Elmar Trefz Email and Phone Number
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Since hacking Commodore computers as a kid in the ’80s, I have been working on making the relationship between humans and computers more exciting, elegant and entertaining. I am driven by a deep curiosity to explore the intersections of creativity, strategy, and technology, creating experiences that challenge conventional thinking and inspire transformation. My work is deeply rooted in an integrative approach that not only bridges the digital and physical realms but also ensures that the human experience remains central to each engagement. Whether through cutting-edge projects for clients like Honda, Salesforce, and Google, or my scholarly work in Smart Cities, I am driven by a mission to advance how we interact with technology, empower future generations with new tools and thinking, and craft cultural touchpoints that resonate and endure.Some highlights of my qualifications include: • Expertise in UX and strategic design, ensuring that user needs are met through innovative solutions. • Proven track record of managing and delivering large-scale digital transformation projects. • Strong in creative technology and experiential media, focusing on integrating new technologies to enhance UX. • Excellent leadership and collaboration skills, leading cross-functional teams to meet project goals.I am an Experience Design Director dedicated to creating environments that foster collaboration, diversity of thought, and a strong sense of community. I enable spaces where ideas are freely exchanged, and where every project offers an opportunity for personal and professional growth alongside peers from varied backgrounds. My career has spanned continents and industries, allowing me to leverage a global network and interdisciplinary expertise to innovate at the intersections of digital technologies, marketing, architecture, and product design.Furthermore, I have lectured on IoT, Data Visualization and the Metaverse at the University of Sydney and directed the Electrofringe festival in Newcastle, Australia. In 2016, I was awarded a PhD for my research into urban user experiences in the digital age, providing valuable insights into the intersection of technology and urban life, helping cities better design their digital infrastructure and services to enhance daily living and civic engagement.Ultimately, my vision is to leave a lasting legacy—through projects that not only push technological boundaries but also foster inclusive, dynamic communities capable of shaping a better, more connected world.
Musa Ventures
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- musaventures.com
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Experience And Strategic Design DirectorMusa VenturesSydney, Nsw, Au -
Experience & Strategic Design AdvisorMusa Ventures 2022 - PresentSydney, New South Wales, AustraliaMusa Ventures is addressing the critical inefficiencies and accessibility challenges within the emerging markets venture funding landscape. Key issues include limited funding access for small and medium enterprises, data scarcity among investors, and outdated, manual due diligence processes that hinder effective decision-making.To bring Musa to life:• I began with ethnographic research on investors and ventures to identify their current pain points.• I used these insights to develop a customer journey, service blueprint, wireframes, and data visualisations, which were then used to design and develop an MVP.• The MVP underwent iterative testing with startups and investors, followed by additional AI automation to enhance functionality for ongoing feedback collection.• I further developed a macroeconomic data analysis and visualisation tool to highlight the context in which startups operate, reducing macroeconomic risk for investors.• To support growth, I also created lead generation tools to attract both startups and investors to Musa.Musa was awarded with multiple awards such as the Prestigious “Global Gold Award” and the “Women Leading Tech Award” and is now supported by Techstars x J.P. Morgan Accelerator. -
Co-Creator, Experience Design DirectorTitandao 2021 - 2022Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaFollowing a major crash in 2021, often referred to as the "crypto bank run," the TITAN token lost a lot of its value. TitanDAO is working on increasing TITAN’s value by creating new use cases and strengthening its ecosystem.To bring TITAN back to life, I led efforts to rebuild and reposition TITAN as a community-driven token through an innovative Web3 and Metaverse strategy, which resulted in:• Increased Community Engagement: TitanDAO’s Discord and Telegram communities expanded tenfold, growing from 2,000 to 20,000 members. This boost in engagement built a strong foundation for community ownership and token stability.• Successful Fundraising through NFTs: Facilitated a profitable NFT sale that raised $250,000 in funding. This not only raised financial resources but also created unique collectible assets within the TitanDAO ecosystem, enhancing community value and investor interest.• Significant Token Value Growth: Through these strategic initiatives, TITAN’s token value rose by an impressive 5500% equating to a 55x increase. This growth reflected renewed investor confidence and momentum within the TITAN community. -
