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Explore my Professional Story
Dear Readers!
Below, I list the key stages that have shaped my professional identity. It becomes clear that I have followed a highly interdisciplinary path. My design professor Wolfgang Jonas once described designers as “universal dilettantes”, a term that resonates with me.
The desire to work creatively on new ideas – with the goal of generating real impact- runs like a red thread through everything I do.
Career Choice & Early Influences
My father is a history and art teacher, and from him—as well as from my grandfather—I inherited a strong creative streak. On my mother’s side, my grandfather was an entrepreneur, which may have influenced my later entrepreneurial activities.
I developed an early interest in design and technology through school internships in special-purpose machine construction and at the i/i/d Institut für Integriertes Design. For a school robotics project, I created a line drawing of the Bremen Town Musicians, which a robot then reproduced during a public presentation.
After graduating from high school and completing civil service I chose to pursue a dual-degree program combining mechanical engineering and design. I wanted to also be trained in engineering to deepen my productdevoment skills.
University
Bachelor of Engineering 2006 – 2010
Mechanical Engineering, Product Development and Design
FH Emden
What I trained during my Bachelor’s Studies
I was trained in engineering, design, and process knowledge to design and develop industrial products.
See Bachelor’s Degree Highlights
Additional Practical experience
- 2006: Pre-university internship at Schirholz Fördertechnik, Bremen – conveyor systems engineering (10 weeks)
- 2008: Cebra Communication & Design, Wolfsburg – exhibition architecture & design, practical semester (6 months)
- 2010: Volkswagen AG, R&D Wolfsburg – bachelor thesis (6 months)
DPMA Patents
During my work at Volkswagen AG in 2010, I filed five patents, two of which were submitted.
Master of Arts 2010 – 2013
Master Industrial Design / Transportation Design
Braunschweig University of Art
Academic Program Overview Master
The master’s degree trained critical thinking to develope product-, system- and usage-innovations.
See Master’s Degree Highlights
Semester 1 (2010): Product-Innovation:
Bio-based fiber-reinforced composites used in large children’s toys as a versatile, activity-supporting toy.
Software: Rinoceros 3D, Indesign, Illustrator,
Semester 2 (2011): Usage-Innovation:
A group-based carsharing concept utilizing existing privately owned cars, integrated with a digital platform and an insurance service.
Project Description
The following „Car Group“ Usage-Innovation was designed during Summer Semester 2011.
How it works:
Every car owner insured through Car Group can freely decide whether – and to whom – they allow shared use of their car. If they choose to make their vehicle available to others during the times they don’t need it themselves, they create their own Car Group.
With any number of people – for example, neighbors, friends, or colleagues – the owner can easily, securely, and conveniently manage shared use via the Car Group platform. For every kilometer driven by another person, the car owner receives a fair cost reimbursement. In doing so, they promote a more social and environmentally conscious form of mobility – and help others stay mobile as well.Everywhere on the streets, we see cars driving or parked. Millions of vehicles that significantly shape our lives, our country, and the appearance of our cities. However, access to these cars is almost always limited to a single or just a few owners. Car users who do not need their own car but occasionally want to use one, turn to companies with specially created car pools (rental services, car sharing, etc.).
Problem Indentification
We Germans (defined here as a group of people) have grown accustomed to owning our own car. People make large investments, possibly go into debt, in order to call a highly sought-after, prestigious car their own. Then they drive it to work and leave it unused there for eight hours (meanwhile, the owner continues to pay high fixed costs around the clock).
The idea of lending one’s car to a neighbor or acquaintance is often met with reluctance or outright refusal. The fear that something might happen, insurance might not cover it, or that the other person might stain the seat, outweighs other considerations. As a result, a condition has developed that seems normal to us—and no longer even appears paradoxical: (Too) many cars sit unused in our overcrowded city centers. Finding a parking spot becomes a source of stress. Car owners suffer under high vehicle ownership costs (while fuel prices continue to rise). Most of the time, cars drive across the country with empty seats, since trips are usually made alone (average: 1.4 passengers per car).
Semester 3 (2011): System-Innovation
System innovation aims to design at a systemic level.
We chose to address the housing crisis through strategic marketing and by designing a cared living concept that connects elderly, often house-owning individuals with younger people.
Our focus was on branding and marketing, creating a new campaign to highlight the benefits of this sharing-caring concept. It addresses the sufficiency dimension of sustainability by cleverly utilizing the existing housing capacities of elderly people.
The project was supported by the resources of the Media Lab, including the use of professional camera, lighting, and studio equipment.
Semester 4 (2011/2012): Semester abroad at EINA Art College in Barcelona, Internship at Gema Bernal Studio Barcelona.
