Zukunft findet Stadt - Prof. Dr. Michael Markert

Future Takes Place — Aspiring product designers work together with citizens to shape the future region of Coburg and Upper Franconia.

»How do we want to live in the future?«

Integrated Product Design students at Coburg University of Applied Sciences are working with the city of Coburg to develop communication strategies for sustainable coexistence. Under the title »Zukunft findet Stadt«, concepts and proposals are being developed to improve the visibility of initiatives and projects of both the city and committed citizens who are working together on social and ecological developments in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The first public presentation on July 10 at Zukunftsraum Coburg was already well received. Mayor Can Aydin praised the committed wealth of ideas and was delighted with the diverse proposals for a Coburg worth living in.

On July 25 and 26, there will still be an opportunity to visit the exhibition at the university’s Campus Design for this year’s Werkschau.

Bürgermeister Can Aydin besucht die Ausstellung im Zukunftsraum. Foto: Stadt Coburg

Der Zukunftsraum aus der Fußgängerzone. Foto: Markert

Many young people are already committed to working on sustainable futures. The semester project Zukunft findet Stadt was therefore very well received by the students. Over the summer, at the invitation of the city of Coburg and the citizens’ future space Zukunftsraum, they developed ideas and concepts to make the diverse activities and initiatives in and around the Zukunftsraum at Steinweg 14 more visible. The cooperation project also showed that a joint commitment is a hopeful and positive field of action. Karin Engelhardt, who is responsible for Innovation & Project Development in the Lord Mayor’s office, commented: »I am delighted that the existing COxScience cooperation agreement between the university and the city of Coburg is bearing such fruit. The city administration always benefits from young ideas and new perspectives«.

Works in focus

In the pedestrian zone, you can not only experiment with the design of shop windows and observe its effects, as Laura Kathrin Ankenbauer and Nadja Chrystianowicz have done with their »Zukunftsfenster«. In addition to a clever organization system for current projects on pinboards and numerous plants, the main focus of the design is the attractive selfie spot, a mobile vertical wall of flowers. By using the hashtag #Zukunftsraum, the project is also being showcased on social media.

Blumen-Selfie-Wand von Laura Ankenbauer und Nadja Chrystianowicz. Foto: Laura Kathrin Ankenbauer

Initial ideas and sketches of digital experiences can also be tested with a wide variety of passers-by in the city center. Dorothee Bellinger, Gregor Hamp and Julian Reiber redesigned the Zukunftsraum website with improved ideas not only for the design, but also with regard to accessibility, for example when registering with the community portal. A digital map with plenty of additional information was also part of the »Zukunftsraum Website Redesign« project.

“Hier. Da. Zukunft Coburg.” von Michaela Zech. Foto: Michael Markert

In a friendly chat in the pedestrian zone, the designers also gain many helpful insights and learn to perceive the handling of products from other perspectives. This was also an important experience for Alina Freund, which added to the development of her mobile app »Entdeckerpass«. A geolocalized app, in which gamification methods are used to collect digital badges when physically visiting selected stations in the city area, is intended to playfully draw the attention of interested parties to the wide range of offers.

In her project »Here. There. Zukunft Coburg.«, Michaela Zech developed a hybrid map that turns analog and digital information on relevant projects into a haptic city map with interactive markers.

Ada Doering’s contribution »Coburg dreht am Rad« not only developed proposals for interactive hands-on stations that invite people to interact in engaging ways and, with a bit of luck, promise interesting new encounters and discoveries. In addition to digital links, she also designed mobile, stackable information stands that provide information about other projects.

»At its core, it really is about communication, there are already so many great initiatives that I would have taken part much earlier if I had known about them« …

…is the unanimous opinion among the inspired students.

This is why Lisa Bialon is not only concerned with the paper templates, which can be turned into a small, colorful paper bag in just a few steps, which can be given away as a seed bag and thus draw attention to the Zukunftsraum itself or other projects. The collaborative »production« also creates a feeling of connectedness along with the end product, which is a relevant design element for Product Design: The shared experience with potential engagement of new interested parties was confirmed by the participants.

