Funded projects in the Junior Research in Design programme 2023
The Junior Research in Design programme will fund five projects by young researchers between August and December 2023. The start-up funding offers the opportunity to realize a research project or PhD proposal, accompanied by individual mentoring. A total of ten projects were submitted in 2023, thematically related to the Health Design, Global Design and Ecology & Sustainability Design clusters.
The following projects will receive funding:
"Modellierung von Naturgefahren"
Elena Kaeser (Knowledge Visualization, Ecology & Sustainability Design)
This project deals with the current topic of natural hazards. In close collaboration with scientists from the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), creative and communicative solutions are being sought that enable awareness-enhancing hazard communication. The main question is: Which tools, concepts and presentations of a didactic-interactive implementation are effective?
"Ecologies of Matter"
Carolina Márquez Bernard (Visual Communication / Design Theory, Ecology & Sustainability Design)
“Ecologies of Matter” is the continuation of Carolina Márquez Bernards Master’s thesis “Speaking Bread. Relationships Beyond Materiality,” in which she will introduce new perspectives on the modern position of humans in the natural world. To this end, she is investigating the contribution of tradition and cultural heritage in the construction of future sustainable environments. And she proposes craftsmanship as the medium for overcoming the limitations and differences between species, opting to connect with the environment and explore material possibilities through design.
"Creolization of Design – Mas’ as an example of Transmodernism"
Cherry-Ann Morgan (Design Theory, Global Design)
In design history and anthropology, non-Western forms of knowledge and design traditions have hardly been considered so far. The dissertation project "Creolization of Design. Mas' as an example of Transmodernism" examines the history and current conditions of transcultural design practices in the Caribbean and its diaspora. The starting point is the postcolonial "Aesthesis" of carnival, which is emblematic of the cultural creolization of modern visual cultures. The goal is to submit a project proposal to the SNSF.
"Designing for More than Human Futures – Integrating More than Human Approaches into Design Education through a Toolset for Educators"
Juliana Schneider (Trends & Identity, Ecology & Sustainability Design)
The method “Designing for More than Human Futures” focuses on the interrelationships between humans, nature and technology and aims to initiate change and identify new design strategies. How can sustainability, ethics and inclusion be achieved in design processes? Based on this question, the project develops a prototype for a human-centred design toolkit that educators can use to facilitate workshops and seminars to enable the students or designers to apply this method.
"VRpsyched"
Sacha Schwarz (Cast/Audiovisual Media, Health Design)
“VRpsyched” is an interactive VR documentary about psychedelic therapy. The goal is to make these mind-altering experiences as immersive and understandable as possible for people without psychedelic experiences. Furthermore, the film will contribute to the ongoing discourse regarding the role altered states of consciousness could have in the society of today and for psychotherapy.