During the winter semester of 2011/2012, I had an amazing opportunity to study at EINA Barcelona in the Graduado Superior en Diseño de Interiores program. I dove into creative courses like Diseño Tipográfico (Typography), Últimas Tendencias de la Arquitectura (Latest Trends in Architecture), and Proyectos Interdisciplinarios, each one pushing me to blend artistic ideas and technical skills in fresh ways. A highlight of my semester was collaborating with MACBA (Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art) on an interior design project for their lobby space – I loved brainstorming with classmates and local architects to reimagine the entry area with bold, art-inspired concepts.
That project, along with my classes, taught me the value of collaboration and innovation in design. Overall, the semester was an inspiring mix of learning and creativity that continues to influence how I think about space and design.
Semester 5 (2012): Bachelor Thesis @ DLR Braunschweig
Project Description
The thesis was written at the Institute of Transportation Systems, in the Human Factors Department. The development of a cooperative lane change assistant (CLCA, aka Gap-Assist) system was carried out in collaboration with traffic psychologists and engineers. The technology uses car-to-car (C2C) communication to negotiate lane changes. The main challenge lies in the cognitive perception and visual communication between both the human and technical (vehicle) agents, as well as the overall human-machine interaction.
For visual communication, both a central display and a head-up display (HUD) were envisioned. The project’s outcome was an animated video that visualizes the CLCA within several lane changes from multiple perspectives in a modern and dynamic animate video.
It is a driver assistance system for Level 3 (Conditional Automation), where the driver must intervene if necessary.
Additional Practical experience
- 20011: 4th Semester abroad at EINA Art College in Barcelon (6Month)
- 2012: Germa Bernal Studio. Product Design Internship Barcelona (6 Weeks)
- 2012: German Aerospace Center, Braunschweig – Master Thesis (6month)
Job Experience
Human Factors and Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) Design 2013 – 2015
Designer at the German Arospace Center (DLR)
Braunschweig
My DLR Experience
During my time at the DLR in Braunschweig, the focus was on developing driver assistance systems for SAE Level 3 (Conditional Automation). The research area of Human Factors focused on the interaction between humans and automated systems. I was involved in HMI (Human-Machine Interface) design in several research projects and worked on various driver assistance systems and future concepts, such as a smart traffic light assistant that improves traffic flow and safety by communicating with both sensor-equipped traffic lights and human drivers. These systems were demonstrated and tested in both simulator and real-world environments.
Mobfish GmbH 2015–2020
Managing Partner (CEO)
Start-up Software Company: App Developemnt, Websites, Virtual Reaility and SaaS.
My CEO Experience
The role of CEO brought significant personal growth and opened up entirely new perspectives. It was a 5-year real-life training ground that expanded my experience across diverse areas such as finance, business development, marketing, sales, and leadership. Since then, my interest in personal leadership development has continued to grow, as I recognize the immense value of strong leadership competence.
About mobfish GmbH
As CEO of mobfish GmbH, I led the company through five formative years of innovation, growth, and international positioning in the field of immersive technology. Under my leadership, mobfish evolved from a startup into a specialized software company with a team of 7 talented professionals and a strong foothold in the virtual reality (VR) industry.
At the core of our offering was the development of VR Studio, a SaaS-based VR software platform designed to simplify the creation and distribution of interactive VR experiences. The platform attracted over 2,000 test users, reached a monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of more than €3,000, and achieved an impressive organic reach of nearly 300,000 impressions per month.
In December 2018, we successfully closed a Series B funding round, raising €600,000 in venture capital to accelerate the development and market expansion of VR Studio. As part of our strategic shift, we made the decision to pivot away from service-based projects and go all-in on building and scaling our SaaS product. This focus enabled us to streamline our efforts and position mobfish more clearly in the product space.
Alongside VR Studio, we continued to build custom VR apps for high-profile clients such as Microsoft Germany, which further solidified mobfish’s reputation as a trusted and innovative tech partner.
Our software incorporated automated tracking of 7 key milestones in the customer decision journey, enabling data-driven insights and optimization. We operated using agile methodologies (Scrum) and fostered a creative, quality-conscious culture with a strong focus on user experience and design.
Despite our achievements and the dedication of the team, we were ultimately unable to acquire a sufficient number of paying customers to sustain the business in the long term. In 2020, mobfish filed for bankruptcy and concluded its operations. This experience, while difficult, provided invaluable lessons in product-market fit, strategic risk-taking, and the realities of scaling a SaaS business in an emerging industry.
