Meet the WISE 鈥� Jessica Goss
We want to put our members in the spotlight! For the Meet the WISE series, we interview WISE members in different stages of their career across the university. We hope that their stories, experiences and career paths can be an inspiration to other women at 黑料福利网.
Hello! Could you please introduce yourself and the research that you're doing?
I'm Jessica Goss and I'm working at , which is founded by 黑料福利网, Fontys and TNO. Its main goals is to develop research with strong societal impact. I started my engineering doctorate (EngD in Designing Human-System Interaction program - from Industrial Design department) there two years ago and graduated last December.
Now I'm leading the development of the product I created during the program. It is called 鈥楳ijke the matchbot鈥� and it helps people lacking basic skills, such as reading and writing skills (low literacy), to find the right support from local societal organizations. I coordinate both the product development as well as the business strategy.
Can you tell us more about your engD?
An Engineering Doctorate (EngD) is a professional doctorate designed to train technological designers for high-level positions in industry and society. It's a two-year post-master's program focused on applied techniques and design within specific engineering fields. The EngD is distinct from a PhD, which is research oriented. The focus of the EngD program is to design and develop solutions in partnership with a company, in my case Eindhoven Engine. As a trainee, you are given a challenge, and you combine research with hands-on application to create real-world impact. During the first year, I focused on understanding the problem. My challenge was to create an innovative solution to tackle low literacy in The Netherlands. In my second year, I designed and developed a product to address this issue. So, while it shares some aspects with with a PhD, the EngD is much more industry oriented. It鈥檚 a great opportunity, and something we don't have in Brazil.
So you are from Brazil? Did you study there as well?
Yes, I am originally from Brazil. I have a visual design background and I did my master鈥檚 in game design there. During my master鈥檚, I focused on how the main character of a game could visually express the experience that the developers wanted to deliver to the player.
At that time, my goal was to create a game company that focuses on societal issues in in a playful and engaging way. Actually, I have a game published in the Google Play Store. It's called . We developed it in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic. The main goal of this game was to show the importance of wearing face masks and keeping social distancing during that period. You play as Corina, a delivery worker, and your mission is to complete all the deliveries without getting sick.
Three years ago, I moved to the Netherlands, and I found this EngD position which was very aligned with my interests in user experience and societal impact. What really attracted me to the EngD was the possibility to work on a challenge that could lead to real, positive change. I had no idea that The Netherlands also struggles with the problem of low literacy. But It's good that the country has funding and dedicated people to explore and develop ideas, solutions, and research to tackle this issue.
What is the impact of the chatbot that you developed during your EngD?
We have already seen the impact with end users. We followed the human-centered design approach, placing them at the centre of the process and co designing with them. They love Mijke because they can ask questions without feeling ashamed if they don鈥檛 understand something. They can simply use their cell phone, since the chatbot is on WhatsApp, which makes it very accessible. With our project, we want to turn this into a social start-up. We are still in the testing and development phase, and currently looking for clients, for instance, the municipality of Eindhoven, to support and invest in the project.
Did you observe a difference in gender balance in your field between Brazil and The Netherlands?
Here in The Netherlands I see that the gender ratio is more balanced, compared to Brazil. I think it's 50-50 in my current team. In Brazil, there is still a cultural belief that engineering and technology are more suitable for men, that these fields are only 鈥渇or boys鈥�. I did not grow up hearing this at home 鈥� my parents were always supportive 鈥� but I know many people around me who faced this mindset. These ideas still influence how girls choose their careers, and how women are treated in the workplace.
I have some friends who are now leaders in their fields, like software engineering. But things are changing very slowly. There are still barriers, sometimes invisible ones: sometimes people don't see you as someone capable just because you are a woman. And sometimes they expect more from you just because you are a woman.
We are now preparing to spin off from Eindhoven Engine, so I have been taking some courses about start-ups. It's been interesting to make this comparison between the design department at the university, and the start-up world. You can see that the number of women around the start-up environment is lower, especially those related to technology. For example, I started a course recently, and there were 15 people in my class, and only two of us were women.
What is your experience with the WISE network so far?
Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to attend an event yet. But, for me, just to know that this community exists is very important. I see it as a space of trust and mutual support 鈥� something I know I can count on. Sometimes I read, for instance, the WISE interviews. It's really nice and inspiring to see what other women are doing. It's a way to keep myself motivated.
Have you had a female role model during your career?
In my bachelor, my supervisor was for me a role model.
She really inspired me for her knowledge and experience, but also her curiosity and human approach. She helped me to understand that being true to yourself is just as important as succeeding. And now I also have colleagues, who are also my mentors helping me during this phase of start-up development. They are women I admire for the way they lead and make decisions.
Some of the interviewees came with a book recommendation. Do you maybe have one?
This is hard because usually I'm just reading papers! I would recommend 鈥楢 Room of One鈥檚 Own鈥� by Virginia Woolf. It鈥檚 a book that really stayed with me. Woolf reflects on how, throughout history, women have been excluded from spaces where knowledge and creativity happen 鈥� not because they lacked talent, but because they lacked access.
That idea really resonated with me. Access to opportunities is key to building a more inclusive society, and that is what I try to do in my work, by designing tools that remove barriers and help people feel seen and supported.
What would be your advice to someone that would start a career in design or engineering?
Do not be afraid, and just do it. We sometimes grow up surrounded by assumptions about what we can do and what we should not do as women. These cultural expectations can really shape our decisions, often without us even noticing. Just forget those things and do what you want. If you have a dream or a goal, just do it, and give yourself the chance to try. Just taking the first step can already change everything.