Martijn van der Wijst - Hi, I'm Martijn van der Wijst. Tech Lead UX, Frontend Architect spending a lot of time with Design Systems.
Hi, I'm Martijn van der Wijst. Tech Lead UX, Frontend Architect spending a lot of time with Design Systems.
I'm a UX specialist with a background in frontend development. I bridge the gap between design and technology, creating digital products that are inclusive, intuitive, and scalable. My work combines research-driven decisions with a clear sense for simplicity and consistency, making sure solutions work for users and development teams alike.
Proud father of two, futsal player and serial hobbyist.
Outside of work, I enjoy time with my family, a game of futsal with friends (where the third half is just as important as the first two), or temporary hobbies like stargazing, sourdough baking and learning piano. Lasting hobbies include cooking, snowboarding, festivals and movie nights, and I tend to research everything thoroughly. Like vacations or a new kettle.
Design Philosophy
I turn complexity into clarity. My design brain thrives on making digital products feel effortless. Inclusive for everyone, intuitive to use, and strong enough under the hood to scale with ease.
Work
Featured: Scaling with Design Tokens
20222025Client
BMW Group
Challenge
Evolve the design system with tokens to boost efficiency, maintain consistency, and support multiple brands.
Role
Tech Lead UX: owned the UX roadmap, introduced accessibility standards, scaled the design system, coached teams, and represented design in product vision.
Contributions
- Token architecture (color, type, spacing, sizes, theming)
- Figma ↔ Storybook sync + CI/CD publishing
- Governance & change control across 15+ apps
- Reusable components with clear variants & states
Results
- Faster delivery via reusable components and tokens
- Long-term alignment between UX, business, and development
- Reduced inconsistencies across 15+ apps
More work
Alphabet Design System20202022
Alphabet
Transition to the new corporate design. Established consistency in type, color, and components with a WCAG baseline.
- Adoption of design principles across 15+ apps
- WCAG 2.1 AA baseline
- Faster feature delivery via reusable patterns
Signify InterAct Platform20152017
Signify / Philips Lighting
Shaped UX architecture and reusable components for the InterAct smart lighting platform. Active role in design taskforce with focus on interaction design and usability testing.
- Reusable UI components for multi-application landscape
- Scalable design patterns and interaction design
- Active role in UI/UX Design Taskforce and usability testing
- Bridge between user insights, UX guidelines, and technical implementation
ING Mobile Services Portal20132015
ING
Tablet portal for on-site client assistance. Focus on clarity, speed, and compliance in a compact touch UI.
- On-site account opening without desktop
- Validated designs for large/small layouts
- Higher efficiency and staff confidence
Principles
Clarity over cleverness
Clear language and patterns that minimize cognitive load.
System over pages
Think in tokens, components, and governance to stay scalable.
Accessible by default
WCAG baseline; keyboard, contrast, semantics, and readability are non-negotiable.
Community & Leadership
Beyond my daily work, I'm actively involved in the frontend and UX community. I believe in knowledge sharing, mentorship, and helping others grow in our field. Below are some examples to demonstrate my involvement.
- Member of the Frontmania program committee and MC for the annual conference
- Founder and lead of UX and Frontend communities
- Organizer of internal and external events, meetups and hackathons at Divotion
- Led client workshops and discovery sessions
- Instructor of Angular and Vue workshops
- Organizer of Figma knowledge-sharing sessions
- Speaker on UX & design systems at internal and community events
- Mentor and founder of Divotion's junior traineeship program