Christopher Pietsch

is a versatile professional with expertise in design, research, and programming. He delves into the interface of design and technology. His work is primarily geared towards comprehending the enhancement of our physical and digital experiences by utilizing new technology.

Portrait of Christopher Pietsch

Christopher is skilled in data visualization, interaction design, and user experience design. He loves to craft unique digital experiences and data visualizations that can communicate complex information in a simple and intuitive way. He has open-sourced most of his work e.g. on explorative interfaces for OpenGLAM, which is a project that allows users to visually explore large cultural collections.

Christopher holds a degree in Interaction Design from the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. His Bachelor's thesis was on Brain-Computer-Interfaces.

As a freelance information and interaction designer, he continues to explore novel types of visualization metaphors that can help us better understand and interact with the world around us.

A new area of interest is the boundary between artificial intelligence and interaction design. He explores how these two fields can work together to create more intuitive and engaging user experiences. He believes that AI can help design more personalized and adaptive interfaces that can better respond to user needs and preferences.

Hello World

  • March 1986
    Düren, Germany

EDUCATION

  • 2008 — 2014
    University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
    Bachelor of Arts: Interaction Design (Grade: 1.2)
    Specialized in Advanced Media and Information Visualization
  • 2006 — 2008
    University of Applied Sciences HTW Berlin
    Applied Computer Science
  • 2005 — 2006
    Civil service
    Rurtalwerkstätten Düren (sheltered workshop)
  • 1996 — 2005
    Gymnasium Kreuzau (high school)
    High School Diploma (Abitur) in Maths, Biology, Computer Science

EXPERIENCE

  • 2009 — now
    Freelance Interaction Designer and Developer
    Clients: New York Times, Zeit Online, Spiegel Online, NZZ, Julian Oliver, OpenDataCity, MIT Senseable City Lab, Nokia, AlgorithmWatch, facts and fiction, Universität Zürich, TU Berlin
  • 2014 — now
    Researcher: Urban Complexity Lab, Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (Associate)

EXHIBITIONS

  • 2016, 2018
    Cf. City Flows, IEEE VISAP, Baltimore; The Art of Networks III, Boston
  • 2015
    Cf. City Flows, Streams and Traces, Berlin
    FW4 Past Visions, Streams and Traces, Berlin
  • 2012
    Bumping Borders, Part of Mobile Republic, Funded by Arts Council England. With Julian Oliver and Till Nagel.
  • 2011
    Brain State Sharing, Interactive installation at the "Langen Nacht der Wissenschaft", Language Of Emotions FU Berlin

PUBLICATIONS

  • 2022
    Surprise machines - Revealing Harvard Art Museums’ image collection
    Information Design Journal 2022, Dario Rodighiero, Douglas Duhaime, Christopher Pietsch, Lins Derry, Jordan Kruguer, and Jeffrey Schnapp
  • Von der Wolke zum Pfad - Visuelle und assoziative Exploration zweier kultureller Sammlungen.
    DHd 2022, Brüggemann Viktoria, Bludau Mark-Jan, Pietsch Christopher, Dörk Marian
  • 2017
    Past Visions and Reconciling Views: Visualizing Time, Texture and Themes in Cultural Collections.
    Digital Humanities Quarterly 11, Katrin Glinka, Christopher Pietsch, Marian Dörk
  • One view is not enough: High-level visualizations of a large cultural collection,
    Information Design Journal 23, Marian Dörk, Christopher Pietsch & Gabriel Credico
  • Von sammlungsspezifischen Visualisierungen zu nachnutzbaren Werkzeugen,
    Konferenzband zur DHd, Katrin Glinka, Christopher Pietsch, Marian Dörk
  • 2016
    Staged Analysis: From Evocative to Comparative Visualizations of Urban Mobility
    Till Nagel, Christopher Pietsch, Marian Dörk
  • Linking structure, texture and context in a visualization of historical drawings by Frederick William IV,
    Katrin Glinka, Christopher Pietsch, Carsten Dilba, Marian Dörk