Online Department
Making an increasingly digital world more human
What happens when UX grows up?
In this episode of UX Rotterdam Insights, we sit down with Machiel Oskam, Founder of Online Department and Thomas Gorrée, Creative Director, to explore their vision for the role of UX as it shifts from execution to influence.
We discuss why designers must become more business-aware, not by abandoning craft, but by learning to speak the language of stakeholders, strategy, and value creation. Because great work only matters if it actually gets implemented.
The conversation also dives into the responsibility agencies carry in developing new talent, the skills designers need in an AI-accelerated world, and how data and automation are changing the speed and nature of design work.
Most importantly, we explore how UX can claim a stronger seat at the decision table, not through louder voices, but through clearer thinking, measurable impact, and strategic alignment.
As UX matures, the question is no longer “What does design produce?” But it’s “What does design change?”
Products that perform. Experiences that matter.
Workshop
| Thomas Gorree
From Pixels to Performance: Winning with Business-Aware Design
Design only becomes truly valuable when it’s not only good for the user, but also drives business goals forward. Designers are eager to make real impact — but often struggle to turn that ambition into measurable business outcomes.
Online Department is a Rotterdam-based UX agency driven by a clear mission: making an increasingly digital world more human.
By embedding themselves directly within client teams, they transfer user-centered thinking into the organization, not just delivering solutions, but building lasting capability.
Their multidisciplinary specialists combine design thinking and Lean UX methods to research, design, test, and improve digital products. Every decision is grounded in real user insight and data, helping organizations move forward with clarity and confidence. Teams are carefully assembled around each challenge, aligning research, design, and strategy with the specific innovation needs of the moment.
Continuous learning is part of their DNA. Through internal academies, weekly knowledge guilds, international workshops, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Online Department keeps sharpening both craft and perspective. With a team of researchers, interaction designers, UI designers, facilitators, and trainers, the agency has grown into one of the Netherlands’ most specialized UX practices while maintaining a strong focus on culture, well-being, and longterm impact.
Beyond client work, they dedicate part of their time to social initiatives and startups that contribute to a better society, reflecting a belief that meaningful design should create value not only for businesses, but for people.
Learn more about Online Department:
