Converting a van into a camper is a complex and highly personal DIY process. Beginning DIY camper builders have access to extensive online information, examples, products, and professional services, yet often struggle to turn these fragmented resources into a coherent interior that fits their own needs. Existing support mainly explains how individual components can be built or offers predefined solutions. Less attention is given to helping DIY-ers understand spatial consequences, compare alternatives, and develop confidence in their own decisions without taking away the autonomy that makes DIY meaningful.

This graduation project investigates how DIY camper builders can be supported in developing a personal interior layout while retaining ownership of the design process. Using a user-centred design approach, the project combined literature and user research with the analysis of existing support, concept development, and full-scale prototyping. The findings show that camper conversion is not a linear process in which all requirements can be defined beforehand. Needs and priorities continue to develop through designing, making, testing, and use. The research also indicates that DIY-ers do not primarily need more information, but support in deciding what is relevant to their situation and translating this into spatial choices.

These insights led to VanPlan: a reusable, full-scale modular mock-up system that enables DIY-ers to construct, experience, compare, and adapt proposed layouts inside their own van before building them permanently. Adjustable modules, representations of technical components, examples, and workshop guidance provide structure while leaving the final decisions with the participant. Rather than delivering a predefined or construction-ready interior, VanPlan helps users investigate how their ideas support everyday activities, which compromises they create, and what still requires further development.

The project demonstrates the potential of physical and reversible experimentation as a form of DIY support. More broadly, it argues that effective DIY support should strengthen users' judgement instead of replacing it: guiding the process without prescribing the outcome, making consequences tangible, and allowing requirements to develop through action. VanPlan provides an evidence-informed direction for applying these principles and a foundation for further technical, service, and market validation. ... Read more

The global ageing population is increasing the demand for elderly care services, while care organisations continue to face challenges related to staff shortages, rising workloads, and growing care demands. Within this context, wearable assistance devices, commonly referred to as helping bells, play an important role in enabling residents to request support from caregivers. However, while these systems are effective in communicating requests, they often provide limited feedback after activation. As a result, residents may experience uncertainty regarding whether their request has been received and when assistance will arrive.

This graduation project was conducted in collaboration with Momo Medical and explored how the interaction of wearable assistance devices can be redesigned to provide reassuring feedback and encourage confidence in daily care. Rather than focusing solely on the technical functionality of the helping bell, the project investigated the broader emotional and practical experience surrounding assistance requests within elderly care environments.

A human-centred design approach was applied throughout the project. Through literature research, stakeholder interviews, observations, co-creation activities, and iterative prototyping, insights were gathered from residents, caregivers, and professionals within the care sector. The findings revealed that uncertainty during the waiting period after requesting assistance was one of the most prominent challenges residents experienced. In addition, opportunities were identified for reassurance, personalisation, wearability, and reducing the stigma associated with traditional helping bells.

These insights informed the development of MoBel, a personalised assistance ecosystem designed to support residents before, during, and after requesting help. The concept combines a redesigned wearable helping bell with multimodal reassurance feedback, including visual, haptic, and optional spoken feedback through the existing Lizzy communication system. Furthermore, MoBel introduces personalised reassurance settings and multiple wearing configurations, allowing residents to adapt the device’s interaction and appearance to their individual preferences.

The final concept demonstrates how meaningful improvements within elderly care can be achieved by redesigning existing interactions rather than introducing entirely new technologies. By combining reassurance, personalisation, and integration with existing care infrastructure, MoBel aims to transform the helping bell from a simple request device into a more supportive communication tool. Although further validation and development are required before implementation, the project highlights the potential of reassurance-centred design to improve the everyday experiences of residents within elderly care environments. ... Read more

This thesis investigates children’s ergonomics within the stroller industry, a field in which brands are often influenced by each other, following recent trends and innovations. In collaboration with Joolz, this project aims to provide a new perspective through a user-centred approach.

To explore this field, insights were gathered through desk research, a literature review, observational studies and stakeholder interviews. The findings showed concerns regarding the overuse of infant sitting devices, leading to a lack of movement freedom and a decline in overall motor development. This, in turn, can negatively affect both their physical and mental well-being.

Following this exploratory phase was an iterative process of ideating, sketching and evaluating. As a result, a design goal was formed to improve the motor development of children between the ages of 9 to 18 months through a new harness design, which redefines the parent-child interaction and offers both mobility and safety for the child.

