Food, City and Beyond

The in-person International Student Week held in September 2023 at HTW Berlin marked a significant milestone in the first phase of the collaborative project between the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Berlin, l’École de Design Nantes Atlantique and Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). It brought together students and faculty members from all three institutions to explore and apply Systemic Design methodologies to the topic „Food, City and Beyond“. The workshop’s structure combined theoretical lectures, hands-on work, collaborative discussions and field activities. The main focus was to use methods such as Play Probes and visual mapping techniques to visualise and address complex social and environmental issues for a toopic chosen by the students.

Prior to the in-person workshop in Berlin, the students met each other in a digital pre-meeting session. During the workshop week, students met in-person at the facilities of the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Berlin and were introduced to Systemic Design methods through a combination inputs, exercises and tutored group work. The schedule encouraged participants to engage with observation, reflection and iterative design processes while working on their Play Probes. Additional activities included a guided tour of Berlin’s food scene, an interactive dinner, informal outings and discussions with invited practitioners, which connected the workshop’s teachings to real-world contexts. 

The workshop concluded with final presentations, where groups shared their approaches, insights and final Play Probes, followed by a celebration and a digital post-meeting session to reflect on the overall experience.