The pandemic brought social life to a virtual standstill, especially in fields defined by togetherness. When the semester’s classes finally took place in person again, the students explored processes of collaboration from multiple perspectives. As designers, we face a dual role: we depend on collective work, yet we also strive to stand out as individuals through our style and quality. How do we rise to this challenge? How do we communicate and collaborate? How do technologies and digital platforms shape the way we work together? And how do people from different disciplines and interest groups cooperate? Are there shared rules, transferable practices—even a graphic aesthetic of collaboration?
The students visit design studios in Hamburg, Berlin, and Arnhem, talking to designers about their collaborative methods. They discuss scientific and philosophical positions and strengthen their own group dynamics through workshops. The research process is analytical yet playful—spontaneous ideas take form, leading to a range of projects that explore collaboration in both narrow and broader senses. The design work is accompanied by a laboratory course.