Merten
Kaatz
he/him
Nice to have you here. I‘m a designer and visual storyteller with strong inter and intrapersonal skills. I do my best work at the crossroads of design, ideation, documentation and change management. I‘m a generality specialist, theory tourist and believer in doubt. I also believe in the power of play and joy as a human right. I see Design Thinking, Speculative Design and Design Futuring as powerful, transformative tools for organizations and societies. I see Sustainability and Diversity as embodied practices rather than performed as part of corporate strategy. I believe in the human centered and holistic systemic approach. People call me an everytingararian*.
Design
For over 25 years I have worked with a number of German agencies, specializing in branding/corporate identity, editorial design, packaging design and content marketing, both in design (print/digital) and strategy. I’ve also worked on and implemented projects in countries like Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A., U.K., France and Namibia.
With agencies like KNSK/BBDO, Büro X, Jung von Matt, Thjnk/loved, Abovegroup I have collaborated with clients including BMW, Munich Re, ARD, Bosch, REWE, Görtz, Tom Tailor, Hapag Lloyd, Grohe, Auswärtiges Amt, UNHCR and many others.
My strength lies in identifying problems, exploring and disclosing systems, generating insights and crafting relevant solutions and credible narratives with a strong creative focus.
Change
Change
Since 2019 I have worked as Creative Director and Change Manager for Düsseldorf, Germany based change and innovation consultancy ISI Institut für soziale Innovation GmbH (Institute for Social Innovation) in the field of leadership, diversity, gender equality, integration & inclusion and civic engagement for companies in the private sector, government institutions, ministries, NGOs and local government districts.
With methods like Design Thinking, Speculative Design and Design Futuring I support people and organisations to accept and advance change processes. I‘m a certified systemic business coach.
Culture
I initiated the highly renowned record label Cree Records where I work as a producer and A&R. Cree Records specializes in reissuing lost musical treasures from all over the world.
Alongside Trinidadian writer Attillah Springer and Scottish artist Peter Doig I founded the creative collective The Wajang Diskotheque in Trinidad‘s capital Port of Spain which is steeped in the work of contemporary documentation and archive activism, exploring and reviving dying, underrepresented or lost forms of cultural production to create new ways to engage with diverse audiences.
As a DJ I have played in clubs all over the world and I’m well known for my surprising DJ sets of Tropical music. I curate a weekly two hour radio show for the innovative music platform ROVR live.
SKILLSET
Software
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Indesign
Finalcut Pro
Adobe After Effects
Logic Pro
Izotope RX
.
NI Komplete
Midjourney
ChatGPT
Holo AI
Blender
Keynote
MS Office
MacBook Pro
Sony cameras
DJI drones
Audio recording equipment
Lighting equipment
ATEM streaming equipment
Fender ’62 Precision Bass
Flatwound Strings
Skills
Certified Systemic Business Coach
Visual Explorations
Strategic Design Thinking / HPI
Moderation
English (fluent)
German (fluent)