As head of department I am responsible for managing and securing the institute’s operations, and leading the staff by promoting development and collaboration connected to the goals and visions of UID.
I was born in southern Brazil and have German family roots. After completing my bachelor’s degree in industrial design at Universidade Federal do Paraná in 1998, I joined a local bus manufacturing company owned by a family of Swedish immigrants. This experience taught me the importance of teamwork and user-centred design. It also instilled curiosity about Scandinavian culture and design. In 2001, I moved to Sweden to study at Umeå Institute of Design (UID) and specialised in transportation design. During my master’s studies, I developed a vast contact nework which led to a summer internship at Saab Automobile, and their subsequent support of my thesis project. After graduation, I joined the applied research group at the school and collaborated with Volvo Trucks. From there, I gradually shifted my focus to assisting the transportation design programme at UID. In 2005, I joined General Motors in Germany to gain more insight into how the car industry works from the inside. For three years, I was involved in production design connected to the brands Opel and Saab. In late 2008, I was recruited by UID and returned to Umeå to be a teacher and programme director, a role that I held with pride and enthusiasm until 2021. In such a role, I was responsible for maintaining and developing the content and direction of our internationally established MFA in Transportation Design.
As head of department, I'm responsible for managing and securing the institute’s operations, and leading the staff by promoting development and collaboration connected to the goals and visions of UID. I enjoy finding, preparing, and carrying out collaborative projects with external partners. I work alongside programme directors and lecturers and take an active part in teaching and tutoring at the school. I am also involved in many courses from the transportation design curricula and often support students with my experience in digital modelling, visualisation, strategic design, and storytelling. During recent years, I have also reviewed and advised bachelor students during their portfolio course.
The school’s yearly graduation event, UID Design Talks & Degree Show, is yet another project I enjoy being a part of. It involves regular planning and promotion to connect the design industry to the outstanding pool of talent found at the school. The event, which is now an established and highly appreciated part of the international design calendar, sets the stage for networking and important discussions about the future of the subject.
Talk to me about:
Product & Vehicle Design
Aesthetics & Form
3D Modelling
Visual Communication
Storytelling in Design
General collaboration matters