First of all, I would like to say that the form in which the course was held appealed to me very much. Not only is it possible to repeat interesting passages more often this way, it also gives you the flexibility to carefully pick the content you want to focus on.
There were so many different topics, but the one thing that connects all of them is mindfulness. You really have to get to the root of something to fully understand a problem and how it can be solved in the best way possible. This means you have to be willing to do your research before you can get to the point of actively working on a solution. A nice little anecdote that points to this kind of troubleshooting was when Andrey Sudarikov told us about the problem he had with the internet connection that had worked before but didn’t anymore, when there were many people at the exhibition who had their phone wifi turned on. Sometimes the solutions are obvious, sometimes you have to consult experts. Vanity doesn’t help a problem solving process at all — it’s about the realization whether you can do a task alone or if you need help. In many cases, interdisciplinary approaches may add great value to the process, as Astrid Kury ans Anastasia Lesjak suggested.
What I personally liked a lot is that sustainability was mentioned very often throughout various lectures, for example when Burçin Cem Arabacıoglu talked about the importance of sustainability within urban planning. Ursula Tischner also mentioned sustainable design, which should not only be an attractive option for the designer, but also needs to be accepted and recognized by the users. Sylwia Ulicka wants designers to question societies and and the values of the world they’re living in. Everything is relative, as we know.
I also liked Florian Doppel-Prix’ approach to focus on the concept and not going for the easiest option. Everything is manageable.
Wolfgang Schlag’s lecture about radio work told us about the impact of the medium on people’s perception of social and political issues.
