About Heiko
Heiko is an experience designer currently employed at the Volkswagen Group's Electronics Research Lab in Silicon Valley. He is designing and exploring future interaction concepts for Audi and the other VW brands ranging from market adaptations, to new physical input devices, to post-combustion mental models.
He completed his Masters at Indiana University with a degree in Human-Computer Interaction Design. His interests and strengths lie in collaboration, prototyping, visual aesthetics, tangible user interfaces, product design, and interface design.
Before this program, Heiko graduated with an Electrical Engineering degree from Rose-Hulman, the top undergraduate engineering school in the nation, giving him a strong problem solving ability. He went on to work in industry for 3 years which gave him valuable experience but also strengthened his understanding for the need of a rigorous design process.
Portfolio/Sample Work
To the right is a sample of the work Heiko has done ranging from academic, to research, to industry. These projects used various methods to develop human-centered design solutions to a range of different problems and challenges.
Some of these samples encompass Heiko's work in Interaction Design, Web Design, and Branding.
By clicking on the thumbnails to the right you can see an overview of some of these projects. After selecting a project you can navigate through the images using the on-screen labels or using the arrow keys and esc key on your keyboard.
Objective
Design intuitive, engaging, and usable products that will make people's lives easier and more enjoyable.
Education
9/2008 - 5/2010
MS, Human-Computer Interaction/Design
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN9/2001 - 5/2005
BS, Electrical Engineering, minor in Spanish
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, INExperience
6/2010 - Current
VW Electronics Research Lab, Belmont, CA
Interaction Designer
- Localized features of the Audi MMI for the North American region
- Created the interaction architecture and GUI for future projects
- Designed new physical interaction devices and experiences
4/2006 - 8/2008
Harman/Becker Automotive, Saddle River, NJ
Qualifications Engineer
- Solely responsible for Harman/Becker's qualifications of the new Audi MMI3G multimedia navigation system in the US market
- Represented the company in the US by acting as the liaison between Audi and the Harman/Becker development in Germany
7/2005 - 4/2006
Harman/Becker Automotive, Martinsville, IN
Prototype Development and System Test Engineer
- Proposed a multimedia in-vehicle touch screen PC-based radio-unit
- Implemented, and tested a working prototype of the proposed unit
- Received approval to make the multimedia PC unit a fully funded project
Summers 2003/04
Harman/Becker Automotive, Martinsville, IN
Engineering Intern
- Researched and presented implications of developing electrostatic speakers
- Designed and created new locations for OEM car speakers to offer as premium sound packages
9/1999 - 4/2004
Free Lance Web-Designer, Fairfax, VA
- Created and implemented numerous corporate, private, and educational web sites
- Developed an award-winning site for an Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity chapter
Languages
Traveled extensively abroad, proficient in:
- English – native tongue
- German – born in Germany, spoken some at home
- Spanish – 6 years in school, received minor
- Italian – lived 3 years in Italy, attended Italian school
Activities & Distinctions
- Assistant Instructor at Indiana University for Intro to Human Computer Interaction
- Certified ISTQB Tester
- Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity – Financial Assistant, Executive Committee Member, Webmaster, Historian, Social Chairman
- Black Belt in Mi-Ki-Do, a mixed martial art fighting style
Design Skills
Familiar with human-centered design methods including ethnographic observation, contextual inquiry, affinity diagramming, usability testing, paper prototyping, personas, card sorting, brainstorming, cultural probes, sketching
Technical Skills
Expert in Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp.
Experienced in Flash, After Effects, Premier, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Audition, iLife Suite, iWork Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
Some experience with Maya3D, Rhino 3D