Thijs C. Aarts

Senior Learning Experience Designer

Eastbourne, United Kingdom
My expertise is managing and developing digital learning solutions using game mechanics, media such as film & animation and an intuitive interactive interface. I've developed and learned about many different disciplines during my studies on the University of Arts Utrecht (HKU), where I studied film & animation for two years, did a bachelor in Game Design & Development and concluded my studies with a Master of Media Design, specialized in Serious Gaming and the benefits of narrative in games and interactive learning solutions. After graduation in 2008 I started as a freelancer working mainly on educational animations & infographics, serious games and e-learning. My main focus in my work is the educational purpose of the product and the intuitive way the necessary information is transferred. In my years working in this field I've developed many skills managing and developing professional learning solutions and have a good sense of what media and approach works for a specific audience. Because of the various skills I’ve developed during my studies and my work I’ve mastered a lot of different disciplines such as programming, designing, animating, directing & editing, which helps with communicating with- and managing team members and clients working in different disciplines. I've got a good sense of how to investigate the needs of a client and end-user and how to develop a design and turn this into an actual product. My goal is to find an interesting and challenging job where I can use my skills to their full extend and build great and innovative interactive learning solutions.

Work Experience

GP Strategies

Senior Learning Experience Designer

After LTG's acquisition of GP Strategies, we've combined the strength of LEO and GP's learning content team to create a new and amazing Learning Experience team. As In my role as a Senior Learning Experience Designer, I continue to be responsible for the overall creative vision, UX and product design for a range of digital learning projects. I lead workshops with clients, write creative treatments and draw-up novel design approaches, including UX wireframes, learner (user) journeys and gameplay loops. I collaborate with a team of learning designers, art directors, developers, project managers and client SMEs to create engaging and innovative learning solutions. With my background in game design, my expertise is serious games and gamified learning. Apart from that, I use my many years of experience with animations (explanimations), video dramas and learning experience design, to create engaging and innovative learning solutions.
January 2023 - Present London, United Kingdom

Leo Learning

Senior Learning Designer

As a lead learning designer I'm responsible for the overall creative vision, UX and product design for a range of digital learning projects. I lead workshops with clients, write creative treatments and draw-up novel design approaches. I collaborate with a team of learning designers, art directors, developers, project managers and client SMEs to create engaging and innovative learning solutions. With my background in game design, my expertise is serious games and gamified learning. Apart from that, I use my many years of experience with animations (explanimations), video dramas and learning experience design, to create engaging and innovative learning solutions.

LEO Learning is now part of GP Strategies.
January 2021 - December 2022 Brighton, United Kingdom

Capita Learning

Senior Learning Designer

Brightwave was acquired by Capita. At Capita Learning I can continue my role and responsibilities as a Senior Learning Designer, responsible for the creative vision, UX, product design and content design on digital (blended) learning projects.
July 2020 - January 2021 Brighton, United Kingdom

Brightwave Group

Senior Learning Designer

As a Senior Learning Designer I'm responsible for the creative vision of digital and blended learning projects, which includes UX design, product design, and content design. It's the job of a Senior Learning Designer to come up with creative learning concepts and design approaches and oversee the e-learning development from a design perspective. My specialised expertise is gamified learning/serious games, which means I have a focus on UX and gamification, with the aim to make learning more fun.

Brightwave is now absorbed by Capita Learning.
November 2019 - July 2020 Brighton, United Kingdom

RMMBR

Lead Learning Designer

Initially I started as a project manager, but soon realised their idea of project manager was more like an account manager and my added value was more on process and the realisiation and internal communications in projects. I now lead the design department as a lead learning designer, RMMBR to learn.
November 2016 - Present Amsterdam, Netherlands

De Nationale AI-cursus

Creative Director

Responsible for the whole concept & design aspect of the AI course, including the animations, UX and technical realisation. Take the free Artificial Intelligence course on www.ai-cursus.nl (Dutch). We are currently developing a course for kids and we're translating the original course to English.
July 2018 - Present Amsterdam, Netherlands

Elephant Road

Technical Project manager

Responsible for the re-design and technical realisation of the new platform in which all Elephant Road courses and the AI course is built.
October 2017 - Present Amsterdam, Netherlands

Serious Soap

Product Designer/E-learning developer

For AMC Medical Research BV and Utrecht University of Applied Sciences I've created a series of short serious games/e-learning courses about elderly care. You can play the games for free on http://www.serioussoap.nl
March 2015 - November 2023 Netherlands

