Designing Togetherness - Connecting Humans Beyond Screens
Prof. Valeska Schmidt-Thomsen & Prof. Dr. Christian Blümelhuber & Franziska Schreiber (Design & GWK)
English/Deutsch, 2 SWS, 2 ECTS
Beginn: 5.1.2026, 9 Uhr
Straße des 17. Juni 118, room 002 und 003
Kick-Off event Tuesday, 16 December 2025, 6 PM at Magenta Mitte Ebertstraße15a, 10117 Berlin

Registration on Moodle starts 1.12.2025 / Anmeldung auf Moodle beginnt am 1.12.2025:
https://moodle.udk-berlin.de/moodle/course/view.php?id=2964
Moodle Enrollment Key / Einschreibeschlüssel: together

Whether it’s a flipped pineapple or a dirndl bow on the right side – people always dropped hints that they’re open for connection.

In an increasingly digital connected world, many people across all age groups experience feelings of loneliness and a lack of real belonging. Despite countless digital platforms designed to connect us, real social connectivity — the ways people, communities, and systems interact and build relationships — is more important than ever. This project challenges you to upgrade pineapple and dirndl bow for the 1st century and explore how genuine, physical connections between people can be fostered through creative and technological means.

Task:
You will work in interdisciplinary project teams (2–3 students per team) to develop a concept, prototype or experience that promotes social connectivity through physical interaction. Your goal is to create a meaningful solution that strengthens a sense of connection and belonging beyond digital communication.

Collaboration Partner:
This interdisciplinary project is conducted in cooperation with the Brand Experience team at Telekom. Since 2016, Telekom has run the Fashion Fusion program, which brings together fashion and technology to create innovative products with added social and emotional value. Fashion Fusion aims to support young talent in developing ideas that shape how we experience and express connectivity in our everyday lives.