Pieter Aarts

Principal, Experience Consulting bij EPAM-Systems

Pieter is a true T-Shaped person. He’s holding a Ba in Industrial Design (1992) combined with an MBA (MDM, Design Management) (2011) and works in the digital field since 1998. Trained as an industrial designer, he has a clear focus on ‘what the design of products or services should do for clients, stakeholders and end-users’. Pieter is curious, solution-driven and takes a holistic view on design-related topics (digitization, innovation, transformation, branding and marketing). He’s interested in the effect and impact of design and wants to bridge the ‘gap’ between business (viability), technology (feasibility) and context/user (desirability). Pieter sees creative thinking (and doing) as a smart way to approach the increased complexity and uncertainty that organizations are facing today. For years he applied design thinking methods to involve relevant stakeholders, disciplines and users, align them on the same page, deliver relevant insights and translate abstract concepts into concrete and tangible prototypes. His ambition is to stop ‘working in projects’ and start ‘thinking in products’. Ideally through a combination of an intensive, structural and iterative way of working (build, test, measure, learn), use qualitative and quantitative research and set-up an OKR-approach (Objectives & Key Results, using sets of KPI’s). EPAM Systems Netherlands: The Digital Engagement Practice is responsible to create products and services for clients of EPAM Systems that have a structural impact for business (viable), technology (feasible) and especially the user (desirable). The Dutch team consists of strategists, researchers, UX designers and visual designers. We use design tools, methods and a 'design-like' approach. Accounts (a.o.) include Liberty Global (Ziggo), Ahold (AH, Etos), Parkmobile, Tele2, Nike, RTL and Knab. Network: Pieter is member of the board of the Design Management Network (DMN) and jury member of the Dutch Design Awards. He is active in the Dutch Digital Agencies (DDA), the European Creative Business Network (ECBN) and a member of the Advisory Board of the Dutch Design Week (DDW). Besides this he is an experienced speaker, guest-lecturer, moderator and publicist on subjects such as innovation, UX/CX, digital transformation, design thinking and the creative industries. Key competences: Develop and define digital strategies. Create digital product visions and translate these into roadmaps. Perform (qualitative) user and contextual research, analyze outcomes and define insights into concrete (actionable) next steps. Coach, educate and facilitate ‘in-house’ digital teams. Curate and moderate workshops and design thinking sessions. Managing expectations, align and inform stakeholders, build consensus and a shared vision on digital transformation.