Studio FAnK

Creative Director

Studio FAnK is the media production studio I founded in 2007. I started as a freelances and later hired a team of 6. We worked on different projects for various clients like Avro, Veronica, Redactiepartners, Kennisnet, Mikado, Danaë, SPV, Droomwevers, KRO, VARA, Teleac NOT and INHolland. A full overview of all project can be viewed on LinkedIn.
October 2007 - November 2016 Netherlands

Education

The Open University

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts program of the HKU is a validated master program that takes place in Hilversum, but is validated by The Open University in London. Because art studies aren't University studies in the Netherlands (opposed to many other European countries) this was the only construction in which Dutch students could get a validated Master degree in Art with a practical background.
September 2006 - August 2008

Hogeschool Voor De Kunsten Utrecht

Bachelor Art & Technology

I studied Game Design & Development at the HKU in Hilversum. This is a mayor of the Art & Technology bachelor program. During my second year I also started to study Animation as part of the Art & Design bachelor. I never intended to finish that bachelor, because of the scedule of my other bachelor, but I gained a lot of knowledge about film art and production software which I otherwise would have missed if I sticked to the actual program.
September 2003 - August 2008

Languages

English (Fluent),
Dutch (Native),
French (Conversational),
German (Conversational),
Italian (Beginner),

Awards

Dutch Interactive Awards

Best service: Nominee

2019

Learning Technology Awards

Best learning technologies project - international commercial sector: Bronze

2018

RVU And HKU

RVU/HKU Media Award 2007: Winner

2007

Europrix Top Talent Award 2007

Best Interactive Graphic: Nominee

2008

Skills

ActionScript1.0, ActionScript2.0, ActionScript3.0, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Captivate, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Anime Studio Pro, Articulate Storyline, Concepting, CSS, Elucidat, Facilitating, Game Design, Gomo, HTML, Learning Design, Lectora, Logic Pro, Moodle, ToonBoom Animate, UX Design,

Expositions:

'Te Hooi, te Kunst'; Art exhibition around Woerden
Various artists exposed their work in a very natural environment. My chandeliers called 'Thij(rep)s' were shown during this event.

CineKid 2009; Animation festival for children in Amsterdam in October. 'Wildervanksterdallen' and 'Thuis in Terschelling' were shown during the event.

OpenLab 2009; Expositions of various artists.
Exposed my work with fellow artist during an event in June.

Ranimatie 2009; Animation festival in Rotterdam in April
'Wildervanksterdallen' was shown multiple times during the event.

Game in the City 2008; Game developers conference in Amersfoort
Lectured about my vision and educational games for small children using narrative structures in games.

Cinekid 2008, Animation festival for children in Amsterdam in October
'Mijn naam is Haas' was shown during this event and playable by the audience.

HKU Graduation Exposition 2008 & 2006; Student Exposition
Showed my bachelor and master project during the events.

Openlab 2008; Expositions of various artists.
Exposed my work with fellow artist during an event in June.

Europrix Top Talent Award 2007 Exhibition
'Mijn naam is Haas' was shown during the event in November in Graz

A(a)rts, Art is in our roots; Family exposition of Artists
'Mijn naam is Haas', various animations and my paintings were exposed during this event.

Magazine publications:

AI-course in Telegraaf; ’Heel Nederland moet op gratis tech-cursus’
See: https://www.telegraaf.nl/financieel/2947801/heel-nederland-moet-op-gratis-tech-cursus

AI-course in NRC; 'AI is géén Terminator, en andere waardevolle lessen'
See: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2018/08/06/ai-is-geen-terminator-en-andere-waardevolle-lessen-a1612269

'Brabant Cultureel'; Summer edition 2007, page 32

Report about family exposition in newspaper 'BN De Stem'; 14 June 2007

Interview about my visions on art subjects during highschool in 'Bulletin School & Cultuur' nr. 39; October 2005


Web publications:
Bachelor-ICT online magazine; 22 January 2009

Jury report of 'Mijn naam is Haas' on Kennisnet website; 26 July 2007

Television publications:

Avro aired 'Maximum Bereikt' animations on Dutch channel 3 every monday at 9:30 PM in december 2009 and january 2010.

KRO aired ‘Wildervanksterdallen’ on digital channel familie24 on October 28th in 2009.