Meet Martijn, a UX Director's Journey from Physical to Digital
Welcome to our UX Professional Spotlight series, where we share the journeys and insights of professionals in User Experience Design. Today's spotlight features Martijn, a design veteran who brings a unique blend of classical product design and digital expertise to his role as a Design Director.
At a glance
- Role: Design Director at an internet agency
- Background: Classically trained product designer (appliances, furniture, physical goods)
- Favourite tools: His brain, a pen, and a piece of paper
- Philosophy: Tools are a means to an end; ideas are what count
From Real Products to Digital Ones
Martijn came to UX long before the term was fashionable, by way of physical products. "I have been trained as a classical product designer, the type that designs real products like household appliances, furniture and so on. In that area of design, it's vital to take the user experience into account. No one wants to sit on a chair that is not comfortable or hold a cup that's too large or too small. In that sense, UX was part of my design process long before it became a buzzword."
The web caught him early. "While I was at school in the 1990s the internet came up, and it immediately caught my interest. I bought a cheap modem and started to surf the web as it was called then." That curiosity became a career when an internet agency hired him as a junior designer, and the transition surprised him. "I discovered that the process of designing a digital product isn't much different than designing a real product." He still misses one thing. "The feeling of holding something in your hands you imagined before is always magical."
Growing Into Strategy
Over the years his role shifted from making to guiding. "I grew from a hands-on designer to a designer who operates more on a strategic and advisory level. Nowadays, I would rather call myself a design strategist or design director."
The urge to make never left, though, and he sees it as part of thinking. "Being a designer means you always have the urge to create, and the process of creating helps you come up with new ideas on a different level than just thinking would. So I'll always keep on sketching and drawing to visualize and brainstorm my ideas." As a director, his focus is his team. "My main responsibility is managing and growing a team of designers, making sure to create a safe environment in which they can excel and create their best work," alongside advising clients and shaping new products and brand identities.
His Favourite Tools
Ask Martijn for his favourite UX tools and the answer is disarmingly short.
"My brain, a pen, and a piece of paper."
Everything else, he insists, is in service of getting ideas out of your head. "Every design starts with getting your ideas out of your head and making them tangible, presentable and visual. Sometimes all you need is a quick sketch on a whiteboard, while at other times you need to build an elaborate prototype to convince stakeholders."
Tools Serve the Process
The warning he returns to is about not mistaking fluency with software for skill at the craft.
"Never forget that a tool is there to help you, it's a means to an end. Don't confuse the mastery of tools with the mastery of the design process."
He is affectionate about the field's gear obsession while keeping it in its place. "We designers have a love for tools. We can discuss endlessly the benefits of Figma versus Sketch, and we all jump on every new design tool hype. This is all good and necessary, we need to stay curious. But in the end, it's not changing the essence of our work. It might make it easier, even a lot easier, but it all starts with an idea."
Staying Curious
His inputs are broad and visual: Instagram, newsletters, award websites, and Medium publications. But he guards against being dazzled. "Don't get blinded by all the fancy tools, promises of AI, and latest plugins and filters. Sometimes the best tool at your disposal is a long walk to clear your mind."
Advice: Use Tools, Don't Let Tools Use You
Martijn's counsel is a single, steady note. "Stay curious and open-minded. Experiment with all new tools that come along, but always see them as an advanced extension of a pen and a piece of paper. They are meant to help you express your ideas. And ideas are what count in our business."
Martijn
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We hope you enjoyed this peek into Martijn's world of UX design. His journey from physical products to digital experiences offers a unique perspective on the field. Want more conversations like this? Join our newsletter for new interviews and the latest UX tools in your inbox.