{"customPageContent":[{"content":{"herolabel":"Hi, I am","herotitle":"Karel Decoene","heroparagraph":"I’m a <strong>UX designer</strong> who likes to make things clear, simple and useful. Happy to share my latest work with the world. Find out more about me or <a href=\"https://cms-portfolio.presentonline.be/media/pages/about/5a836888c2-1768492141/karel-decoene-resume-2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Karel Decoene Resume\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong><u>download my resume</u></strong></a>","herobuttons":[{"anchor":"My work","icon":"arrowRight","iconplacement":"false","typeofbutton":"button-primary","destination":"internal","internalpage":["projects"],"idpage":"","externalurl":"","downloadablefile":[]},{"anchor":"My skills","icon":"arrowDown","iconplacement":"false","typeofbutton":"button-secondary","destination":"internal","internalpage":["home"],"idpage":"#skills","externalurl":"","downloadablefile":[]}],"heroimage":["home/karel-heroprimary.jpg"],"alttag":"Karel Decoene smiling at Upthrust office in Antwerp"},"id":"4e479e1f-1a58-46cd-8933-65ff0d1b6b45","isHidden":false,"type":"heroSecondary"},{"content":{"highlightedprojectstitle":"My work","highlightedprojectsparagraph":"A selection of projects which I've done over the past few years.","highlightedprojects":[{"coverimage":["home/karel-portfolio-slimvesteer-1.jpg"],"alttag":"Slimvesteer","title":"Slimvesteer | Personal finance platform","addnewlabel":"true","intro":"Accessible platform to help people take their first steps into personal finance","tags":"User research, Wireframing, UI design, Front-end development","project":["projects/slimvesteer"]},{"coverimage":["home/karel-portfolio-lacloseraie-1.jpg"],"alttag":"La Closeraie","title":"La Closeraie | Vacation house website","addnewlabel":"true","intro":"Custom multilingual website for a renovated vacation home in the Ardennes","tags":"Wireframing, UI design, Front-end development","project":["projects/la-closeraie"]},{"coverimage":["home/karel-portfolio-cv-kit-1.jpg"],"alttag":"CV kit mockup on Apple devices","title":"CV Kit | Corporate CV tool","addnewlabel":"false","intro":"The CV kit allows companies to manage their employees corporate CV and present teams to clients.","tags":"Wireframing, Prototyping, UI design, Front-end development","project":["projects/cv-kit"]},{"coverimage":["home/karel-portfolio-karrelv3-1.jpg"],"alttag":"Karrel V3 portfolio website on Macbook and iMac on desk","title":"Karrel V3 | Portfolio website","addnewlabel":"false","intro":"The latest iteration of my portfolio website where you can find my projects &amp; thoughts.","tags":"Wireframing, UI design, Accessibility, Front-end development","project":["projects/karrel-v3"]}],"bgcolor":"grey"},"id":"bfc38936-0921-41af-a4af-611509e87463","isHidden":false,"type":"highlightedProjects"},{"content":{"serviceslabel":"How I can help you","servicestitle":"My expertise","services":[{"title":"UX design","ishighlighted":"true","paragraph":"I design intuitive digital experiences that are clear, simple, and useful — turning complex problems into solutions people enjoy using.","destination":[]},{"title":"UI design & front-end development","ishighlighted":"true","paragraph":"I build responsive interfaces with clean code and thoughtful visuals — bridging design and development to deliver polished, usable products.","destination":[]},{"title":"Functional analysis","ishighlighted":"false","paragraph":"I translate business needs into clear wireframes and analysis documents to validate that every feature has purpose, clarity, and measurable value.","destination":[]}]},"id":"4753600c-3738-4929-bfb6-6ab462ea4e34","isHidden":false,"type":"services"},{"content":{"skillslabel":"Methods & frameworks","skillstitle":"My Toolkit","architectures":[{"title":"Research & Design","technologies":"User interviews, Usability testing, Wireframing, Prototyping","paragraph":"When it comes to research design, I approach each project strategically to <strong>uncover genuine user insights</strong>. I craft comprehensive user interview protocols that reveal underlying <strong>motivations and pain points</strong>, then structure usability testing sessions to capture both quantitative metrics and qualitative observations.<br><br>I translate these research findings into <strong>wireframes that reflect real user needs and validate concepts</strong> through iterative <strong>prototyping</strong>. This systematic approach ensures that every design element is <strong>grounded in evidence rather than assumptions</strong>, creating solutions that truly resonate with users.","projects":[{"anchor":"Slimvesteer","project":["projects/slimvesteer"]},{"anchor":"CV kit","project":["projects/cv-kit"]}]},{"title":"Functional Analysis","technologies":"Analysis, Documentation, Technical background, Communication","paragraph":"In functional analysis, I break down complex <strong>business requirements</strong> into clear, actionable components. My analytical approach involves systematically examining workflows to <strong>identify gaps and improvement opportunities</strong>. I create comprehensive <strong>documentation</strong> that bridges stakeholders and development teams, ensuring <strong>alignment</strong> throughout the project. <br><br>My technical background allows me to understand implementation <strong>constraints</strong>, while my <strong>communication</strong> skills facilitate productive discussions between business and technical teams. This approach proved effective during my <a href=\"https://www.karrel.dev/about#experience\" title=\"Bayer consultancy assignment\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong><u>consultancy assignment at Bayer</u></strong></a>, where I delivered functional specifications that were both technically feasible and business-aligned.","projects":[]}],"skillsimage":["home/karel-back.jpg"],"alttag":"Karel Decoene at KdG Hogeschool Campus Zuid working behind PC","bgcolor":"grey"},"id":"8416751d-990e-45fd-b71a-e9951070aed7","isHidden":false,"type":"skills"},{"content":{"highlightedblogstitle":"Latest blogs","highlightedblogsparagraph":"Insights I've had over the past few months.","highlightedblogs":[{"coverimage":["home/karel-portfolio-karrelv3-1.jpg"],"alttag":"Karel Decoene portfolio on Macbook and iMac on desk","title":"How I gave my portfolio website a 2023 glow-up: The art of endless learning and growing","addnewlabel":"true","publishdate":"2023-10-01","minutesread":12,"blog":["blog/how-i-gave-my-portfolio-website-a-2023-glow-up-the-art-of-endless-learning-and-growing"]}],"bgcolor":"white"},"id":"61d11245-557c-4fd2-903d-66d8fc3f5444","isHidden":false,"type":"highlightedBlogs"},{"content":{"ctatitle":"Questions or just want to connect?","ctaparagraph":"Don't hesitate to send me a message.","ctabuttons":[{"anchor":"Contact me","icon":"arrowRight","iconplacement":"false","typeofbutton":"button-primary","destination":"internal","internalpage":["contact"],"idpage":"","externalurl":"","downloadablefile":[]}],"bgcolor":"grey"},"id":"6b9bc7fd-6c0d-4e83-bc08-b2c20a97c778","isHidden":false,"type":"cta"}]}