Since 2009 I have been teaching regularly at colleges and universities. I worked as an artistic assistant at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. My eight years of work as a research assistant at the Berlin University of the Arts in the Product and Process Design course had a significant influence on me. The spectrum ranges from the basics of conceptual design and craftsmanship to material and technology-oriented courses with a different focus on materials and design projects with a direct link to reality.
// making a lot out of a little / from material to product //
BURG Giebichenstein Halle, Winter Term 2015/16
Formfleece is a new material developed by the German manufacturer Becker KG. Students of the 3rd semester were asked to point out the constructive advantages of the material through designing a stool.
After several excursions to relevant furniture companies such as Becker Brakel or Wilkhahn students started the design process with the analysis of the phenomenon of sitting and continued with the conception of a mood-board corresponding to their design ideas.
During the process students learned different strategies of model making such as moc-ups, paper models or scale models to be able to come to a clear decision of their design.
Material experiments were quite important in the beginning to get a good impression of the quality and potential of the material.
The final prototypes were realized through several molds that students built with CAD and Rapid Prototyping.
// Modern Crafting / Exploring innovativion through 3D-printing //
Berlin University of the Arts, Winter Term 2017/18
The influences of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing on our process and object culture was the starting point of this project-oriented seminar.
Students were asked to explore future-oriented concepts off the beaten track that lead to new typologies or types of objects, innovative production processes, surprising material combinations or different technologies. All previously known generative production technologies could play a role, but also new or speculative production processes and scenarios could be developed.
The basic knowledge was imparted by means of presentations and short talks. Excursions to formnext trade fair and to innovative manufacturing companies in the region additionally helped to experience the status quo of 3D printing.
The results were submitted in the form of short films to the 3D Pioneers Challenge 2018, one of the highest endowed competitions for innovation in 3D printing. The competition was very successful: The work „Odyssee“ was selected as finalist. The project „Flexa“ won the first price in the category FashionTec.
// Material looping / understanding circularity //
Berlin University of the Arts, Winter Term 2019/20
The idea of Material Looping is to learn about the potentials of sustainabilty and circular economy by creating a new material circle out of any kind of waste that was created in the university building. In a first theoretical part students were asked to give a presentation on different production processes and recycling methods of typical materials processed at university (wood, metal, paper, ceramics and textiles). They also had to analyze quantities an qualities of the different materials before starting with the development of a new material concept.
This process was enriched by excursions and different talks of sustainability experts such as Dr. Susanne Ritzmann from the DesignResearchLab and Frieder Söling from the BSR (local garbage disposal service).
The practical part consisted of the creation of a new material and/or a product that can be reused either one time or endlessly within the university context. Important parameters during the development were function and aesthetic of the new material but also ecological and economical aspects. The process of de- and rematerializing was characterized by lots of research and experiments, enthusiasm and a big bunch of hands-on mentality.
// elastic fantastic / ideation through experimenting with material //
Burg Giebichentein Halle, Summer Term 2016
In physics, elasticity is the ability of a body to resist a distorting influence or deforming force and to return to its original size and shape when that influence or force is removed.
The project „Elastic Fantastic“ challenged students to deal with the various scopes of the phonemenon of elasticity (nature, art, design, architecture, daily life, material, technology). The analysis of the properties and specifics of elastic materials was a starting point for an individual design that profits from Elasticity or challenges it.
The project started with several excursions to visit different companies to get a broad overview of the processing of elastic materials (ropes, metals, foams, rubber etc). Within several workshops students could make their own experiments on elasticity. Afterwards the research and designing process began with the result of the prototyping of their design project.
// decarb / co2 neutral materials //
Berlin University of the Arts, Winter Term 2019/20
The rising global concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in the atmosphere and the associated climate change is a frequently discussed topic in politics and society. One possible approach to reducing emissions is the principle of decarbonisation. In decarbonisation, actions and processes that release CO2 are replaced by processes in which these releases are avoided or compensated. The Decarb project focussed on the question of whether this principle can also be applied to materials.
In the theoretical part of the project, students sought to critically analyse the topic of CO2 (neutrality) by means of presentations and short lectures. A variety of principles for active climate protection were researched and presented (product carbon footprint, eco-design principles, life cycle assessment, cradle-to-cradle, MIPS-method). During an excursion to the Oekopol-Institut Hamburg, students were able to experience scientific work with various calculation methods and their challenges.
Selected materials were then analysed and mapped with regard to their individual components and manufacturing processes as well as their potential for reducing emissions in order to use them as a basis for developing innovative materials and material concepts.
