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Evert van Beek

 

Currently, I’m a PhD Researcher at Delft University of Technology in the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. My research is about everyday experimentation that happens in homes that are renovated with heat pumps as part of the energy transition. I use ethnographic methods and data technologies to better understand the role of humans, technologies and knowledge in transforming social practices. I use a research-through-design approach to explore the implications of everyday experimentation for more sustainable design in the energy transition. This work is carried out in the context of the IEBB-project (Integrale Energietransitie Bestaande Bouw) that aims to develop affordable and user-friendly renovation concepts for the Dutch housing stock.

 

Experience  

2020 – now

Industrial Design Engineering – Delft University of Technology

PhD Researcher
Integrating everyday experimentation in a data-enabled design approach for the energy transition. Supervised by Stella Boess, Alessandro Bozzon and Elisa Giaccardi.

2018 – 2020

Industrial Design Engineering – Delft University of Technology

Researcher and teacher
Courses
Design in Robotics, Exploring Interactions, Design Theory and Methodology, Interactive Environments, User Experience Assessment and Design, Interaction and Electronics, Designing Connected Experiences.
Research projects
Perception of Intelligent Artifacts:
My own project on intelligent artifacts and the role of ethical values in design. Building on my graduation project, writing a grant proposal and academic publications (see Grants).
2ndSkin:
Supporting residents to develop new practices in zero energy homes. Sensor data analysis and visualization, interviews and qualitative data analysis | with dr. Stella Boess and dr. Sacha Silvester

2017 – 2018

Mintlab KU Leuven – imec

Researcher in Human Computer Interaction
Designing, prototyping and evaluating interactions between people and digital technology. Co-design workshops and studies at home. With academic and industrial partners.
GPS4IC:
A consortium project on developing interfaces for knowledge engineering in health to personalize care paths.
The Future of Watching TV:
A commissioned project to envision future technologies in video and TV through generative sessions with users and prototypes (see Publications).

 2012 – now
freelance

Research, graphic-, product-, and UX-design for different clients

Recent projects include: A design project on smart clothing. A design research project on sustainable practices in a hospital. Organizing and executing training in Solidworks-software. Think we can work together? Drop an email: contact@evertvanbeek.com

Education  

2019
MOOCs

The University of Edinburgh | Coursera:
Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences
University of Twente | Futurelearn: Philosophy of Technology and Design

2013 – 2017
MSc


Design for Interaction

Delft University of Technology
MSc Thesis (Grade 9/10) Bagsight: A haptic backpack for visually impaired as a smart object with intentions (video). Methodology: Qualitative, structured experiment, theory-grounded explorations. Supervisors: dr. Marco Rozendaal, prof. Catholijn Jonker, prof. Pim Haselager
Electives in Philosophy, Motion Formgiving, Information Design, Vision in Product Design, Transport Design, Lighting Design | Average grade MSc: 8,1

2010 – 2013
BSc


Industrial Design Engineering

Delft University of Technology
Minor in Transit Design

Activities & Grants  

2019
grant

Delft Design for Values: Understanding the Perception of Intentional Behavior of Intelligent Artifacts

Delft Design for Values-institute awarded a €6.000,- grant to support my research (link). Co-applicants: Prof. Catholijn Jonker, Prof. Ibo van de Poel, Prof. David Abbink, Dr. Marco Rozendaal

2018
workshop

Lorentz Center Workshop: Designing Smart Objects as Embodied Agents in Everyday Life

I was invited to participate in an intensive week long academic workshop on smart objects. The output of this workshop is a book in which I co-write a chapter from a phenomenological and embodied cognition perspective with dr. Jelle van Dijk (see Publications)

2017, 2018, 2019
conference presentations and exhibitions

Dutch Design Week – Design United

BagSight was selected for the exhbition of Design United at Dutch Design Week 2019 (link and newsitem)

Conference on Human-Technology Relations

I presented a piece of empirical philosophy (see Publications and full text)

ThingsCon Conference for a responsible, human-centric IoT

I presented my research on intelligent artifacts at both ThingsCon 2017 and ThingsCon 2018.

2019
conference volunteering

Research-through-Design 2019 Conference

Practical support in the conference (link)

2014-2015
board member

Student association

secretary of the board, communications, public relations and rebranding

Publications  
 

Van Dijk, J., van Beek, E. (2021). Dynamic mediation: An embodied phenomenological perspective on smart objects in everyday life. In: Rozendaal, M.C., Marenko, B., Odom, W. (Ed.), Designing Smart Objects in Everyday Life: Intelligences, Agencies, Ecologies. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing

Rozendaal, M.C., van Beek, E., Haselager, P., Abbink, D., & Jonker, C. M. (2020). Shift and Blend: Understanding the hybrid character of computing artefacts on a tool-agent spectrum. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction (pp. 171-178). doi: 10.1145/3406499.3415066

Geerts, D., van Beek, E., Chocron Miranda, F. (2019). Viewers’ Visions of the Future: Co-Creating Hyper- Personalized and Immersive TV and Video Experiences. TVX ‘19 Proceedings of the ACM International Conference on Interactive Experiences for TV and Online Video. doi: 10.1145/3317697.3323356

Geerts, D., Nouwen, M., van Beek, E., Slegers, K., Chocron Miranda, F., & Bleumers, L. (2018). Using the SGDA Framework to Design and Evaluate Research Games. Simulation & Gaming.

Van Beek, E. (2018). Bagsight: A study in perception through objects with intention. Abstract in proceedings of the Conference on Human-Technology Relations: Postphenomenology and Philosophy of Technology.

Skills & Expertise  

Toolbox

Interaction design · hardware prototyping · software prototyping · concept development · user research · user interface design · spatial design · participatory design · project management

Arduino · Max / MSP · HTML · Sketch · Adobe CS (Ai, Id & Ps) · Solidworks · Rhinoceros · Contextmapping · Vision in Product design

Research interests

Human computer interaction · Research through design · Thing-centred design · Philosophy of Technology · Tangible and embodied interaction · Smart objects · Object agency · IoT · AI & Robotics in Design

Languages

DutchEnglish

 

contact@evertvanbeek.com

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KvK: 72211083

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