Key Competencies & Achievements:
- Deep involvement in the global Virtual Reality ecosystem
- Strategic company leadership and growth management
- SaaS product development and market fit validation
- Venture capital acquisition (€600k Series B)
- B2B collaboration with international clients
- Expertise in design, branding, and user experience
Impressions
Research Project Interfacer 2021 -2023
Fab City Hamburg (COO, Projectmanager)
Developing Digital Infrastructure for Fab Cities
My Facity Hamburg Experience
At Fab City, I had the privilege to deepening my expertise in circular design within an inspiring and diverse network of industry professionals. As a speaker I attended several events, such as the Circular Design Deep Dive 2022 or the Fab Fest Bail. As one of the first employees at Fab City Hamburg, I primarily played a key role in the Interfacer research project. The goal was to develop a comprehensive, distributed, and technically federated ecosystem called the Fab City Operating System (FCOS). This system is designed to support open-source hardware in all its aspects — from circular design and development to collaboration, fair governance, and financing structures. The aim was to create systems that are resilient, sovereign, and highly adaptable for the 50+ Fab Cities and 2,700+ FabLabs worldwide. With our tech parner Dyne, a frist prototype was build, as well as adoption from other members of the Fab City network has begun.
With my conceptual work on FCOS, I designed the system to support open-source hardware in all its aspects — from circular design and development to collaboration, fair governance, and financing structures — in collaboration with an international team.
The aim was to create systems aligned with the principles of the Fab City movement (Innovation hubs, digital paltforms, standards, and culture) that are resilient, sovereign, and highly adaptable for the 50+ Fab Cities and 2,700+ FabLabs worldwide. With our Techparner Dyne, a frist protoype has been build, as well as adaptiation from other Members of the Fab City network has begun.
I was also working closely with the managing director to shape and implement early-stage strategies for business development and further funding of Fab City Hambug. As the organization evolved—through leadership transitions and internal restructuring—I develpped a stong focus on research, design, and cross-functional coordination.
I also had the chance to represent the organization internationally, including in Bali, Indonesia, which deepened my intercultural and strategic communication skills. I visited many makerspaces, not only Hamburg Makerspacer but also internationally, such als Fab Lab Barcelona or TMDC Barcelona.
I also dealt with intellectual property (IP law: copyright, licenses), especially in relation to the question of licensing open source hardware. In this context, we were supported by the Bucerius Law School and by Open Source Ecology Germany, who are actively involved in this area (e.g. IP Law & Liability Guide). This relates to my later work at Kwintely Intelligence.
Fab Fest Bali
The work of the Fab City Operating System was presented at the Fab Fest Bali in Indonesia (yearly global Fab Conference). Check out this Article to read more about the Event and the Trip by the Fab City Hamburg Team. The videos and Podcast where also done entirely by me. You can check them out on this Youtube Playlist of Fabcity Hamburg.
UI/UX Design for Static Side Concept
The concept of a static site, where the website is built from single files hosted in a GitLab repository, is a simple, robust, and resilient way to operate a website. It offers a secure and fast method for building websites with minimal code and infrastructure. The design is open source and part of the fcos-suite. See the project at: https://gitlab.fabcity.hamburg/fcos-suite/fcos-suite-ui
The Design has been adopted by the Fabcity e.V. , by openlab.hamburg and also by the Fab-Region Bergisches Städtedreieck.
For the Year 2022 the website Fabcity.hamburg won the punktHamburg Award.
System Mapping
I designed an interactive ecosystem map of the Fab City Operating System. It is open source and can be updated by the community. See embeded map below:
Impressions of my time a Fab City Hamburg:
Freelance Experience
Founding Project, Since 2023
Initiator Makerspace Lüneburg
Inspired by „think global, make local“ I started the Makerspace Lüneburg in my hometown Lüneburg.
Makersapce Lüneburg Experience
Deeply inspired by my previous experience in design and the Maker movement, I initiated and led the Makerspace project in Lüneburg. What began as a small initiative quickly grew into a substantial endeavor, securing €200,000 in funding through competitive pitches. The application was formally submitted by VHS Lüneburg, which also serves as the project sponsor and future employer. As project lead, I have built a local network, gained sponsorship, and developed marketing materials. The aim is to establish a sustainable, public innovation space.
Currently, the project is on pause due to the lack of a suitable physical location — the originally intended space requires renovation. Nevertheless, strong foundations are in place for a successful restart once this issue is resolved.
Further details can be explored at makerspace-lueneburg.de
Project Details.
Makerspace Lüneburg is being developed in collaboration with VHS REGION Lüneburg, Museum der Zukunft (owned by Prof. Micheal Braungard, Cradle2Cradle Inventor) , and local partners. The space is designed as a publicly accessible, nonprofit innovation hub in the city center of Lüneburg. It will offer workshops, a repair café, digital fabrication labs, and a microfactory for hands-on education and prototyping.
The program focuses on STEM, crafts, and digital technologies, with targets of 500 participants, 500 instructional units, and 156 open lab days per year. Partner institutions include local schools, Leuphana University, repair initiatives, and businesses—all contributing to a community-driven learning environment.
