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The Design Research Lab is a network of people, organisations, and non-human agents engaged at the intersection of technologies, materials, and social practices. Our aim is to design socially and ecologically sustainable tools, spaces, and knowledge that support people’s participation in a digital society – based on common principles of inclusiveness and respect for the planet. This puts the basic democratic right to take part in the digital sphere into practice. We start our research from individual lifeworlds and the needs of minoritized groups, beyond consumer majorities.
We are an interdisciplinary team of designers, researchers, tech-enthusiasts and critical thinkers from Berlin University of the Arts, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, as well as Einsteincenter Digital Future (ECDF).
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Stefan Göllner
Alumni
In my PhD thesis I investigate the changing role of technology design against the backdrop of an aging society. This requires a rethinking of existing concepts like inclusive design or universal design, and deeper investigations into the role of users as participants and actors in a design process. My initial interests is in how the design of technical artifacts enables and evokes new forms of social relations. I am therefore seeking for adequate theoretical approaches to support, and reflect on the practice of »doing design«.
During my time at DR-Lab I supported technology development for older users by user-centered design methods with a focus on interface- and interaction design in BMBF founded project »SmartSenior« (2009–2012). In project Networked-Neighbourhood (2010–2011) I developed and investigated new design approaches to support co-habitation and sustainable lifestyles in urban communities. In the project »T-Hub User Experience« (2012–2013) I was seeking for alternative approaches to design Smart Home interfaces while referring to the everyday routines and requirements of the different possible user groups in this field. Besides these, I conducted, organized and performed various workshops, short term projects, talks etc.
I joined Design Research Lab from Sept. 2009 to Sept. 2013. Before, I studied Communications-Design at University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (Dipl.Des-FH) and was a research associate at Academy of Media Arts Cologne in EU-Project Citizen-Media (2007-2009). Since Feb 2012 I am a PhD candidate at University for the Arts Berlin. Since October 2013 I am working for Grassroots Arts and Research in EU-Funded Research Projects.