About Martijn Hinfelaar

'Design is optimism in action'

I’m a Design Director with over 20 years of experience in digital product design and more than 10 years building and leading successful teams in both agency and in-house settings. I’m passionate about using design to solve real problems and create products that people love to use. By connecting creativity with business needs, I deliver practical, innovative solutions. I’ve built strong teams and developed impactful solutions that help businesses reach their goals. By Design.

Whether it’s hands-on design or collaborating on strategy, I’m focused on keeping things practical, creative, and aligned with our goals.

"Design is optimism in action," as Bruce Mau put it. This belief drives everything I do—using design to inspire change, solve problems, and create meaningful experiences.

My Approach: 5 Core Principles

  • Understanding problems together
    We start by deeply exploring your challenges, working together to uncover the best solutions.
  • Seeing the full picture
    I look at the entire problem, ensuring a complete experience from identifying the challenge to refining the solution.
  • Strategic partnership
    The best ideas come from collaboration; I work together with all stakeholders to ensure our solutions meet our business objectives
  • Bringing fresh ideas
    I love innovation. By working with you early, I bring new ideas and creative thinking to the table.
  • Focused on solutions
    I am dedicated to solving problems and delivering practical solutions that meet your needs.

featured Projects

Reimagining Energy Provider Apps

Guiding customers through the energy transition

Essent & Energiedirect.nl

Guiding customers through the energy transition

Essent and energiedirect.nl aim to guide their customers through the energy transition. The project resulted in a future-ready product and design strategy for their apps, focusing on insights and education. Concept designs and a phased roadmap enhanced digital experiences, empowering users to make informed energy decisions and aligning the apps with evolving customer needs.

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A Product Vision for Electric Mobility

Helping to electrify europe

E.ON Drive

Helping E.ON Drive to electrify Europe

E.ON Drive sought to stand out in a crowded EV charging market. The project involved extensive user research and the development of a product vision and playbook. These tools effectively highlighted the benefits of smart charging and provided a clear strategy, resulting in a unified team direction and impactful visual communication.

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A product vision for Smart Living

A smart home is a healthy home

E.ON Home

A healthy home is a smart home

The Healthy Home project aimed to simplify the smart living market by focusing on creating a Healthy Home. The platform integrates well-curated products, services, and interfaces to promote a healthier environment. Extensive research and design sprints resulted in a comprehensive playbook for market-specific implementation.

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A Health Startup

A challenge to change your habits

A Health Startup

A challenge to change your habits

A health startup needed to enable customers to take action based on self-testing technology results. The 100 Dagen Challenge project developed an app to help users change their lifestyle through gamification and nudging, based on psychological and behavioral principles. The app provided a blend of tech and personal care, guiding users towards healthier habits.

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Outdoor Graphics

Smart graphics for intelligent street lights

For Innogy Smart Pole Factory

Smart graphics for intelligent street lights

The Smart Pole Graphics project in Essen addressed the challenge of utilizing smart street lights to provide real-time information without being mistaken for advertising. The solution involved designing attractive, easy-to-understand signage with friendly colors and simple shapes. This approach ensured clear communication, enhancing public space without disruption, and successfully operated in the city's Smart Pole Pilot.

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In-Store Screens for Smart Home Products

showcase the benefits of smart home products

Brico

Discover the benefits of a smart home

Brico faced the challenge of making smart home gadgets essential tools rather than just cool gadgets. The project empowered customers through interactive in-store experiences using digital techniques like augmented reality. The resulting app allowed customers to explore and understand smart products better, boosting confidence in their purchases and showcasing the practical benefits of smart home technology.

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Design Research for Smart Lighting

Discovering the role of light in everyday lives

Philips Hue

Discovering the role of light in everyday lives

ChatGPTWhat role does light play in people's daily lives? How can we enhance the Philips Hue app to improve user experience? We have been tasked with collaborating with the internal design team to explore ways to make the app more appealing to a broader audience.

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Find out how design can make you stand out, help you grow, and solve your biggest problems.

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