Dirk Jan Haarsma, Motion Designer & AI Creative Lead logo
Location indicator — Dirk Jan Haarsma
41.386982, 2.170074

From Studying Motion Design To Becoming A Self-Taught AI Creative Lead.

From Studying Motion Design To Becoming A Self-Taught AI Creative Lead.
Dirk Jan Haarsma — freelance motion designer portrait

Dirk Jan Haarsma is a Dutch freelance motion designer and AI creative lead based in Barcelona, with 18+ years of experience in 2D and 3D animation. ♥

His creative journey started in 2004 with Photoshop 7.0, followed by studies in Multimedia & Design Communication and work in print and UI/UX design. Today, he specialises in motion design, UX/UI animation, digital branding and AI creative direction.

He has worked with brands like Adobe, Robinhood, Citi, BlackRock and McDonald’s, creating UX animations, 3D visuals, commercials and digital campaigns.

AI now plays a big role in his work. He combines generative AI with traditional motion design, without losing the creative craft behind it.

Beyond motion design, he builds digital products. Using Claude Code and Codex, he has launched Voltoo.nl and AyudaTrámites.es, alongside custom tools, automations and AI workflows.

He combines creative direction, hands-on production and practical AI knowledge to improve creative work and everyday processes.
Let's work together

Services

Motion Design
2D & 3D Animation
Generative AI Production
AI Workflows & Automation
AI Prototypes & Web Products
UX/UI & Product Animation
Explainer Videos
Creative Direction & Concept
Lottie & Rive Animation
HTML5 & Web Animation

Software

Adobe After Effects
Cinema 4D / Redshift
Blender
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Figma
Rive / LottieFiles
Kling, Gemini
Claude Code / Codex
n8n

Social

 
Who is Dirk Jan Haarsma?
Dirk Jan Haarsma is a Dutch motion designer and AI creative lead based in Barcelona, with over 18 years of experience in 2D and 3D animation. He creates explainer videos, UX/UI animation and brand films for agencies and brands worldwide. Today he combines that craft with generative AI, and he builds his own AI-powered web products.
How does Dirk Jan Haarsma use AI in his work?
He uses Kling for generative video, Codex and Gemini for image generation, and Claude Code to shape concepts, prompts and workflows. He then directs and finishes the result in After Effects, Cinema 4D and Blender. AI gives speed and volume. His experience makes sure the result is on-brand, accurate and ready to ship.
What services does Dirk Jan Haarsma offer?
Motion design (2D and 3D animation), generative AI production, AI workflows and automation, explainer videos, UX/UI and product animation, Lottie and Rive animation, HTML5 animation, and creative direction. He works directly with brands and through agencies.
What has Dirk Jan Haarsma built with AI?
Using Claude Code as his development team, he designed and built several web products on his own. Voltoo.nl compares 4,693 Dutch energy installers with a custom scoring model. Ayuda Trámites is a bilingual guide to Spanish bureaucracy with 1,700+ pages built on official data and currently surpassing 10k visitors per month. Uitvaartvinden.nl is a Dutch lead generating funeral directory. He also builds private tools he uses every day, such as his personal invoicing system, a smart and personal trading dashboard, a data driven daily calorie and health monitor, an image-to-SVG converter made for vectorizing certain PNG images and automated outlet monitoring.
Which clients and brands has Dirk Jan Haarsma worked with?
His work includes projects for Adobe, Robinhood, Citigroup, BlackRock, Ericsson, McDonald’s, G-Star RAW and the World Health Organization, as well as healthcare and NGO initiatives such as IMPAACT4TB and Accelerate Health (HIMSS). He collaborates with agencies including LeftChannel, Burness, Publicis and Energize.
What tools and software does Dirk Jan Haarsma use?
He works mainly in Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D with Redshift, and Blender, with Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Rive and LottieFiles. For AI work he uses Kling, Gemini, Claude Code and Codex, with Claude Code for building products and n8n for automation.
Is Dirk Jan Haarsma available for work?
Yes. He is available for freelance motion design, generative AI production and creative direction projects worldwide, working remotely from Barcelona. He is also open to the right in-house role. Contact: [email protected].
Where is Dirk Jan Haarsma based?
He is based in Barcelona, Spain, and works remotely with clients worldwide. He is originally from the Netherlands.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure to work with some great international agencies and clients.

♥
DukeDuck — design studio collaborationG-Star RAW — 3D animation and fashion campaignLeftChannel — creative studio collaborationMcDonald's — motion design client of Dirk Jan HaarsmaMassiveMusic — motion design collaborationPLUS Supermarkt — advertising animation campaignWorld Health Organization (WHO) — explainer animation projectEnergize — Amsterdam creative agency collaborationCitigroup — UX animation and fintech designAdobe — UX animation and illustration projectBlackRock — financial services animation projectPublicis — creative agency collaborationPhilips — motion design and animation projectDukeDuck — design studio collaborationG-Star RAW — 3D animation and fashion campaignLeftChannel — creative studio collaborationMcDonald's — motion design client of Dirk Jan HaarsmaMassiveMusic — motion design collaborationPLUS Supermarkt — advertising animation campaignWorld Health Organization (WHO) — explainer animation projectEnergize — Amsterdam creative agency collaborationCitigroup — UX animation and fintech designAdobe — UX animation and illustration projectBlackRock — financial services animation projectPublicis — creative agency collaborationPhilips — motion design and animation projectDukeDuck — design studio collaborationG-Star RAW — 3D animation and fashion campaignLeftChannel — creative studio collaborationMcDonald's — motion design client of Dirk Jan HaarsmaMassiveMusic — motion design collaborationPLUS Supermarkt — advertising animation campaignWorld Health Organization (WHO) — explainer animation projectEnergize — Amsterdam creative agency collaborationCitigroup — UX animation and fintech designAdobe — UX animation and illustration projectBlackRock — financial services animation projectPublicis — creative agency collaborationPhilips — motion design and animation project

Let's Collaborate!

Need motion design, an explainer video or UI/UX animation for your product? I work with agencies and brands worldwide, remote from Barcelona. Send me a message and I’ll get back to you within a day.

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© 2026, Dirk Jan Haarsma

Icon   [email protected]

Last Updated: 2 September, 2026