Hallo, Griaß Di, Servus
My name is Julian
I’m an Interactive Systems Design Engineer with a passion for researching, designing, developing, and evaluating novel user interfaces that enhance the collaboration between humans and intelligent interactive systems. Although I’m currently looking for a permanent position as University Assistant, I’m also available for freelance work on various digital products.
Academic Journey
My academic journey to become an Interactive Systems Design Engineer began over a decade ago when I started building my first websites in high school. Each step of my education since then has provided me with invaluable skills and knowledge to enhance human-machine collaboration through innovative multimodal user interfaces.
Interaction Design Master’s Degree
09/2020 – 02/2024, FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz
During my master’s degree, I refined my interaction design techniques and explored the next generation of user interfaces, such as voice user interfaces, mixed reality user interfaces, and intelligent user interfaces. My master’s thesis allowed me to deepen my theoretical understanding of the experimental design process and gain practical experience through my first experimental driving simulator study – igniting my passion for combining research, design, development, and evaluation.
InterMedia Bachelor’s Degree
09/14 – 07/17, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Dornbirn
My undergraduate degree in Communication Design allowed me to explore different design disciplines and gain foundational skills in each. In addition to laying the groundwork for my career, this broad understanding of different fields allowed me to choose the discipline I am most passionate about – Interactive Systems Design Engineering.
Big Information Design
01/16 – 07/16, Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, Arnhem (NL)
During my bachelor’s degree, I had the opportunity to spend an exchange semester in the Netherlands, where I began to specialize in human-centered design techniques. For an entire semester, I focused on learning these techniques in detail and applying them to various projects with colleagues from around the world. This invaluable experience provided me with a strong foundation in usability and user experience design, laying the groundwork for my future studies and current career.
Research Experience
After discovering my passion for combining research, design, and development to create intelligent multimodal user interfaces, I used my master’s thesis to gain my first hands-on experience in the various steps of the experimental design process by conducting my first experimental research study.
Driving Simulator Study
03/2022 – 02/2024, FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz
As part of my master’s thesis, I conducted an experimental driving simulator study titled “Activating Drivers”. This project involved researching various aspects of how driver-vehicle interfaces impact road safety, designing a solution to improve takeover performance, and testing this solution through experiments in a low-fidelity driving simulator that I developed using Unity. The goal of this study was to investigate whether attentive driver-vehicle interfaces can improve takeover performance in conditionally automated vehicles (SAE Level 3).
Professional Experience
In addition to my academic journey, I have gained extensive experience in a professional environment. This started with my first internship during my bachelor’s degree, continued with full-time work as a digital product designer in an agency, and continued with freelancing as a digital designer during and after my master’s degree.
Freelance Digital Product Designer
since 08/22, Self-Employed, Graz
As a Freelance Digital Product Designer, I have been involved in all stages of the design process, from conceptualization and design to the development of web and app interfaces for a wide range of clients and partners across industries. My responsibilities have included creating concepts and information architectures, designing wireframes and comprehensive design systems, developing interactive prototypes, and building frontend templates.
Digital Product Designer
08/17 – 09/20, Büro Maisengasse, Landeck
During my time at Büro Maisengasse, I focused on the design and development of a variety of digital products, including websites, web applications, and mobile apps. My responsibilities included conceptualizing digital products, creating information architectures, designing wireframes and high-fidelity designs, creating interactive prototypes, and developing front-end templates – all while balancing user needs with our clients’ business goals.
Design Internship
07/16 – 09/16, Büro Maisengasse, Landeck
I gained my first hands-on experience as a Digital Product Designer during my design internship, where I assisted Senior Designers and Developers on various projects. This experience allowed me to understand the differences between theoretical knowledge and practical work in the various stages of the digital product design and development process. It confirmed my decision to pursue a career in Interactive Systems Design Engineering.