Felix Hardmood Beck was born in Düsseldorf in 1978. After high school, community service, various internships and jobs in the creative industries (photo studio, agency for brand management, web design studio, software company, team leader for promotion agency, film studio, etc.), as well as a six-semester excursion to a small private design school, he finally (and happily) studied visual communication at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and the Universidad de La Laguna (Erasmus semester on Tenerife, Canary Islands) from 2002 to 2007. After the foundations program (Prof. Uli Schwarz, Prof. Jasper Halfmann, KM Andrea Schmidt) and the intermediate diploma with a focus on exhibition design (Prof. Diel, KM Karin Ocker), he shifted towards the digital media class (Prof. Joachim Sauter, KM Jussi Ängeslevä), where he graduated in 2007 in form of a neo-religious pilgrimage walking cane that led its users to unknown physical and virtual places¹⁾. In 2011, after a one-year master class (parallel to his position as art director at ART+COM Studios), at the UdK, he got appointed as Meisterschüler with his work Zoanthroid²⁾³⁾⁴⁾.

From 2001 to 2015 he has worked as a designer in various design, exhibition design and architecture offices. Many of the commissioned works and free projects have been published in design and art publications worldwide, and have been shown in numerous design and media art festivals, exhibitions and museums. Find a list of all activities on his (website).

Since 2015 he works as a freelance design director for clients from industry and culture, or prefers to work on projects he self-commissions. In this role, he develops and implements concepts for services and products, as well as information-based and experience-oriented media installations and interactive spaces for museums, showrooms, exhibitions and museums.

After being short-listed on the second place for a media design professorship at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (TH Köln, 2014), he got appointed as Assistant Professor of Practice of Design at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in 2015. During this time he taught courses at the intersection of design, art, technology and innovation. At NYUAD, he founded the NTSI Lab and the Plastic Recycling Research Lab, and raised over $525,000 in research grants. He headed both research laboratories as Principal Investigator until 2020. The results of his research and those of his research groups were shown in scientific publications, posters, conferences, art exhibitions and design festivals and presented worldwide by him, his employees and students in presentations. In 2019 he was awarded the WSN Faculty Fellowship by New York University. From 2015 to 2020 he advised various ministries and government departments in the United Arab Emirates on the topics like data visualization, exhibition design, as well as the creation of innovation and entrepreneurship. An overview of his achievements from this time can be found in this PDF.

In 2020, Felix Hardmood Beck got appointed as full Professor (life-long position) by the Münster University of Applied Sciences, and moved with his family from Abu Dhabi (Saadiyat Island = Arabic for Island of Joy) to Münster. During the Corona lock-down in 2020/21, he converted a shipping container into his workshop/field lab (»Case-study HVX«; HVX stands for the location in Havixbeck (51°57'42“N / 7°28'04”E)). At the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, which is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany (Article), he taught in the Design Foundations program until he got appointed as Media-Design Professor and moved from the Münster School of Design (MSD) to the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ETI). At ETI and he founded the Creative Technologies Lab in which he, together with national and international project partners (The international Club of Cool People – ICP Club), examines the communication qualities of Narrative Systems and new technologies and develops novel media applications for objects and spaces.

Felix played rugby (1997-2004) as a front-row forward and played guitar in various irrelevant punk and hardcore bands:

• Dreary Junk (1996-2000)
• Plastikka (2004-2005)
• Dads in Denial⁵⁾ (2019-2020)

»In May 2006, I used an early version of Google's translating tool to translate the description of one of my projects from German into French. Doing so, I did not realise that my name changed from Felix Hartmut into Felix dur courage. Funny enough, the international magazine WIRED later on printed my name as Hardmood, which I see as my digital baptism. Since then, I have used the name Hardmood for publications in the context of design, media art, teaching and research. The name has been a registered artist name since 2006.«

Design Strategist, Creative Technologist, Academic Enthusiast. Felix Hardmood Beck is a designer, educator, and researcher who is deeply committed to exploring the connections between media design, spatial experiences, and creative technologies. As a Professor at FH Münster, he teaches in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, sharing his enthusiasm for innovation with students while conducting hands-on research in the Creative Technologies Lab. With over two decades of experience, Felix has collaborated on international design projects, established research labs, and supported creative innovation through his work, always guided by curiosity and a passion for fostering learning and discovery.

• “Improvisation als Stärke” Interview mit Prof. Felix

Prof. Felix Hardmood Beck is a distinguished professor for Media Design at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ETI) at Münster University of Applied Sciences. With a strong foundation in visual communication and spatial experience design, he brings his expertise in human-computer interaction and creative technologies into the classroom. His teaching emphasizes the development of practical skills and innovative thinking, equipping students with the tools to address complex design challenges. He is deeply committed to fostering interactive and impactful learning experiences, designing tools and media that inspire creativity and critical thinking. By integrating emerging technologies into his teaching, Prof. Beck enables students to explore interdisciplinary approaches and develop tailored solutions that adapt to evolving user needs and technological advancements. His educational philosophy centers on preparing students to bridge the gap between design and technology, empowering them to contribute meaningfully in diverse professional contexts.

• DiscoverING Camp (Oktober 2024)
• COIL Artikel, online Kurs mit Universidad de las Americas (Artikel)
• Felix's teaching activities at MSD Münster School of Design (2020–2024)
• Felix's teaching activities at NYU Abu Dhabi (2015–2020)

Prof. Felix Hardmood Beck’s research is situated at the dynamic intersection of design, technology, and innovation, where he explores new frontiers in media design and interaction. His work focuses on creating immersive and interactive environments for exhibitions, installations, and public spaces, seamlessly integrating physical and digital elements to captivate and engage users. A key area of his expertise lies in interaction design and media-enriched spaces, where projections, responsive systems, and audiovisual content transform environments into dynamic, engaging experiences.

As the driving force behind the Creative Technologies Research Lab at FH Münster, Prof. Beck builds upon the legacy of the NTSI Lab, evolving its mission to address contemporary challenges and opportunities in design, technology, and societal impact. The lab operates at the intersection of interdisciplinary innovation and applied research, focusing on four core areas. These include the exploration of narrative systems and emerging technologies, where technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and smart materials are used to transform storytelling. By leveraging the narrational capabilities of these tools, the lab redefines how we communicate, educate, and create meaning in a digital age. Another key focus is the development of site-specific installations, blending design, architecture, and technology to create transformative, environment-tailored works that foster interaction between space, art, and audience.

In addition, Prof. Beck’s research encompasses the documentation of global heritage, employing cutting-edge technologies such as 3D scanning, digital archiving, and immersive media to preserve cultural, historical, and natural heritage. These efforts safeguard the richness of human history and make it accessible globally for education, research, and cultural appreciation. A fourth core area is achieving societal impact, where the lab connects design, technology, and culture with social values and aspirations. Through projects that revitalize public spaces, preserve global heritage, and inspire inclusive storytelling, Prof. Beck and his team address societal needs while fostering dialogue, community engagement, and cultural preservation.

• Artikel “Kulturelles Erbe bewahren” (18. November 2024)

Further expanding his research, Prof. Beck investigates embodied media and artefacts, creating tangible, technology-infused objects such as wearables and autonomous systems that enhance interaction and storytelling. His work in spatial experience design focuses on creating immersive environments that combine physical and digital elements to provide impactful interactions. In media architecture, he merges architectural form and digital content, designing responsive spaces and media-integrated structures. Through interdisciplinary collaborations across engineering, computer science, and the arts, he pushes the boundaries of prototyping and experimental design, testing novel applications of emerging media formats.