How spaces shape social interactions and influence human behavior was the starting point for a revealing Social Design project at Stadtteilschule Niendorf in June 2022. This initiative demonstrated how Design Thinking can uncover deeper social dynamics within educational institutions.
The process began with thorough spatial research using various Design Thinking methods: behavioral mapping documented movement patterns, photo safaris captured usage moments, interviews gathered user perspectives, and emotional "Break Up & Love Letters" to the space revealed personal connections. Through this systematic exploration, participants built a comprehensive understanding of how the space functioned within the school community.
What started as a spatial investigation took an unexpected turn during the prototyping phase. Despite creating and testing various spatial interventions, participants discovered that physical solutions couldn't address the underlying challenges. The Design Thinking process had revealed something more fundamental: a complex web of social dynamics and communication barriers between students and teachers.
Students' reflections showed how the distribution hall served as a seismograph for broader institutional dynamics, revealing tensions between control and autonomy, movement and quiet, and individual versus collective needs. This discovery surprised the participants but demonstrated the power of design methods to uncover hidden truths within social systems.
Project Team
Workshop Lead: Prof. Annelie Franke, IU International University
Project Support and Cultural Mediation: Katrin Ostmann, Kulturagent*innen Hamburg e.V.
Academic Coordination: Design Factory Hamburg Support: Jesta Brouns
School Coordination: Tamara Uzolino, Art Teacher at Stadtteilschule Niendorf
Participants: 25 ninth-grade art students from Stadtteilschule Niendorf and design students from Design Factory Hamburg
Partner Institutions
Stadtteilschule Niendorf: https://stadtteilschule-niendorf.hamburg.de
Design Factory: https://design-factory.de/international/
Kulturagent*innen Hamburg e.V.: https://kulturagenten-hamburg.de