Senior Lecturer - Experience & Strategic Design For Web3 And The MetaverseUniversity Of Sydney 2009 - 2022Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaThe University of Sydney launched a Master of Strategic Design and required academics with industry experience to develop the curriculum. Additionally, they aimed to incorporate the emerging fields of Web3 and the Metaverse into their course material.• As a Senior Lecturer, I developed a strategic design curriculum that distinguished itself from existing design thinking and UX design courses by focusing on value proposition design for venture building, highlighting the differences between Strategic and UX Design.• I created lectures that explored the intersections of Web3, NFTs, and the Metaverse, examining how these emerging technologies are reshaping digital experiences.• Additionally, I lectured on Smart City, Data Visualization, and IoT for Natural User Interfaces. In collaboration with leading experts like Dan Hill, Andrew Vande Moere, and Martin Tomitsch, I brought a multidisciplinary approach to teaching, blending design, technology, and data science.Together, we explored the potential of digital technologies to improve urban living, enable smarter cities, and design immersive experiences that bridge the physical and digital worlds.My teaching was grounded in real-world applications and strategic thinking, equipping students to drive innovation across industries. Many of my students secured exciting internships and roles in the industry, showcasing the practical impact and relevance of the courses. -
Digital Placemaking & Fabrication, Burns Lane Cloud - Agda AwardsKenke + Trefz 2020 - 2021Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSingleton City Council wanted to activate Burns Lane for the annual Firelight Festival.To bring Burns Lane to life: • I designed a bespoke interactive inflatable ballon LED display.• I designed and developed a custom hardware controller capable of sensing user input and controlling LEDs inside of a balloon.• After initial prototyping on the Arduino platform, I used PCB design software EasyEDA to create a custom PCB, which was then sourced and manufactured in China.• The final installation was assembled in collaboration with partners from the University of Newcastle in Singleton’s Burns Lane.Burns Lane Cloud was a big success at Firelight Festival attracting a continuous stream of visitors to Burns Lane interacting with the ballon cloud. It furthermore sparked a discussion on the significance of accessible public spaces and adaptive urban design. Burns Lane Cloud was recognised by the AGDA Awards 2021 receiving multiple awards in the categories Multi-sensory, Spatial Design and Innovation. -
Experience Design & Fabrication, Selfiefactory - Digital Portraiture AwardKenke + Trefz 2016 - 2020Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaThe concept for Selfie Factory emerged from a curious dissonance: while people willingly share photos on social media for the world to see, the idea of someone printing and displaying those same photos in a gallery might feel intrusive or unsettling. Why does this dissonance exist if the images are already publicly available? To explore this phenomenon artist Dr Ralph Kenke and I designed and developed the Selfie Factory, an art installation that prints out endless selfie photos from social media in a physical gallery space. To bring Selfie Factory to life: • I programmed RaspberryPi computers to download and print all Instagram posts tagged with #Selfie using thermal recipe printers. Posts tagged #SelfieFactory received priority, enabling real-time interaction.• I installed Five thermal printers in parallel, generating a continuous stream of photo prints that were placed in the gallery space for visitors to view and interact with.This media art installation creates a visual experience of online behavior. It delves into the current state of human identity, examining the divide between online spaces and physical places as well as the duality of individual and collective experiences inherent in our telematic world. Selfie Factory was honoured with the prestigious Digital Portraiture Award from the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.
