A developer who dares to go back to basics.

From healthcare software to impact in everyday life.

Before joining Cube, Dennis developed healthcare software designed to help elderly people remain independent. At Roessingh Research and Development, he worked on software projects for remote care. By measuring daily activities, for example via smartwatches, elderly people and patients gain more insight into and control over their health and can remain independent for longer, while the burden on healthcare is reduced and quality is improved because care is no longer limited to that one appointment. This can only be achieved with software that is understandable for elderly people and saves time for healthcare providers.

Volunteering that began with an idea.

About two years ago, Dennis decided to start volunteering. He had been thinking about it for a while, but the idea took shape when he moved to Oldenzaal. In a local newspaper, he saw that Impuls had launched a new website. He signed up and was soon called. Now he visits people every week to help them with digital questions. This often involves basic use of a laptop, telephone or tablet. For example, someone whose partner has died and who suddenly has to arrange everything digitally themselves.

Patience is key.

What stands out: learning to use technology takes time. Where family members sometimes go too fast, Dennis adapts to the user's pace. Things often need to be explained several times. How do I search for something? How do I organise my photos and files? How do I take a photo and share it with my children? It's all about repetition, writing things down and building confidence. With calmness and patience, you can really make progress.

Trust as part of functionality.

At Cube, Dennis is a full stack developer and, more recently, a DevOps engineer. He builds complex systems, automates processes and integrates tools. Yet his volunteer work always brings him back to basics: what does the end user really need? His colleagues quickly grasp the technology, but the users of his software often start from scratch.

“You can build the most advanced software,” says Dennis, “but if someone doesn't know how to get started or doesn't use it properly, it doesn't matter. The best software actually starts at the kitchen table: where someone works with it, struggles with it and applies it in practice. It can be quite a challenge to create advanced software that feels simple and natural at the same time.”

Software that grows with people.

Good software is intuitive: clear icons, logical steps, no manual required. People need to feel safe to experiment, make mistakes and learn while the system supports them. Technology that causes anxiety does not work. Technology that inspires confidence does. At the same time, software is constantly changing. Where a manual used to be enough, people now look things up on Google or ChatGPT. However, those instructions are often no longer relevant because the software has already been updated. This is frustrating for experienced users and even more difficult for people who are less digitally savvy or who struggle with constant change.

Making mistakes also requires a different perspective. Users are quick to think that they are doing something wrong or feel insecure. Administrators may sometimes think that a user has made a mistake. In practice, the cause often lies in how the software is designed. If a system allows room for safe exploration and makes it clear what is happening, trust is created and usage grows naturally.

Systems that work for people.

Dennis' volunteer work demonstrates how important it is to design software that truly connects with the user. What may seem obvious to a developer can still be an obstacle in practice if processes are unnecessarily complicated. That is why at Cube, technology always starts with the user. Dennis's experience emphasises that systems only have an impact when people can work with them efficiently, safely and with confidence. This insight is reflected in every project: from internal processes to customer-oriented software. By thoroughly understanding the basics, Cube can automate complex processes without overwhelming users.

In projects such as 't Nije Kuierdroad, an initiative launched by Impuls during the coronavirus pandemic to help people develop digital skills such as video calling and using the internet, connection was key. This required technology that was simple, secure and intuitive, so that participants could communicate effectively and independently. Dennis saw how big the impact can be when people get to grips with their digital environment. Ultimately, technology is not just about making systems work, but about enabling people to work with those systems. And sometimes that starts with just a kitchen table, a tablet and a little patience.