HI, I'M SAM. I use interaction design and visual storytelling for sustainable and/or social change


"I use interaction design and visual storytelling for sustainable and/or social change"

What do I mean with that?

With a background in Industrial Design, design for me is an ideal way to achieve sustainable change: social, practical and long-term change. Design can be used to tell a powerful story: by being interactive (learning by doing) and visual (easier to understand complicated situations), this way of storytelling can be used to create awareness for a topic and/or empathy for another person. Furthermore, design is practical and optimistic: it can give people the opportunity to take action themselves. To ask the question: what can I do? I believe that individual actions can have an impact on society. This is why I always aim to combine telling a story and creating practical opportunities in my projects.

TACTSTYLE

mobile application helping people to find and buy sustainable fashion

There are many problems related to the current fashion industry. It can be a challenge to find clothes that are made with care for people and planet. Many people might have the intention to change their buying behavior, but get lost in all the information that is (or is not) available.

Tactstyle is a concept for a smartphone application that helps people to find and buy more sustainable clothes. By providing an overview and making the journey personal, Tactstyle aims to inspire and motivate people during their search for ‘fair’ fashion.

KEYWORDS

fair fashion
app design
changing behavior

DATE

September 2017 - July 2018

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Save what you think is important and share clothes you've bought with your friends
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Find information while you're shopping: compare the sustainability score of shops and brands around you
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Check and save shops for later that you think are interesting, so you can find them later easily
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Empathy maps and user journeys were made to gain insights for the app's structure
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A detailed wireframe, made to determine the app's final details
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Screenshots of an early prototype

ID BOX

tool for teaching children 21st century skills

Education is changing constantly. It is important to teach students so-called ‘21st century skills’, such as creativity, critical thinking and global citizenship. One way to do this is to introduce ‘design-based learning’: using the design process as a learning method in the classroom.

The ID BOX is a toolkit, supporting design-based learning in the classroom. Designed for primary and secondary school classes, the box contains all the essentials needed for a design-based learning lesson in the classroom. The box has three layers: design learning (containing design methods and theory), digital making (containing prototype materials) and portfolio (showing student’s past work and reflections).

KEYWORDS

research through design
stakeholder involvement
rapid prototyping
visual identity

DATE

February 2015 - June 2015

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The three layers of the ID BOX: design learning, digital making, portfolio
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The first layer: explaining the design process and various design methods
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Children experimenting with different materials and electronics from the ID BOX
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During a stakeholder workshop, various stakeholders discussed how design-based learning could be benificial for education
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During a user test at a primary school: introducing the students to the assignment and guiding them through the design process

THROUGH PINK AND BLUE GLASSES

a virtual reality experience focused on creating empathy for another gender

During this team project, our goal was to raise awareness and empathy for gender stereotypes and sexism in current society. Through Pink and Blue Glasses is a virtual reality experience, which tells different stories related to these subjects. These are all based on real life events.

By using VR, we can make people feel like they are in a different world physically, experiencing someone else’s story from a first person and other gender’s perspective. This experience makes it possible for people to reflect and become aware of their own stories, prejudices and assumptions.

This project was one of the ten final projects at the CHI Play Student Game Design competition. During the Dutch Design Week 2017, this project was presented at the Mind the Step exhibition. Furthermore, this project received third price for the Social Design Talent Awards.

KEYWORDS

design for empathy
virtual reality
user experience

DATE

September 2016 - Januari 2017

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A video showing an impression of the experience, and a few reactions we received during the first presentation of the concept
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At the start: choosing a character. This can be changed later, so people can experience a situation from multiple perspectives
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On of three scenarios: a bar
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At the Dutch Design Week, we had the change to present the concept to a large audience
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We were nominated for the Social Design Talent Award 2017. Eventually, we won third prize.
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We pitched our concept during the CHI Play Conference. We were one of the ten finalists of the Student Game Design Competition

TRIANGULATE

creating low-poly images quickly

Triangulate is a small program developed for a course on mathematics and aesthetics, that turns any image of an organic shape into a geometrical pattern using polygons. After indicating various points in the image, a Delaunay diagram is calculated for these points. By using this program, low-poly images can be created quickly, without the need of drawing them by hand.

In this case, the images were transformed from digital to physical by using plastic foil and a vinyl cutter. Using a heat press, the images were pressed on fabric. However, these visuals can be used for many purposes and in combination with many creative tools (for example, by using an embroidery machine or laser cutter).

KEYWORDS

rapid prototyping
mathematics and aesthetics
low-poly design

DATE

November 2017 - January 2018

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Using a vinyl cutter, the images were cut from plastic foil. They were pressed on fabric using a heat press.
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Afterindicating points in any picture, the program can calculate the Delaunay figure
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The figure can then be colored using the color that are present in each triangle
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There are multiple ways to use this program: I chose to cut the images from plastic foil

MADE IN

concept for persuasive gameplay

This research through design project was done in the context of the fashion industry and its impact on people and planet. Could an interactive, digital experience influence people’s ability to empathize with people and their situations elsewhere in the world?

Made In is a persuasive gameplay experience. During the experience, the player is a woman working in a garment factory. Through visual and audio cues, stories about these women’s daily struggles and circumstances are told. This project shows how such a short experience can already have an impact on the player’s perspective of the world.

KEYWORDS

persuasive gameplay
design for empathy
user experience

DATE

February 2017 - July 2017

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The complex context of the project, explained visually
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The start of the experience. After a short introduction, the player gets the order to put two pieces of fabric togeher
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During the experience, the player gets distracted by the stories of other people working in the factory
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However, time is limited. The player has to choose: finish the work, or keep listening to the other stories?
I am available for collaboration on projects or full time employment.
Feel free to contact me!

Sam Janssen

interaction designer


+31614667742

Eindhoven, The Netherlands