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Experience Design Director - Salesforce DreamforceSpinifex Group 2017 - 2018San Francisco, California, United StatesSalesforce, wanted to transform Dreamforce, the biggest trade show event in the world, from a traditional trade show model into a digital first experience that seamlessly integrates digital and physical touch points as well as create an integrated pre-show, on-site, and post-show experience. In collaboration with Spinifex, GPJ’s architectural team, and Salesforce, I transformed the event into an experience that seamlessly integrated digital and physical touch-points: • I developed a comprehensive customer journey spanning pre-show, on-site, and post-show interactions, ensuring attendees were engaged from weeks before the event through to weeks after.• I led cross-functional teams that designed and developed experiential activation zones that showcased Salesforce products like Einstein and Lightning, offering attendees immersive, hands-on experiences with key features.• I led fabrication and install on site in San Francisco of all digital implementations.This approach delivered a cohesive, memorable experience that enhanced the impact of Dreamforce, leaving participants with meaningful, tangible takeaways. -
Experience Design Director - Honda Ces - Best In Show AwardSpinifex Group 2016 - 2017Los Angeles, California, United StatesHonda wanted to showcase its latest innovations in electric vehicles, autonomous and connected technologies, robotics, and sustainable energy solutions to underscores Honda's transition from a traditional automaker to a tech-driven mobility company at CES in Las Vegas.My role at CES for Honda involved creating activations in collaboration with Honda’s engineers, GPJ, and Spinifex, where we blended Honda’s latest technologies with GPJ’s cutting-edge production capabilities:• I led cross-functional teams that designed and developed experiential activation zones that showcased HONDA’s products, offering attendees immersive, hands-on experiences with key features.• I led fabrication and install on site at CES in Las Vegas of all digital implementations.This work provided attendees with an immersive, engaging experience that highlighted Honda’s innovations in an impactful and memorable way. Honda’s presence at CES was honoured with the Best in Show Award. -
Experience Design Director, Amp Goals360 - Good Design AwardUdku 2013 - 2016Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAMP sought to transform their traditional financial advice model based on retirement, into a short term goal based finical advice model helping customers plan their life rather then their retirement.To bring the AMP 360Goals project to life, it involved:• Utilizing my expertise in research, data visualization, UX, and strategic design.• Leading ethnographic research to understand the end-to-end financial advice experience from both advisor and customer perspectives.• Conceptualising the customer journey, incorporating all digital and physical touchpoints.• Leading a team of designers, architects, and developers to prototype and develop the Goals360 beta version, which was later handed over to AMP for implementation.The AMP Goals 360 platform received the prestigious Good Design Award for Strategic Design. The Chant West Super Fund Awards described it as “the most exciting development the advice industry has seen, with the potential to revolutionize how advice is delivered.”
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Experience Design DirectorNoteworthy Projects 2003 - 2013Sydney, Australia__COMMBANK Advice, Sydney UDKU, Financial Advice Transformation__COCA-COLA Happiness 100, Sydney URBAN, Generative Art System__GOOGLE Wish, Sydney Grumpy Sailor, Interactive 360° VR CAVE__GUIDE DOTS, Sydney UDKU and Northcott, iOS navigation app for visually impaired __HONDA Dream Wall, Melbourne Iloura, Interactive Media Façade with face tracking __LG Totem, Melbourne Iloura, Interactive Media Façade with kinect tracking__VIVID Come To Your Census, Sydney Spinifex, Interactive Projection Mapping __VIVID illudre light & Garden Of Neon, Sydney Opera Bar, Interactive Projections __BEIJING Olympics 2008 & SHANGHAI Expo 2010, Sydney Spinifex, Divers Pavilions__LEXUS Paper Mouse, Los Angeles & Detroit Spinifex. First QR code based mouse __BOURKE Interactive Exhibition Centre, Sydney Spinifex & iCinema / Jeffrey Shaw __ELECTROFRINGE Festival 2008, Newcastle Festival Director & Exhibition Curator__DISONANCIAS 2007, San Sebastian Interactive food innovation for Kaiku.es__ZKM, Karlsruhe Interaction design for 360° immersive VR cinema PanoramaLab __MECAD, Barcelona Responsible for UNESCO Digi-Arts platform with Claudia Giannetti __FUTUREFARMERS, San Francisco Design of award winning IoT device WavePillow.com
Elmar Trefz Skills
Elmar Trefz Education Details
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Smart Cities -
Zkm, Karlsruhe, GermanyAnimation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics And Special Effects -
Sobresaliente -
Futurefarmers, San Francisco, CaliforniaHuman Computer Interaction -
Intermedia/Multimedia
Frequently Asked Questions about Elmar Trefz
What company does Elmar Trefz work for?
Elmar Trefz works for Musa Ventures
What is Elmar Trefz's role at the current company?
Elmar Trefz's current role is Experience and Strategic Design Director.
What is Elmar Trefz's email address?
Elmar Trefz's email address is el****@****ebo.com
What schools did Elmar Trefz attend?
Elmar Trefz attended University Of Technology Sydney, Zkm, Karlsruhe, Germany, Escola Superior De Disseny Esdi, Futurefarmers, San Francisco, California, Griffith University.
What are some of Elmar Trefz's interests?
Elmar Trefz has interest in Mobile, Clean Technology, Health Care, Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software.
What skills is Elmar Trefz known for?
Elmar Trefz has skills like Interaction Design, Creative Direction, Concept Development, New Media, Experience Design, Digital Media, User Centered Design, Digital Strategy, Marketing, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, User Experience.
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