"Developing creative innovations for satisfied users without being an expert"
Interview with Noraly Bovenmars by Diana Dalenoord
"I studied Creative Technology. People tend to think that a technical programme is a man's world, but it wasn't! The good feeling of being in the right place was stimulated by the SmartXP lab (creative workspace), the enthusiastic fellow students & teachers and the great atmosphere.
Skills learned
It was inspiring and instructive to work with creative artists, smart programmers, talented designers and start-up entrepreneurs. You familiarize yourself with the basics; how to programme, how sensors work, and how to make 3D models, without being an expert. You learn how to work with experts so you don't have to know everything. I still use this skill. The projects were challenging, had no fixed solution, and your interpretation was important. Sometimes it was more of an artistic assignment (have fun and play), other times you had to follow a fixed approach: make a plan, determine requirements and then build. So, brainstorm with your group, make choices about where you want to go in terms of results, and through trial & error we came up with the best findings.
I have learned to ask myself why I am getting an assignment is the client's question really what he needs, how can I carry out the assignment so that I enjoy it and the client is satisfied with the result and how best to work in a team?
Life after CreaTe
I chose the Master of Communication Studies because I find it interesting how people with different backgrounds work together. In the picture, you see how different disciplines think about making a swing. This involves working in a project team for a client/end-user. It is important to know who you are making a product for and how you are going to sell it. A product is only successful if the user can work with it and is satisfied. At CreaTe, I was working on the result and within my master's I was working on User Experience and User Satisfaction. For me, this was a perfect combination.
Work experience
COVID-19 made everyone more proficient at digital collaboration, document sharing and video conferencing. We helped companies to set up new or improved workplaces. New digital gadgets are of no use if your employees don't want to and can't work with them. We focus on Fit for Purpose (work connects with the work of the employee), Adoption (employees are prepared to work with new propositions) and Measuring (checking if and how employees work with the new approach and if they are satisfied). I am the link between what employees want and what an IT department offers.
Plans for the future
I recently started at Mixit as a Digital Workplace consultant and I would like to grow within the company. I think it would be interesting to take a look behind the scenes of different companies to learn more about how you approach certain projects so that it is enjoyable for everyone who works on it. And teaching companies how to put their employees at the centre of digital changes seems to me to be a great challenge for the future."
Name: Noraly Bovenmars
Bachelor’s: Creative Technology at the University of Twente, Netherlands
Master’s: Communication Studies at the University of Twente, Netherlands
Work: Digital Workplace advisor at Mixit, Den Haag, Netherlands