Jakob Kilian
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Further Study Projects

  • project
  • areas: design
  • tags: arduino, exhibition, KISD, sensory substitution, studies
a person wearing the drop-me-a-line hat. a construction made of acrylic glass, allowing to pin notes to, that the waring person can read through mirrors

I chose to show some further projects of my integrated design studies at KISD in one post: these are works from my early semesters from 2013 – 2016.

(no)Space (2016)

Put on your headphones and prepare to experience more than just a song; you will also hear the spatial sound of the location where it was recorded. This will alter your perception of the room you are in while you listen to this track. This is the dimension of sound.

How To Create a Hit (2015)

This four week study project analysed the pop music industry and tried to figure out criteria that defines the sucess a hit. The final outcome was complete pop concept with a female artist and singer in the centre, called EDNA WOULD.

To get to that point different groups worked on topics like the design of the song itself fitting into the current style of music, the production together with professionals, development of a consistent corporate design, promotion of the artist on the different channels and social media and finally the organization and realization of a live-concert at the Cologne based c/o pop Festival.
To realize that we interviewed different specialists of the music business like Linus Volkmann (alternate chief editor of magazine »INTRO«), Gregor Stöckel (A&R manager) and Andreas Löffler (Music director of 1live – popular german radiostation). We also had the support Roman Preylowski (producer), who recorded and mixed the song with us. The final song then got over 20.000 clicks on Soundcloud and was mentioned in the “PAGE” (german design magazine)

 

Drop Me a Line (2015)

Upgrade your communication skills! This device enables you to receive instant visual input from collegues and friends even during important conversations. Through a delicate and technically elaborate mechanism any information will be confidentially overlaying your vision without interrupting the ongoing conversation or irritating your counterpart.

Intermediate Thesis (2015)

At KISD, you write two thesis papers halfway through your studies. I worked on sensory substitution and augmentation topics, which would later become the focus of my bachelor’s and master’s theses.

The aim of the research was to build a device that would make time ‘tangible’ for humans. This paper documents the theoretical and conceptual work based on “sensory substitution” and “sensory augmentation”.
The tactile feedback was provided by temperature actuators (Peltier modules), which added an innovative aspect to the prototype. Download the PDF here.

an arm wearing a black plastic housing similar to a watch

Can't Touch This (2013)

“Cant’t touch this” was a two week project at the university, it was furthermore exhibited at the EXPOCASE fairtrade 2013, Cologne,
The final outcome is a perfect demonstration of interaction design, done in the very analogue way by provoking real actions and contacts with the own hand.

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hi there!

I’m Jakob. I am a creative technologist, designer, maker and (re-)searcher, and this website shares my work and thoughts.

Privacy policy: I don’t track, I don’t collect or retain data.

tech

I often work on interceptions of design and engineering, bringing up some hardware or software (or both) projects, code bases and notes.

design

During my »Integrated Design« studies at KISD in Cologne, Germany, I worked in various design disciplines, fostering a holistic approach to design. While I explored traditional fields such as communication, industrial, service and interface design, my focus sharpened on these broader terms:

  • interaction: (inter-)action possibilities between humans and machines /computers.
  • experience: the aesthetic and sensory reception of audio/visual installations.
  • data: making raw data accessible and processable.
  • product: physical “things”.

research

This section showcases projects from my recent academic work. This includes projects from my own studies and the results of my work as a scientific employee at KISD from 2022 to 2025.

blog

Blogs are outdated. That’s why I started writing one.
All too often, I find myself down a rabbit hole, researching topics that haven’t received enough coverage on the internet yet, or simply stumbling upon ideas that are too valuable to keep to myself.
I’m passionate about sharing, which is why I started this blog. I hope you enjoy it!

music

Praqma is a producer and DJ of electronic music, blending diverse house and techno elements, a temporary utopia to escape the world’s imperfection.

Some of my early work is available on streaming and purchase platforms. Since 2023, I have focused solely on developing new hardware and software for techno live performances. See the »Modulator« and »Clipdeck« projects below, for example. In October 2025, I uploaded the first one-hour live set from this project.