Pia Stötzer was surprised to learn that the decorative planter boxes in the city were recently designed by students from the Faculty of Design in a seminar with Prof. Philipp Stingl in cooperation with the city and the Creapolis Makerspace. Pia Stötzer has now developed »Stadtgrün zum Essen«, a concept that makes the current selection of plants with edible herbs and berries more recognizable: signs and boards at her »snack stops« draw attention to the project as well as the plants and their edibility.

Samuel Salazar’s idea also offers a low-threshold approach: »You & Coburg« uses small signs that can be freely placed on benches, for example, to ask about the relationship between citizens and the city. »What are you actually doing for Coburg?« is not intended as an admonition, but poses the important question of individual participation, having a say and also experiencing self-efficacy by doing instead of complaining.

In Integrated Product Design, which is offered as a study program at Coburg’s Campus Design, the focus is not only on the design of industrially producible goods, but also on non-physical products including services. »Excellent product design sometimes forms the core of a brand. There are many examples from everyday life in which large companies offer experiences with their products. It’s no longer just about aesthetic or functional tasks, but also about an empathetic approach and the design of positive experiences – before, during and after use«, explains Prof. Dr. Michael Markert, who is mentoring the cooperation project on behalf of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts:

»This is exactly where we, as future product designers, can make a contribution with creative approaches by jointly developing modern development methods with participatory approaches in the middle of the city«.

Surveys and observations of people who use products are now standard in professional design development. »We can iteratively develop prototypes, try them out, change them, sometimes discard them, learn from them and create a creative space for discussion together in these real-world laboratories, through design research. The city of Coburg’s Zukunftsraum was incredibly valuable for this,« says Prof. Markert, praising the diverse initiatives of the city’s various stakeholders.

Julia Kipke, Noa Nippe and Stella Schrüfer extend the Zukunftsraum into the urban space with their project »Where the future lies«. After several iterations, the circles of the Zukunftsraum logo were created as spray-painted markings on the sidewalk in Steinweg. In this way, many projects are brought to the attention of pedestrians. The lettering can be applied temporarily with chalk until the next rain, but also more durably with printable asphalt films.

Chiara Spitzer highlighted an important aspect of the entire project with her brochure »Gemeinsam Generationen verbinden«. With this intergenerational concept, she emphasizes how important social sustainability is. In particular, generations who have experienced life under difficult conditions are considered to be experts in questions of sustainability and resource conservation, especially in private households. This is valuable knowledge that young generations are interested in today.

Everyone agrees that it is worth getting to know the exciting initiatives in Coburg and taking part in one or a few of them.

TV Oberfranken im Interview mit zwei Studentinnen. Foto: Markert

Overall, the project in the Zukunftsraum was not only a lot of fun, but also gave hope. Katharina Probst, project manager of Zukunftsraum Coburg, accompanied the university course throughout the semester and also has words of optimism: »The students have shown that fresh ideas and creativity can provide groundbreaking impetus to make civic participation in Coburg even more inclusive, lively and future-oriented.« Everyone agrees that it is worth getting to know the exciting initiatives in Coburg and getting involved in one or two of them.

Beteiligte

Laura Kathrin Ankenbauer und Nadja Chrystianowicz:
Zukunftsfenster
Dorothee Bellinger, Gregor Hamp und Julian Reiber:
Zukunftsraum Website Redesign
Lisa Bialon: Gemeinsam wachsen
Ada Doering: Coburg dreht am Rad
Alina Freund: Entdeckerpass
Julia Kipke, Noa Nippe, Stella Schrüfer: Wo Zukunft liegt
Samuel Salazar: Du & Coburg
Chiara Spitzer: Gemeinsam Generationen verbinden
Pia Stötzer: Stadtgrün zum Essen
Michaela Zech: Hier. Da. Zukunft Coburg.

Betreut und unterstützt durch

Hochschule Coburg:

Prof. Dr. Michael Markert
Thomas Langhanki
Christian Licht
Verena Blume

Stadt Coburg:

Karin Engelhardt
Katharina Probst
Silja Jahreiß

Termine

Do, 10.7.2025 von 13–15 Uhr im Zukunftsraum Coburg, Steinweg 14
Fr, 25.7. und Sa, 26.7.2025 Werkschau Campus Design, Am Hofbräuhaus 1

Works in focus

Beteiligte

Betreut und unterstützt durch

Termine

Links

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