Special encounters lead to even more special ideas: three participants who had not met before are brought together by a single task – to design an initial prototype and present it within just three days. In line with this objective set by the Prototyping Studio at FHD - University of Applied Sciences, the participants began with their vision: a sports area where several pieces of fitness equipment are interconnected. As people use the equipment, their movements create a digital artwork on a central screen in the middle. Does that sound a bit abstract at first? Thanks to visualisation using AI, it quickly became a concept that could be discussed.
And that was precisely the essence of the Prototyping Studio: using tried-and-tested design thinking methods, classic prototyping tools and the targeted use of AI applications, initial thoughts were transformed into concrete project ideas. The team of three began in the traditional way with a set of interlocking building blocks. This was followed by the visualisation, and personas were developed to represent suitable target groups. In this way, an initial idea quickly evolved into a clear and well-thought-out project. Alongside this idea, other participants in the Prototyping Studio also got stuck in and continued to develop their own concepts.
One participant said: “I’ve been to quite a few workshops before. This time, I deliberately wanted to gain a different perspective. And that’s exactly what I got: very informative, very educational and offering lots of new perspectives. […] I was delighted to see just how much creativity and openness can inspire other people.”
The participants were supported by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marius Brade, Manja Unger-Büttner, Dipl.-Des. Clemens Haufe and Jonas Ludorf, who provided assistance directly at the project tables.