The implementation follows a phased approach: a pilot phase (Startup 365) will launch at Museum der Zukunft in mid-2024. This will be followed by expansion into a larger space of over 500 m². Core infrastructure includes 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters, and a loaned Open Lab Starter Kit from Helmut-Schmidt University. The kit enables not only prototyping but also the self-construction of equipment, enhancing local capacity.
Funding comes primarily from the “Resiliente Innenstadt” grant (~€190k–€200k), supplemented by sponsorships and donations. Operational planning covers 80 % of staffing through public funding, with the remaining 20 % to be generated via memberships, workshops, and service offerings.
Next steps include finalizing the funding strategy, recruiting core staff, and securing a suitable long-term location to bring the project to life.
My own Design Studio Since 2023
Innovation Haus
Brand, UI/UX, 3D Printing, Film&Motion
Alongside the business development of the Makerspace Project, I have focused on branding, UI/UX design, 3D printing, and film & motion. Here are some of my recent works since 2023:
Branding & UI/UX
For Kwintely Intelligence, a cutting-edge analytics platform focused on intellectual property (IP), especially patents, I became the lead-designer of their SaaS Solution. This is the most complex UI/UX design I have worked on so far. I use an advanced PrimeNG UI components library inside of Figma (featuring thousands of design tokens (Token Studio), light/dark themes and custom components).
- Logo design
- UI/UX Design (main focus, with continuous improvements. Implementation is ongoing, featuring the cutting-edge PrimeNG UI system, light/dark themes, custom icons, and more.)
- Promo video (see video below).
I also serve other Clients helping them with Brand identity and web design, including complete realisiation of the Website itselft (e.g. with Figma and WordPress)
Moddeling & 3D Printing
I began working with 3D printing in 2006 during my bachelor’s studies—the same year the RepRap project was launched (Side note: Sixteen years later, I had the chance to interview Vic Oliver, the inventor and the first person „to 3D-print a 3D-printer“ (see video). My passion for 3D printing has only grown since then. I enjoy solving complex problems through additive manufacturing.
In 2024 I organized a Vernisage in Lüneburg showcasing multiple 3D Printing applications.
I specialize in FDM printing using PLA and PETG, with a focus on ultra-fine resolution, precision detailing, and functional prototyping.Since 2023, I’ve taken on client projects and started developing my own products, including an inductive charging solution for VR headsets (see my shop). Upgrading to a multicolor printing setup has opened new creative possibilities.
I’m particularly excited by the digital distribution potential and the use of mono-material designs, which support circular and sustainable design practices.
Film & Motion
Additional Qualifications
My Maker Skills
I love prototyping & making in the intersection between digital and physical. Especially the combination of digtial machines such as Lasercutter, CNC Milling, 3D Printing with craftsmanship.
I use making to create the things I need myself, reuse, or repair. I find that making often has a higher value than buying things. For example, during my school years, I enjoyed sewing, which my mother (a textile teacher) taught me. So I sat down at night and designed and completed a full rucksack with a custom snakeboard holder — something I simply couldn’t buy.
At FabCity, I was not only making but also building the machines for making in build workshops, including a Maslow CNC and a complete 3D Printer. I also used the Open Lab Starter Kit machines — a project I find inspiring, because its goal is to enable people to participate, rebuild or upgrade the machines openly. I even planned a complete Makerspace inventory for the Makerspace Lüneburg Project, which will include at least one machine from the Open Lab Starter Kit.
Wood Working
As wood is such a beautiful natural material, I made a short video about some of my recent woodworking projects.
Side Projects
I have many side projects. One I like to share is the Kinderkraft by Kraftkinder. This has evolved into multiple dimentions, including not only the product design but also the branding and business model. The complete project presentation can be seen here.
Film&Motion
Additional Certifications
I continuously pursue additional training on my own initiative—sharpening both my craftsmanship and my product development knowledge.
Moving forward from here – with experience, integrity, and vision.
I’m someone who brings not just skills, but also attitude, motivation, and a strong set of values. During a startup coaching session, I explored my personal core – and ever since, I’ve made it a point to be open and authentic in collaboration.
With my neurodivergent profile (AuDHD), I work visually, creatively, and with precision. I consciously take risks when I believe in ideas – like leaving the DLR for a startup or helping build a makerspace from scratch. I aim to create meaningful solutions – with hands, heart, and head.
I’m looking for teams and projects where values, impact, and design come together. I enjoy taking responsibility – in product development, prototyping, or leadership roles. I believe in a new way of working and am ready to move forward with vision and courage.
My personal Visionstatement and Core
I want to give the things that are important to me in life a higher functional quality and inspire people to lead a more livable and meaningful life. In doing so, I want to remain authentic and live in inner balance between family/marriage, friends&community, and career.
Raphael Haus
