I was very happy when I found out that over 1,500 people signed a petition to take down a website I produced for a pro-bono project. It's nice to know that a piece of work can still make people care and take action - for better or worse. When people get upset you know you did something impactful.

 Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

I was very fortunate to grow up close to the Bavarian Alps and equally fortunate to move away from there.

I began my career in Hamburg at agencies like Jung von Matt, then moved to Amsterdam to join Strawberryfrog, and am currently working as ECD at the Strawberryfrog office in New York.

In the last 12 years I produced campaigns for fast German cars, big global accounts such as Heineken, complicated accounts like Coca Cola and clients far away like the City of Dubai.

I am also working for the non-profit organization Nanhi Kali, helping young Indian girls receive the education they desperately deserve. The work raised awareness for the cause and won nearly every respected award this year. I was happy with both those results.

What do you do for inspiration?

Stare out of the window.

What do you regard as being your biggest achievement?

I was very happy when I found out that over 1,500 people signed a petition to take down a website I produced for a pro-bono project. It's nice to know that a piece of work can still make people care and take action - for better or worse. When people get upset you know you did something impactful.

How do you relax or unwind?

The most relaxing thing I know is food. Besides that, I also go for a walk on the West Side Highway or call my hypochondriac friend.

If you weren't working on the internet what would you be doing?

I would be a surgeon. I like scissors and knifes and I am curious. To have an impact on someone's health is an incredible thought.

If there are any pivotal experiences/decisions you could point to that helped shape your career, what would they be?

My mother wanted me to become a secretary, so I chose what felt furthest away from that and studied Art and Design.

What software could you not live without?

iOS5

Who do you rate as being the top 3 design companies?

The most inspiring design companies for me are Hort Berlin, Champagne Valentine and Sagmeister.

What area of web design lacks the most?

Ecommerce. I spend so much time shopping online and I wish the sites could look and feel better.

What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?

My first site was for a sound studio. It presented the whole content in sound only. The user could navigate through different sections of the site by using his or her voice.

It was built in flash 5 and was not a very user-friendly experience, but it felt really smart 10 years ago.

Of all the websites you/your company have produced, which one are you most proud of?

The Girl Store is an e-commerce site where you can buy a girl her life back, simply by purchasing the items she needs to get a proper education. Visitors can buy specific items, such as a backpack, workbooks, or school shoes for a girl pictured on the site. When all item are purchased she gets sent of to school for real live. To launch the site we also opened a physical pop up store.

What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

I think designers that have an individual style do best, no matter how they learned it.

Some schools streamline students to get ready for their jobs, trying to teach them exactly what is already out there instead of letting them develop their own expression. The result is that you see many great portfolios, but they all look somewhat the same.

What country excites you the most in terms of innovation?

I desperately tried to avoid stating the obvious, but here you go: Sweden.

Advanced infrastructure (Manhattan broadband speed seems to work according to a horoscope), and for Sweden's everybody-accessible public funded arts, which must be good for something. Tomas Alfredsson, Roy Andersson, Anna Ternheim, Annika Norlin, Karin Dreijer Andersson… all great.

There must be a project that you have always dreamed of doing, what is it?

I would love to work on a campaign to promote universal healthcare in the US.

Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

Do first, ask for permission later.

It has been a privilege, thanks very much.

Thank you!