areas where technology is an enabler, specifically in artificial intelligence, robotics and Internet of things - all being fields related to drone technology.

The initial assignment of this project was to develop a feasible (within 2-7 years), profitable drone for Sony that enables its user(s) to experience a new sports activity or enhance/alter existing sports with it.

The design process was divided into three phases.
The first research phase elaborates on the proposed connection between Sports and the company Sony, next to exploring the status quo of drone technology and estimated developments, followed by suitable sports that would benefit from the integration of drone technology.

The second phase comprises the ideation phase that shows the creation and selecting process of different ideas around connecting drones to sport.

The third phase is about further detailing of one chosen concept including a business model for a profitable solution.

The project outcome is “Amari”, a multi-purpose, intelligent and autonomous drone enabling new sports and supporting existing ones. It can be a play partner, in existing sports, when no one else has time or support and enhance training sessions of professional sports e.g. long pass training in football or act as a team player in entirely new sports to be created. This project wasn’t primarily about envisioning new use-cases for Amari , but rather about designing the tool in form of a drone that could enable them.
The drone comes with its own App, that connects the owner to all services and controls. In the activity tab for example, the sport to be played with Amari can be chosen, new sports can be downloaded, settings can be changed and related information, such as progress and high scores can be viewed.
On the Amari website, new use cases and sports can be co-created together with SONY and people from all over the world. The play section connects people in a neighbourhood to play chosen sports with Amari.
Throughout the project it was shown that the idea of Amari is appealing to people and might be worthwhile for Sony to test and explore further.

Product design algorithm

A proposition to empower laymen users of 3D printing to create unique design files

Master thesis (2017) - M.A. Spaapen (author), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor), M.H. Sonneveld (mentor)

For many years 3D printing has been one of the most exciting promises in future technologies. One of the issues with the penetration of 3D printing technology is the required proficiency with creation software; and the lack of experience in design. This report describes the explo ...

For many years 3D printing has been one of the most exciting promises in future technologies. One of the issues with the penetration of 3D printing technology is the required proficiency with creation software; and the lack of experience in design. This report describes the exploration into a novel means to empower users to create unique design files to 3D-print and in doing so aspires to increase the technology’s audience. The current users of the technology are mainly people with technical backgrounds or highly invested autodidact amateurs. The audience that is targeted with this project consist of creative, tech savvy early adopters; people who lack the skills but not the inclination. The idea proposed by this project was to find a compromise between freedom and ease of use, while maximising the perceived freedom and sense of authorship. The approach to achieve this goal is by the means of formalising a digital design process through an algorithm. By offering a set of instructions and options the user would be guided through the process. The objective is that the user experiences a successful DIY-type cycle with sense of genuine authorship over the outcome. It does so by combining several types of tools into a specific combination setting up a framework for other people to use for specific product types. It proves to be a multi-faceted problem consisting of: the algorithm; a user interface; a way to guide the user through the process called the Track; and guidelines to create an implementation of the framework, on a meta-level. Each of the facets is explored and combined to create the concept. After thorough analysis and ideation the concept proposal is the PDA (Product Design Algorithm)-framework. By making several prototypes and reviewing them, through quick user tests, a lot of insight was gained. This iterative process proved to be a productive means to get comprehension in the implementation of the proposal. This led to the creation of the final design case; Spectacle. Spectacle showcases the implementation of the framework with a full track, algorithm and user interface. It facilitates the creation of glasses and guides the user in specific steps through the process. By manipulating things like sliders, points and curves, the user forms the design of the glasses. It provides real-time feedback by displaying a representation both in 2D and 3D according to the specific step in the process. In some instances parameters are controlled directly and singularly and in others they form group for a more subjective feeling of control. It made use of augmented reality to combine map the model on the users face via a web-cam. The Spectacle was tested with group representing the target. Through observation; vocalising the thought process; and post use-interviews new insights were gained that were either implemented immediately wherever that was possible and otherwise included in the guidelines. This report suffices as an exploration into the world of creating specific algorithmic design tools. However this context is on the forefront of innovation and therefore constantly changing. While this project tries to make its recommendations as fundamental as possible it is likely that some things will change over time.

Patient Empowerment in Type 1 Diabetes Care

In the Early Stages After Diagnoses

Master thesis (2017) - V.C.R. Laagland (author), A. Albayrak (mentor), J.W. Hoftijzer (mentor)

This report presents a design proposal for a product-service system to support type 1 diabetes patients in the first stages of treatment after diagnosis. Diabetes is one of the largest health care problems globally in terms of prevalence, cost and burden placed on individuals liv ...

This report presents a design proposal for a product-service system to support type 1 diabetes patients in the first stages of treatment after diagnosis. Diabetes is one of the largest health care problems globally in terms of prevalence, cost and burden placed on individuals living with diabetes. It impacts these people and people around them every day and remains one of the leading causes of death. Although the great efforts that have been made in the treatment of diabetes care, many patients still do not achieve adequate glycaemic control and experience devastating complications that result in decreased length of and quality of life. Our healthcare system is designed to deliver acute, symptom-driven care, and is therefore poorly configured to effectively treat chronic diseases, and especially diabetes. The proposed design aims to increase the effectiveness of diabetes self-management in adult patients and thereby increase their metabolic control, quality of life and decrease healthcare-related cost.

Fundamentals
The principles of the design are based on extensive literature research, user research, consults with healthcare professionals (HCP) and user participation design. The difficulty of diabetes treatment lies in its complex and personal character. The latter causes that patients cannot surrender the responsibility of diabetes management and are therefore mainly designated to self-management. Patients provide 98 percent of their own care and diabetes is fully woven into the fabric of everyday life. The complexity of diabetes makes self-management a daunting task. The main goal of treatment is to normalise blood glucose levels (BGL) to an as normal state as possible. To gain control over their BGL, patients need to uncover how they respond to a plurality of influencing factors. This does not only mean that they have to acutely adjust to different lifestyle factors, they also have to unveil patterns in their treatment regimen and adjust accordingly. Together, this places a high level of demand on patients and is highly intrusive in a person’s life.

Problem
Besides the issues demonstrated above, user and HCP research revealed barriers to effective self-management. These were categorized in two sets of problems (A) ineffective self-management, which includes (1) lack of reference, (2) lack of knowledge and (3) lack of structure and (B) lack of support from (4) HCPs, (5) social environment and (6) others with diabetes. Together this leads to sub-optimal self-management, decrease in metabolic control, decrease in quality of life, decrease in health status and increase in cost.

Design proposal
Together with patients, a holistic design was developed to support patients in their self-management. The design consists of a physical product supported by a smartphone application (see adjacent page). The essence of the design is described in three key user benefits.

1. Simplify, by providing one place for everything in one clean and simple design, automatically logging most relevant data and enabling the user to effortlessly log relevant contextual factors.

2. Structure, by providing the user with an action plan for self-management, personalised information and meaningful data overviews.

3. Support, by guiding the user with nutrition support, dose calculators, reminders, automation of repetitive actions and personalised feedback and messaging.

Evaluation
The design proposal was evaluated together with patients and HCPs. User evaluation demonstrated that the concept is certainly promising in increasing self-management effectiveness and participants acknowledge the value of the holistic nature of the concept and its features. In addition, healthcare professionals indicate that they see the concept as a great addition to current treatment, think the design has the potential to increase patient insight and would recommend it to their patients.

It is concluded that, although the final design proposal has a huge potential to increase the effectiveness of diabetes self-management, this cannot be fully substantiated within the context of this project and needs to be validated in follow-up long-term research.