Podiumpas

About Storia

Storia is an application that helps people discover remarkable art, architecture & history hidden throughout Rome. Instead of asking people to enter a museum, Storia turns the city itself into one.
Visitors can discover an artwork, listen to its story, explore questions and continue whenever they want. There is no starting time, no group to keep up with and no guide waiting for them to move on.

The idea for Storia started with a simple observation. Many people in Rome wait for the first Sunday of the month to visit museums for free. They love art and history, but regularly paying for museum tickets, guided tours and cultural experiences quickly becomes expensive.

At the same time, Rome is filled with extraordinary art that can already be visited for free.

The artwork is accessible, understanding why it matters often isn't.

What if the city itself could become the museum, and everyone could have a guide in their pocket?

Designing for the one who thinks art is boring

Storia is not primarily designed for art historians.
The more interesting challenge is the sixteen-year-old standing in front of a Caravaggio who doesn't yet understand why they should care.
The goal isn't to make users consume as much information as possible. It is to create enough curiosity for them to look again.
A story might reveal why a beam of light matters, point towards a character hidden inside the composition or explain the controversy surrounding the artist. From there, the user can decide how deeply they want to continue.

Some will listen to everything. Others will skip ahead, explore questions or put the phone away and discuss the artwork with the person standing next to them.
All of those behaviours can be successful.

The screen should support the encounter with the artwork, not become the encounter itself.

From audio guide to interactive storytelling

Traditional audio guides are mostly linear. Press play, listen, move to the next object.
I wanted Storia to feel more like a conversation.
After parts of a story, users are presented with questions they can explore. Instead of requiring them to formulate a question themselves, Storia provides a small selection of relevant prompts based on the story they have just heard.
Initially I limited this to three questions. It kept the interface simple, but testing showed that three options were too restrictive for people who became genuinely interested in an artwork.

The solution was not to place more information on one screen. Storia still presents a maximum of three choices at a time, while allowing curious users to continue deeper into the subject.
The interaction stays simple while the content does not have to be.

Removing one of the most impressive features

An early version of Storia included a conversational AI agent connected to ElevenLabs. Visitors could ask questions freely and receive spoken answers.

Technically, it worked.
As a product decision, it didn't.

During testing I burned through approximately €20 in AI credits before I had even returned home. At scale, conversational AI would make the cost of every visit unpredictable. Charging someone €10 to make that model sustainable would contradict the original reason for building Storia.
There was another problem.
Churches and historic buildings have thick walls, inconsistent mobile reception and exactly the kind of environment where an internet-dependent experience can fail.

In this kind of environment internet-dependent experiences can fail. So I removed the AI agent. Kill your darlings.

Instead, Storia uses pre-generated questions and answers. AI can help generate relevant questions during the editorial process, but users aren't dependent on a live language model while standing in front of an artwork.

To improve the sense of freedom and user experience, 

we added the ability to simply aim your camera at a painting or sculpture and instantly recognizes the artwork. It knows the exact church through GPS location you are standing in. No QR codes, no physical markers. Pure visual alignment.


This needed lots of testing, going to the churches, during different times because it was quite hard to make it work in low-light chapels.
I wanted our app to be working even without internet, because big brick walls of cathedrals block connections. 
So to have immediate audio playback, I came with the following solution:
Pre downloaded tours, when you start a tour, it will gradually download the predefined stories about the artwork that you are about to see.

Being able to ask questions, about interactivity

A dilemma. I needed interactivity to work because one might have questions about the origins of the artwork. Having a predefined system takes away the intelligence, so, I came up with the following: a list of up to 6 predefined questions that would be answered by our narrator. Lazlo.

I came up with a persona for our Narrator. To make her believable and act as a ‘real’ person, she needed a backstory. Since I have been watching nature series of BBC I have been drawn to the fantastic accent of the British. My persona needed to be from around Cambridge. By making sure her persona, backstory was in line with the AI systems in place, the AI knows what to generate and in what kind of tone.

Storia is about Rome, and it’s hidden artworks located in Churches, often in a dark environment, where peace and tranquility is present. People are respectful and are silent or whispering. To pay respect to the houses of god and connect to the city of Rome I came up with the logo in a Serif font - Victor Sans. The R is the same R that Rome’s municipality logo uses to connect with the city. 


It’s a simple logo, but speaks for itself and can be seen from far. The ring is used as a connecting element that flows. It can also be interpreted to be an eye, that you use to see the artworks. My goal was to bring it’s exploring and learning potential of the App. 

Storia transforms Rome into an interactive art journey. Discover hidden Caravaggio masterpieces across quiet chapels and grand basilicas, guided by real-time visual recognition.

Storia

The first HKU Festival - Where are you now

I initiated and led the “Where Are You Now” festival as a welcome for new students and a send-off for alumni. A full-spectrum, sensory-heavy experience built to leave a mark. The concept fused modern art, interactivity, and sound into a single immersive event that would resonate far beyond the night itself.

As project manager, I brought together multi-disciplinary team of HKU students. We designed and delivered an event that bridged newcomers and veterans, built on collaboration, bold ideas, and fast iteration.

 Designed to engage visitors and inspire them with modern art and interactivity.

 Including performances by 12 artists and 2 bands, spanning over 3 stages.

 A refurbished boat that was once used for prostitution, transformed into a disco with vibrant music and lighting.