Within the project, new materials were developed on the basis of theoretical research using a systematic, iterative series of tests. The materials were to be based on renewable raw materials or raw materials available in large quantities (e.g. minerals). The aim was to fulfil the eco-design criteria. Alternative matrix materials (binders) should be used for composite materials. The CO2 balance of the new materials should be neutral or ideally even positive.
// glass: visible, invisible, Mysterious, ordinary! / Design & technology //
University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Summer Term 2013
Through presentations, talks and experiments students got to know the wide spectrum of the material glass, supplemented with a high number of excursions around Berlin to different types of glass fabrications. Thus, students could experience and internalise the different fabrication techniques.
In a second step they were asked to understand the production process as an inspirational moment to design an object that is created through the interpretation or manipulation of the technique.
Students experienced all relevant steps of the desing process beginning from research, presentation, conception, model-making, and finally the construction of the glass mould. The prototyping was realized in cooperation with the glass factory Harzkristall in Derenburg as well as with the glass laboratory workshop of the TU of Berlin.
// mutabor / Material transformation //
Berlin University of The Arts, Summer Term 2017
„Mutabor“ is a practice-based seminar aiming to help students learn and understand the design and construction principles of injection-moulded plastic parts. The task was to create a plastic piece which is combinable with an existing PET-bottle. Together they create a new product. Therefore, the PET-bottle had to be transformed into a new shape. The seminar consisted of three major parts:
The seminar starts with a theoretical part where students give presentations and talks on material properties and different production techniques of plastics.
In a second part students were challenged to create a concept for and design for the plastic part in combination with the bottle. The plastic parts were prototyped via FDM-technology.
In a third step they took care about the reshaping process of the PET-bottle (wich turned out to be the most complicated part).
Berlin University of The Arts
Summer Term 2017
// the box project / technology basics //
Berlin University of The Arts, Summer Term 2014
The BOX project is a seminar for students of the second semester. Its goal is to give knowledge about the material properties of wood and different types of derived timber products, but also about joinery and the different construction methods of wood. It is split in a theoretical and a practical part:
First students start with an analysis of an existing wood product regarding its material, shape, the way of production and its corresponding joint type (i.e. a Thonet chair or Ulmer Hocker). The results are presented to their collegues during a presentation and later documented in a booklet.
In a next step, students are asked to design a wooden box based on the results of the idividual analysis. They have a fixed dimension of 400 x 300 x 260 mm
(crate of beer) and need to be stackable among each other. Furthermore the boxes are supposed to have a hold on their long side. The project process is meant to be a ping-pong between digital (CAD) and analog (workshop) working methods.
Students start with material and joint experiments plus various scale models to make their decisions on the construction and the correspronding design. The final design is then prototyped in the wood workshop.
Berlin University of The Arts,
Summer Term 2014
// handle with care / short term project //
Burg Giebichentein Halle, Summer Term 2016
Students had the opportunity to get a first impression of the technique of glass-blowing. To understand the basics of moulding and demoulding in a playful way they were asked to create a characteristic shape for a drinking glass made out of industrially produced packaging items. The model was then used to prototype the glass. This project was a cooperation with glass-maker Peter Kuchinke and Harzkristall factory in Derenburg.
BURG Halle
Summer Term 2016
// Wire works / short term project //
BURG Giebichenstein Halle, Winter Term 2015/16
Within this short-term project students were asked to design special tools for a marshmallow barbecue. In their concept they should not only respect the material properties of wire but also think about the context in which the tool will be used.
BURG Halle
Winter Term 2015/16
// robocoyping / Design basics //
Berlin University of The Arts, Winter Term 2013/14
This course was designed for students of the first semester to get an introduction to the topic of material and model-making within the field of product design. „Robo-copying“ is kind of a parcour to explore various analogue and digital tecniques within different short-term challenges. Small toy robots took the role of a model to work with:
Challenge 1: students were to create a 1:1 scale reproduction of a toy robot in a classic model-building material such as paper, foam, polystrene, wire etc. to learn about how to work with them. After that the same robot was supposed to be copied in an unconventional material such as chewing gum, hair, cookie dough etc.
Challenge 2: Building a 20:1 scale model of the toy-robot out of cardboard. Students work in groups up to four persons. The aim is to find a solid construction for the larger than life scale. Furthermore, students have to calculate the quantity of material as well as the appropriate amount of time. It aims to foster construction and team-building skills.
Berlin University of The Arts
Winter term 2013/14