By separating the harness from the stroller, the resulting concept improves the usability for the caregiver and enhances the child’s movement freedom, without sacrificing safety. The concept is demonstrated and evaluated through a prototype that includes a three-point harness, with two connections to the seat. By rethinking this everyday interaction, the project illustrates how conscious and informed design for strollers could better support children’s development while improving caregiver experience. ... Read more

This report documents the development and evaluation of the arm swing rollator, an innovative redesign aimed at improving the safety and ergonomics of traditional rollators. Current rollators often limit natural arm movements, which are essential for stability during walking. The arm swing rollator addresses this limitation by enabling users to swing their arms naturally, mimicking a more natural gait pattern.
The project began with a review of existing rollator designs and an exploration of ergonomic and safety challenges faced by users. Literature indicates that arm swing plays a significant role in enhancing gait stability, particularly in older adults. However, minimal research exists on how rollators impact gait. The arm swing rollator was conceptualized to bridge this gap and tested experimentally for its potential benefits.
A prototype of the arm swing rollator was developed, though time constraints led to compromises in its design. Friction in the mechanism and the use of 3D-printed load-bearing components limited the prototype's performance and safety, restricting testing to young, healthy participants. To approximate the balance challenges faced by elderly users, participants wore balance distortion platforms during the tests. Stability was measured using the mediolateral Lyapunov exponent, derived from video-tracked upper body movement.
The validation tests produced unexpected results. Neither the arm swing rollator nor the traditional rollator showed significant improvements in stability compared to walking without a rollator. Possible reasons for these findings include limitations in the test setup, measurement inaccuracies, and prototype shortcomings. Despite this, participant feedback highlighted a perceived improvement in posture and support when using the arm swing rollator.
The report concludes that the arm swing rollator represents an experimental step forward in rollator design but requires further refinement and testing. Recommendations include improving the prototype’s mechanism, ensuring safety for target users, and employing more accurate testing methods such as treadmill-based experiments and inertial measurement units. Future research could also explore additional rollator features to address user needs, such as enhanced braking systems, better terrain handling, and ergonomic resting solutions.
In summary, this project provides valuable insights into rollator design and testing, highlighting the potential for innovative walking aids to improve safety and quality of life for users. The findings underscore the need for continued research and development to fully realize the benefits of the arm swing rollator and similar concepts. ... Read more

Whether it is from the office-office or the home office, creating a physical work environment is essential for both improving work performance as well as for the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. But as jobs are becoming increasingly less active, and working adults are spending almost a third of their lives in the office, most of their time is now spent sitting behind a desk. This time spent in sedentary behavior is increasing rapidly on a global scale and has become a great area of concern, as research has proven that prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to an increase in all-cause mortality To reduce the sedentary nature of the workplace, many companies are now replacing the standard desk with sit-stand desks. Unfortunately, even as more companies implement these desks in the workspace, many studies show that there is a lack of utilization among working adults, with many only using the desk once a month or less. The goal of this thesis is to figure out why this lack of utilization occurs and to design a solution capable of altering the working adult's behavior.\ To design this solution, an agile design process was followed involving the user at almost every stage of the design process. By focusing on the differences between the non-active and active users, several design opportunities were formed (1) Increase awareness of the effect of sedentary behavior, (2) Promote social support among coworkers, and (3) Increase body and mind awareness so people are more conscious of how sitting affects their physical and mental status. Through ideation and concept development, the final concept was formed: The BMDesk Application and Controller. The BMDesk App and Controller combines a digital and non-digital product designed to aid working adults in reducing their sedentary behavior by becoming more aware of its effects on their bodies and mind. The product provides a simple solution that reminds users when it is time to do a self-check-in and see how their body and mind are feeling. Once the user has finished the self-scale, the app provides personalized tips on how to adjust their sit-stand desks to help them feel better and optimize their work experience. Users can also use the BMDesk Digital Application to check in on their progress, learn more about better workplace practices, and join social networks aimed at promoting physical wellbeing in the workplace. By joining the social networks, users can feel less alone and supported by a community of their coworkers who are all going through the same process. ... Read more

Every year 550 children are diagnosed with a cancer in the Netherlands. Currently a new hospital is being built in Utrecht, the Prinses Maxima Centrum for child Oncology, this hospital will focus solely on paediatric oncology.

The families that deal with child cancer have to go to the hospital frequently and spend long days there. These days are filled with different appointments and treatments so there is a lot of waiting involved. These waiting times can make the parents feel stressed and the children feel anxious, this results in an elongated waiting experience.

In order to decrease the stress and anxiety the parents and children experience a system was created that provides the families with information and distraction. This system consists of an app for the parents and a basic wearable on a bracelet for the children. Furthermore, the system makes use of portals and patches which create an interactive environment. This system makes it possible for the families to receive notifications about waiting times and can be used to play a game, Parent and child can track each other and send messages to each other. The system gives the parents a sense of control and gives the children a sense of freedom and provides them both with a form of distraction. ... Read more