Sander Van Damme
I think about why people do what they do online —
and what it means when systems are designed to do that thinking for them.
UX Research & Behavior Design · Ghent
I'm Sander, a researcher and UX designer based in Ghent. For four years I worked at the intersection of people, data, and digital systems — studying how citizens relate to technology, running usability tests and co-creation sessions, and building tools that make abstract things tangible.
I stopped a PhD halfway through. Not because the work wasn't interesting, but because I wanted shorter feedback loops and more direct impact. That instinct still drives how I work.
Outside of office hours, I build things: software, tools, the occasional experiment. Sometimes I write.
Data empowerment is mostly fiction
Years of researching personal data vaults, governance models, and cooperative frameworks taught me one thing: giving people "control" over their data is not the same as giving them power. The design of that control matters more than the control itself.
Behavior precedes interface
Most UX problems are behavior problems in disguise. Before wireframes, before flows — what does the person actually believe, fear, or want? I start there.
Research without urgency is decoration
I've seen too many user studies that informed nothing. Good research is designed around a decision, not around completeness. Know what you're trying to learn, and stop when you know it.
Usability tests, co-creation sessions, and large-scale surveys for projects at the intersection of data policy and citizen experience. Built Data Safari, a public demo tool that made personal data tracking tangible. Presented research at EGOV (Linköping), Solid Symposium, and Open Data Manchester.
Social media and citizen engagement for public clients including Stad Gent.
- Why I stopped my PhD — and what I learned about feedback loops June 2026
- The adoption gap: why people say yes to data vaults and do nothing Coming soon
- Empowerment or surveillance? The language of personal data tools Coming soon
- Research without urgency is decoration Coming soon