Dr.ir. Marijke Dekker

I studied Industrial Design at the Delft University of Technology and graduated in 1990 with the design of personal protection equipment (breathing apparatus) within TNO Industry and in cooperation with the Rotterdam fire brigade. After this I worked for the design office NPK in Leiden and the company GE Plastics in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands. Subsequently, I worked as an independent design consultant and later as a partner in the design consultancy SOLÉ design services, working on designs varying from consumer products such as computer housing or baby buggies, until professional products such as the interior of a research flight simulator, roller coaster coaches, and rescue equipment.

Currently I’m appointed as assistant professor Industrial Design Engineering within the section Applied Ergonomics and Design (AED) of Delft University of Technology, concerned with design education and research.

Together with my colleague Johan Molenbroek I coordinated the European GENIE project on Gerontechnology (running from 1998-2001), established to improve the awareness that the developments in technology offer an opportunity to increase the participation, integration and independence of all citizens, including the ageing and the aged. 42 European institutions of higher learning (social sciences, design, ergonomics, engineering, medicine, nursing and physiotherapy) participated in the GENIE network and worked together to improve the education in gerontechnology.

Specialisation / Field of research

My research topic concerns the muscular skeletal disorders, or also named repetitive train injuries (RSI) or complaints of the arm, neck and/or shoulder (CANS), created by working in present office environments. How to avoid these kind of negative side effects of product use in future work environments?

Before answering this design related question, a better understanding is needed of the mental and physical risk factors and the possible physiological mechanisms creating these complaints.

Lectures and/or coaches students on:

• Mentoring students Industrial Design Engineering in graduation projects.
• Tutoring master students in the courses Product Understanding, Use and Experience (PUUE)
• Coordinating the master course Applied Ergonomics Exploration (AEE) within Advanced Concept Design (ACD)
• Mentoring third year students in the course Bachelor Final Project (BEP).
• Contributing to the first year course ‘Mens en Product’.
• Coordinating the RSI prevention programme within Industrial Design Engineering including the first and second year RSI instructions and the yearly Sport, Pause, and Relax Treat (SPRT) for both students and employees. Participating in the faculty’s RSI prevention group.

Publications

Click here for an overview of my publications.