 Overlooking the inner yard, featuring a large fire where attendees danced around, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere.

 Equipped with big speakers, extensive lighting, and the primary speaker setup, providing an electrifying experience.

 The event facilitated connections both within and outside the HKU community, fostering a broad network and collaboration opportunities.

 Utilized HKU’s network, flyers, posters, and invitations during the introduction week to attract attendees.

Time Discipline: Cut low-impact work early. Focus on what moves the needle.

Delegation & Outsourcing: Clear handoffs and external support let us scale without burnout. I led a team of over 30 people, hiring a technical audiovisual expert that took charge of the audio and visual aspects of the festival. I was responsible for the marketing. 

Backup for services: We had hired someone who was going to make Napolitan pizza’s for the event, he didn’t show up int he end and the people were hungry. So we had to pivot: Supermarket pizza’s that we could heat up in the oven. The security didn’t show up either, and we didn’t had a backup for that.

User Feedback: I actively spoke with attendees mid-event to learn in real time, crucial for future planning.

The response was overwhelming. Students still talk about it years later. That lasting impact, emotionally and socially, validated the vision and the execution.

This wasn’t just a party. It was proof of what’s possible when creative minds across disciplines collaborate toward a shared goal. For me, it was a defining project, part artistic experiment, part logistical marathon, and a lasting highlight of my time at HKU.

Multidisciplinary collaboration with students from M&T, G&I, Theater, Media, and Conservatorium

Where Are You Now

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Defining the brand identity and future vision

The journey began with an intensive two-day brand thinking workshop, aimed at deepening our understanding of the client's needs and aligning our design vision with their strategic objectives. Collaborating closely with a talented graphical designer and key stakeholders from bushuren.nl, we crafted a comprehensive brand canvas. This tool became the cornerstone of our design and branding efforts, ensuring consistency and clarity throughout the project.

The workshop enabled us to delve into the company's mission and vision, translating these elements into a tangible branding strategy that resonates with the target audience. Our agency's prior knowledge of the client’s intentions provided a significant advantage, allowing us to tailor our approach to meet their specific expectations and industry demands.

Leveraging the insights gained from the brand canvas, I led the overall website design, ensuring that every element reflected bushuren.nl’s brand identity. The design process was characterized by a series of iterative steps, where continuous feedback from the client was incorporated to refine and perfect the user interface and user experience. This iterative design process not only enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the website but also improved its functionality and user engagement.

The branding elements were carefully chosen to evoke professionalism and reliability, essential qualities for a service-oriented company like bushuren.nl. The color scheme, typography, and layout were designed to be visually appealing yet functional, ensuring easy navigation and a pleasant browsing experience for all users.

A key highlight of the project was the custom animations I developed, which brought life to the website. These animations were strategically implemented to guide users through their journey on the site, enhancing user engagement without compromising the loading speed or functionality. The interactive elements of the website were designed to be intuitive, providing users with a seamless and responsive interface that facilitated easy access to information and booking capabilities.

The redesigned website for bushuren.nl significantly boosted their online presence and customer interaction. Post-launch analytics demonstrated a noticeable increase in user engagement and conversion rates, directly attributable to the enhanced design and user experience. The client expressed immense satisfaction with the final product, particularly praising the alignment of the website’s new look with their strategic vision and the dynamic animations that distinguished their platform from competitors.

This project stands as a testament to the power of effective branding combined with innovative design to create a compelling online presence that truly resonates with its audience. Through this collaboration, we not only met but exceeded the expectations of bushuren.nl, delivering a product that effectively captures the essence of their brand and drives their business forward.

Platform to easily rent a bus with driver

Bushuren.nl

Arriva showcases stories of the north. Loved working on small interactions that help the stories come alive.

As a frontend web designer, I had the privilege of collaborating with a talented backend developer to bring this website to life. Leveraging the power of Laravel and Tailwind CSS, we worked diligently to create a seamless user experience. I take pride in utilizing my skillset to enhance the website's functionality and aesthetics. To ensure a flawless user experience during testing, we developed a script that populates the website mockup with a wide range of images and data from various lists and stock images sourced from Unsplash.

Together, we have crafted a website that not only showcases the charm of North Netherlands but also provides visitors with an immersive and enjoyable online journey.

A travel blog website about the north of the Netherlands 

Reisvolverhalen

De Wondere wereld van 

Collaborating with a team of external designers and leveraging the power of Laravel, we crafted a dynamic and visually appealing website that seamlessly brings the essence of theater to life. By utilizing Laravel's robust capabilities, we ensured a smooth and efficient development process, resulting in a user-friendly and feature-rich platform for theater enthusiasts.

Through my contribution to podiumpas.nl, I not only expanded my technical skills but also honed my ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. This experience allowed me to offer valuable insights and ensure that the website's design and functionality aligned with the vision of the project.

I take great pride in being part of the team that brought podiumpas.nl to fruition, and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to contribute to a platform that celebrates the joy of theater and provides an immersive experience for visitors.


It took me quite a while to understand the project needs, especially the technical aspect of the interactive part a.k.a the portal.
I thought to use 3D, but web for 3D needed a lot of testing and debugging to make it feasible in terms of loading time. Luckily I had a super nice boss that gave me time to test and come up with solution for better load times, loaded quickly and was responsive.

What I could have done better

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