ROLE
WORKSHOP FACILITATOR / UX DESIGNER
YEAR
2022 - NOW
DESIGNTEAM
JUST ME
TIMELINE
1 WEEK PROJECTS
Flanders Digital Innovation
about.
Context
A few times a year I work for Flanders Digital Innovation within their Sandbox programme. Department leaders across Flanders submit innovation ideas. In one structured sprint week, we turn those ideas into tangible prototypes and test them with real users.
Some stop there. Some get funding and grow into full-scale projects.
So far I've worked on 35 Sandbox cases. The common thread: high uncertainty, public impact, very limited time.
My role
Designer and co-facilitator. Together with the sprint lead, I help shape the challenge, structure the week and guide stakeholders from idea to validated prototype.
Refining the problem definition
Translating policy ambitions into user-centred concepts
Designing and prototyping within one week
Testing with real users
Presenting outcomes to decision-makers
Speed, clarity and the ability to design under pressure. That's the job.
Below are two cases worth highlighting.
challenge
Public digital services often rely on two-factor authentication. For people with cognitive or mental disabilities, this creates a barrier instead of security.
The challenge was to rethink authentication without lowering safety standards.
In one sprint week, we explored how two-factor authentication could happen on a single device. The concept combined:
A physical card with a unique key
A simple scan interaction
Facial recognition through the device camera
The goal was to remove complexity while keeping compliance with security standards.
We tested the prototype with the target group and refined the flow based on real interaction behaviour.
The project received positive validation and moved forward after the Sandbox phase. With the name: Smile-ID
how did i get there
Case 2: KMSKA Fabriek – Exploring museum collections through AI
For KMSKA, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, we explored how their rich collection data could become more interactive and creative.
The question was not just how to search better, but how to create with the collection.
In the sprint, we prototyped a platform where users could:
Search the collection using AI-powered semantic queries
Combine artworks into personal collections
Generate stories, games or quizzes
Explore connections between artworks beyond traditional categorisation
The concept positioned the museum database not as an archive, but as a creative playground.
The prototype helped clarify how AI could support discovery without replacing curatorial expertise.
