Interaction Lab &
DesignLab

Interaction Lab & DesignLab

I worked at two different labs at the University of Twente that focus on technology, hands-on experimentation, and supporting students and researchers.

The Interaction Lab and the DesignLab. While each lab has a distinct purpose and approach, both provided me with valuable experience in organizing events, supporting technical work, and helping others make the most of the creative tools and environments offered. Below, I describe my roles and responsibilities in each of these spaces.

Interaction Lab

The Interaction Lab is a workspace at the University of Twente that connects different fields of research that involve interactive technology.

The lab offers a space to study, interact, use, and discover new equipment. I was hired at the Interaction Lab during the fall of 2022 and became the lead of the Workshop & Events team. The Workshop and Events team is involved with the organization of a variety of workshops and events within the field of Interaction Technology for students and employees of the University of Twente.

This team was newly created when I got hired by the Interaction Lab and I was the first to lead the team. This meant a series of organizational challenges, which were mostly focused on the creation of a structure which allowed us to efficiently organize and promote events. This involved much communication with other Interaction Lab teams and a variety of organizations of the University of Twente. Some events we have previously organized include hackathons, a variety of technical workshops, lunch lectures about topics within the field of Interaction Technology, and demo days. The website of the Interaction Lab can be visited for more information about these events. The website of the Interaction Lab can be found by clicking here.

DesignLab

The DesignLab is an ecosystem facilitating creative collaboration and knowledge transfer between researchers, societal organisations, students, and citizens.

It is a physical space at the University of Twente that allows these individuals to work on projects and make use of the wide variety of tool available at the DesignLab. Student employees of the DesignLab are called DreamTeamers. DreamTeamers keep the lab operational and help students who may have questions. DreamTeamers are also there to assist students with their projects and give a modern and fresh touch to different ideas and projects happening in DesignLab.

In the DesignLab team, I also functioned as a TechTeamer. This involved the guidance of students in the different workshops of the DesignLab. One of these workshops is the E-Workshop, a place where students can work with electronics, 3D printing, and laser cutting. During my time at the DesignLab I got familiar with all these aspects. I can work with a variety of tools within the field of electronics, I know my way around 3D printers, and I can use a lasercutter, the one used in the DesignLab was a Trotec Speedy 500 Laser Cutter. The other Workshop is called the M-Workshop, this workshop is centered around woodwork. It involves the use of a variety of tools for this purpose.