Ben W. Schäfer

Creative Director | Visual & Product Designer | UX & Data Design Specialist
Berlin, DE.

About

Creative Director and Visual & Product Designer with a unique blend of expertise in UX, data design, and immersive storytelling, dedicated to crafting impactful experiences that connect people, culture, and context. Adept at transforming complex data insights into intuitive digital products, visual systems, and captivating art installations. Leverages a background in strategic design and interdisciplinary collaboration to bridge structure with emotion, driving innovation and enhancing user engagement across diverse platforms.

Work

Creative Mate
|

Creative Consultant / Strategic Designer

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Summary

Spearheading a design consultancy focused on innovative systems and strategic change, integrating system thinking and culture-centered approaches.

Highlights

Applied strategic system thinking to drive brand transformation initiatives, establishing clear design roadmaps and objectives.

Utilized a culture-centered approach to develop human-centered design solutions, ensuring user empathy and relevance.

Facilitated interdisciplinary workshops, fostering collaboration and aligning diverse teams towards common creative goals.

Contributed artistic and conceptual perspectives to sustainable design projects, enhancing innovative problem-solving.

Dared Studio
|

Creative Director

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Summary

Led a creative lab at the intersection of design, data, culture, and art, developing innovative digital concepts and immersive experiences for public institutions.

Highlights

Directed the development of innovative digital concepts and visual systems for public institutions, enhancing public engagement and accessibility.

Led culture-centered design workshops, translating complex data insights into actionable design strategies and compelling user experiences.

Engineered and executed immersive art installations that seamlessly integrated analog and digital storytelling, significantly enriching audience interaction.

3d-berlin
|

Visual & Product Designer

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Summary

Designed and optimized digital wayfinding and navigation systems for a SaaS company, enhancing user experience and brand presence across multiple platforms.

Highlights

Redesigned the entire company's visual language and UI ecosystem, significantly improving brand consistency and user interface clarity.

Streamlined and enhanced product usability across diverse digital touchpoints, resulting in a more intuitive and efficient user journey.

Amplified brand presence across print, web, and client-facing platforms, ensuring cohesive and impactful communication strategies.

TD Reply
|

Visual & Data Designer

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Summary

Provided data-driven design solutions and innovation consultancy, translating complex insights into intuitive interactive experiences and design systems.

Highlights

Translated complex data insights into user-friendly interactive dashboards and conceptual prototypes, enhancing data accessibility and decision-making for stakeholders.

Developed comprehensive design systems that effectively integrated analytical tools with compelling storytelling, improving communication efficiency and impact.

Orchestrated and facilitated multidisciplinary workshops with stakeholders, data scientists, and consultants, fostering collaborative innovation and project alignment.

Polyform GbR
|

Industrial Designer (Intern)

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Summary

Contributed to a design consultancy specializing in universal and spatial experiences, focusing on accessibility and inclusive design principles.

Highlights

Designed and developed a comprehensive wayfinding and tactile guidance system for SBB Berlin, significantly enhancing navigability and accessibility for diverse users.

Produced detailed prototypes and mockups for signage and user flow concepts, facilitating iterative design and stakeholder feedback.

Integrated and championed accessibility and inclusive design principles across all projects, ensuring broad usability and compliance with industry standards.

Education

HTW Berlin
Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Industrial Design

Courses

National Institute of Design (India): Jugaad as basis for product development

Bachelor Thesis: Data-Driven Product Development - creativity through data insights

Skills

Design Software

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Figma, Sketch, Miro.

UX/UI & Product Design

UX Design, UI Design, Universal Design Thinking, Human-Centered Design, Product Development, Digital Concepts, Visual Systems, Prototyping, Wireframing, User Flow Concepts, Accessibility, Inclusive Design.

Data-Driven Design & Strategy

Data Design, Data Visualization, Data Insights, Storytelling, Strategic Design, Brand Transformation, System Thinking, Innovation Consulting, Conceptual Prototypes.

Creative Direction & Facilitation

Creative Direction, Immersive Art Installations, Multidisciplinary Workshop Facilitation, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Artistic Perspective, Conceptual Development, Culture-Centered Approach.