Hello, my name is Chris Hinz.
Quick summary
Experience
Creative direction
Team coordination
Design strategy
Behavioral design
Multimedia conceptualization
Production management
Digital illustration
Storytelling
11 years design experience.
5 years Head of Design at Sympatient.
3 years directing my design agency.
5 years tutoring experience.
10 years freelancing illustrator.
Résumé
Experience
2019 — present
Head of Design at Sympatient – concept and UX designer, production manager for audio, video, virtual reality and illustrated content, usability engineering manager and visual branding
2022 — present
Freelancing design consulting services
2012 — present
Illustration comission work for games, animation, editorial and books
2016 — 2021
Coordinator and visual designer of my remote design agency – acquisition, client supervision, project management, creative direction
2018 — 2019
Contracted designer at Sympatient
2014 — 2017
Teaching assistant in design principles at Münster School of Design
2012 — 2013
Freelance media designer and photographer
Education
2013 — 2016
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Design, majoring in Media Design & Illustration: Bachelor Thesis, Illustrated video game, VR/360° illustration and holistic exhibition concept at Münster School of Design
2010 — 2012
Higher education entrance qualification / A-levels
2008 — 2010
Apprenticeship in carpentry and cabinet making
Professional interests
Creative direction
Team coordination
Design strategy
Behavioral design
Multimedia conceptualization
Production management
Digital illustration
Storytelling
Personal interests
Virtual reality
Cinematography
Game design
Game development
New creative technologies
Photography
My profession
Designing the future of digital psychotherapy.
I’m Head of Design at Sympatient. Our mission is to build the future of digital psychotherapy, to which I proudly contribute over a decade of design experience. With my multidisciplinary background, I have the privilege of working closely with colleagues from diverse fields, bridging the gap between design, psychology, and development to deliver seamless and compelling digital therapeutic products. I solve design challenges with consistent attention to unite efficacy and user experience.
As part of my role, I’m responsible for our product’s behavioral design, conceptualization, and production management of our illustrations and video and virtual reality content. One of my passions is pushing the possibilities of mobile VR beyond industry standards to deliver the best possible exposure therapy to our patient’s homes. Overall, I’m humbled by the opportunity to be part of such an incredible team and work on projects that truly make a difference in people’s lives.
Consulting
I'm a creative director and am open for design strategy consulting.
I offer commission and consulting services for challenging creative direction and design strategy projects. If you’re facing strategic design challenges or leading creative projects yourself and need some help? I would love to connect, help and learn something new in the process.
Commissional work
I do traditional digital illustration since 2012.
Since I studied design and illustration, especially digital illustration became my passion, which I grew out of and back into. Since 2012 I am doing personal illustration projects on the side and occasional comissions for games, animation, editorial and books.
History
A bit of backstory.
Prior to joining Sympatient, I ran my own remote design agency for multiple years, focussing on project managing, creative direction and media design, working with incredible clients across various industries, such as medical products, advertisement, video games, animation, architecture, theater and book illustration.
Before that I studied design at the Münster School of Design, with a major in media design and illustration, and a strong focus on game design, virtual reality, and user experience. During my early times as a freelancer, I explored digital design and photography after completing a carpentry apprenticeship and being a self-employed full-time guitar teacher in Bochum, while using my free time to make pretty bad music in my self-built music studio… but that was a different life.