About me
I am Mathijs Bodelier, a design researcher with a passion for value-driven innovation. Combining my affinity for technology with a fascination for the human mind I love to explore complex problems where modern day innovations seem to hinder human flourishing. These projects lie at the intersection of designing for behaviour, human-machine interaction and social design, fields of interest that I discovered whilst studying Interaction design and am still deepening today.
Topics of these projects cover a wide set of social issues as my curious nature drives me to delve deep into any context. During this process I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds and always engage in discussion with others to approach challenges from new perspectives. It is in this forefront where I feel at home, exploring new ways and technologies to provoke people and challenge the way we currently interact with the world around us. This desire to break with habits and make a change is deeply ingrained in my character and gives me the determination to take initiative and lead projects to a good end. My exploratory mindset dictates my design process and can be noticed in my works through the large number of prototypes. They help me to immerse myself and others into different contexts to find new insights and
perspectives.
My visionWe are currently living in a world that’s wealthier than ever, yet we fail to be satisfied and keep on striving for more. Deeper values make way for short term rewards; new purchases don’t seem to bring us any more happiness other than a short rush upon delivery. Embedded technologies are often degraded gimmicks or function as yet another incentive for productivity. This desire in our society to quantify all values and strive for bigger numbers concerns me deeply. I want to build towards a new society that looks for the human values that we hold within and focuses on what truly makes us happy, bringing an end to number fetishism. By shaping playful and expressive interactions I want to create meaningful innovations that people can grow attached to, that provoke them to change for the better and bring joy in their lives. Products that make way for a sustainable future without losing the values of old out of sight. With innovation as the enabler, human and machine can work together towards a form of sustainable
happiness.
Learn about my expertises →