Meet our new colleague: Roel Smeets

A new addition to our team! Roel Smeets joined BIM-Connected on February 10th as a UI and UX designer. In this role, he focuses on designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX).

From Freelance to BIM-Connected

Roel studied Industrial Design at TU Eindhoven and then worked for a year as a UI/UX designer. “I enjoyed the work, but the company I worked for wasn’t the right fit for me. So, I decided to start freelancing, mainly focusing on graphic design. After 6.5 years, I was ready for a new challenge. I wanted to get back into interaction design—it offers more complexity, and I was craving a bigger puzzle!”

A Familiar Face

Roel has known BIM-Connected for years—in fact, he’s worked with us before! “Founder Jakko Heinen and I lived in the same student house and stayed in touch. We started our businesses around the same time and even rented desks in the same space. As BIM-Connected grew, Jakko asked me to design some of their interfaces. I’ve seen the company evolve over the years, and I already knew almost all my future colleagues. When I was looking for my next challenge, I thought: why not BIM-Connected? And that’s how things started rolling.”

Diving into Data

“The field BIM-Connected operates in really excites me,” Roel continues. “Technology offers endless possibilities, but if you don’t translate it into practical, user-friendly solutions, you miss the mark. BIM-Connected focuses on the data domain, which I find super interesting. Over the coming months, I’ll be working on a new software application for managing public spaces. In the Netherlands, we collect data on everything from trees to trash bins—but how do we make the most of this information? It’s fascinating to be part of this process from the ground up.”

We’re excited to have Roel on board—welcome to the team! 🚀