Marie Kurstjens

How Does Participation Emerge in Social Design?

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Host: Jasmin Jouhar
In this episode of Design Perspectives, host Jasmin Jouhar is joined by designer Marie Kurstjens, who was honoured as Newcomer of the Year at the German Design Awards 2026. The conversation focuses on the definition of social design and how to incorporate genuine participation into the design process. Marie studied at both the Berlin University of the Arts and the Bauhaus University Weimar. Through her Bachelor's project, 'Cookability', and her Master's project, 'Designing Dignity', she demonstrates how design can foster greater self-determination when developed through close collaboration with those directly affected rather than from an individual, designer-centred perspective.

Chapters

01:22 – Newcomer of the Year award: visibility for Social Design
07:10 – What is Social Design? Distinction from Universal and Inclusive Design
10:30 – Cookability: co-design with people with tetraplegia
18:12 – Designing Dignity: a menstruation kit for displaced people
25:08 – The role of the designer: observer, translator, maker
30:37 – How is Social Design embedded in current design practice?
33:08 – Next steps: from idea to pilot project
 

Takeaways

Participation Emerges Through Continuous Dialogue

Genuine participation begins with thorough research and is sustained through ongoing exchange with all stakeholders involved. Interviews, workshops, feedback loops and iterative prototyping are not add-ons but integral to the process. Designing participation means listening, responding and developing solutions together.

Questioning One’s Own Perspective
Social Design requires consciously moving beyond the “I-perspective”. Designers must critically reflect on their own position within structures of power, cultural contexts and diverse lived realities. Design becomes a process of learning and translating – rather than imposing solutions.

Impact Requires Perseverance
Participatory projects are complex, sensitive and often time-intensive. Building trust, developing networks and turning concepts into pilot projects demands patience and commitment. Social Design is not a short-term intervention, but a sustained effort towards greater participation and empowerment.
 

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Overview