Was machst du so?
Bridging the gap between alumni and students
What will I do after my Bachelor's?
Many students, including myself, often feel uncertain and ambiguous when asked about their plans. To address this issue, Caro, Fabi Lou, and I initiated the event series called »Was machst du so?« These events provide a space for students to openly discuss their feelings and concerns. Thus, we tackled the problem of uncertainty on two levels:
1. Design is more than graphic, fashion and furniture design
At our faculty, we often see white men presenting their linear and smooth careers in graphic design or furniture design. We want to showcase that design is much more diverse than that. Not everyone has to become a classic designer in a black turtleneck sweater. To achieve this, we invite four alumni with distinct design backgrounds for each event. Our guests range from urban designers to nerdy food photographers.
2. Give uncertainty a room
Our goal was to design a room that made our guests and audience feel welcome and comfortable enough to share their doubts and struggles.
We designed a room with wooden floors and warm lighting, furnished with beige couches and yellow lights to create a cosy atmosphere. We also avoided using a stage so that people could speak at eye level.
We wanted to ensure that the event was not »Linkedin in live« but a space where people share their personal experiences. We briefed the alumni to tell their ups and downs. As a result, people often spoke openly and honestly about their doubts and dead ends.
Build a consistent brand around the variety of design
For the visual design, I developed a system that is based on playful typography and vibrant colour combinations that change from event to event. Both elements convey that design has many facets and is more than Swiss typography and grids.
Organisation: Fabi Lou Sax, Caroline Vogt and Felix Schultz
Design: Felix Schultz
Photos: Philipp Wagner