designstudioaru

about

Anna Rebecca Unterholzner — known professionally as aru — is a transdisciplinary designer, artist, and creative technologist whose practice bridges the worlds of interactive media, immersive experiences, and research-based design. With a passion for innovation and a commitment to meaningful engagement, aru’s work integrates storytelling, game design, visual communication, and emerging technologies, including AI-powered tools. Over the past decade, aru has collaborated with a wide range of international clients, including cultural institutions, NGOs, creative agencies, and research organizations, contributing to projects that combine aesthetic excellence with strategic thinking and emotional resonance. Their approach blends artistic sensibility with technological fluency, consistently focusing on human-centered, experience-driven design across both digital and physical spaces. Rooted in a background that spans artistic research, teaching, and hands-on creative development, aru specializes in UX/UI design, animation, game art, immersive media, and interactive systems — always seeking to create experiences that are not only visually compelling but also intellectually engaging and socially relevant. Currently based between Portugal and Germany, aru is available for freelance projects, creative partnerships, and consulting in digital design and immersive media. Their practice is especially aligned with initiatives that explore emerging technologies, digital culture, emotional design, and the transformative potential of art and technology. Aru welcomes collaborations that value curiosity, innovation, and the power of creative dialogue to shape inspiring, sustainable, and inclusive experiences.