From Concept to Creation: Building an Interactive Display for the Municipality of Almelo
My name is Ivo Markovic Piñol, an Industrial Design student at the University of Barcelona. During my Erasmus semester at the University of Twente, I had the opportunity to work on an exciting project in collaboration with Smart Cities and the Municipality of Almelo. Now that the project has come to an end, I look back on the countless hours of work with pride, having created a satisfying final design and built valuable professional relationships along the way.
It all began with a mission from the Municipality of Almelo: to raise awareness among citizens about energy transition. Tackling this challenge through the lens of industrial design engineering, I explored various approaches that ultimately led to my final creation—an interactive information display designed to engage and inform the public.
The project kicked off with a detailed briefing from Almelo’s municipal team, helping to shape the core design requirements. I dove into a literature review, studying state-of-the-art solutions and drawing inspiration from biomimetics. With this foundation, I crafted a list of design constraints and dove headfirst into the ideation process, keeping Almelo’s citizens at the heart of my work. I maintained a user-centered design approach throughout the entire project, engaging the community at each step to ensure the display would truly resonate with them.
Once the concept was solidified, I moved to the next phase—creating a 3D model of the display. I presented photorealistic images to the Municipality of Almelo, giving them a glimpse of how the final design would look. But the real magic happened when I built a full-scale physical prototype, allowing Almelo’s citizens to interact with it. Testing the display in a real-world setting brought the project to life and provided essential insights that helped me validate my design decisions.
I couldn’t have completed this journey without the support of the incredible team at Saxion’s Lectoraat Smart Cities. If any students get the chance to work with them, I highly recommend jumping at the opportunity! Special thanks to Mark Melenhorst, Laura Scheepmaker, and Timothy Geesing for your unwavering support. And of course, a huge thanks to the Municipality of Almelo for trusting me with such an important project and for maintaining open and productive communication throughout.
Now, it’s time for me to head back to Barcelona, where new challenges await. Thanks to everyone who made this journey unforgettable!
Ivo Markovic Piñol
Student Industrial Design at the University of Barcelona
Ready for a New Challenge?
Did this story spark your enthusiasm for Smart Cities as a dynamic learning environment? If so, we’d love to hear from you! As a research group, we’re always eager to meet new students and explore opportunities for completing your graduation project or internship with us. Interested? Simply send us a WhatsApp or stop by our office (G6.25). We look forward to connecting with you soon!
