Staging Abstract Matter (SAM) challenged students of Integrated Product Design at Coburg University in Summer 2024 to engage with natural phenomena in unconventional ways. The project focused on developing scientific tools and interactive artifacts that make complex natural processes understandable and tangible. Students explored the balance between authenticity and staging, as well as the tension between knowledge and uncertainty, control and letting go. They analyzed the aesthetics and scientific basis of chosen phenomena and created innovative design approaches—from precise measurement devices to interactive exhibits that communicate scientific insights to a broad audience. Using methods like text-image combinations, AI-generated visualizations, model making, photography, and film, the project encouraged new perspectives on both natural phenomena and the design process itself. Regular video updates and interviews documented the iterative and complex workflow. A key part was building prototypes that translated theory into physical, experiential forms, fostering perception of unknown potentials and training navigation between scientific precision and artistic intuition. The project culminated in a public exhibition inviting visitors to actively explore how natural phenomena can be experienced, highlighting design’s role as a bridge between science, art, and society. Staging Abstract Matter offered a platform for reflecting on design as a mediating and driving force in societal and scientific discourse.
These publications reflect my role as professor, researcher, and editor in guiding students and contributing to the broader design discourse. As part of my teaching, I support students in developing communication, reflection, and transfer skills through structured design documentation. While some publications serve primarily as supervised compilations that showcase a variety of student projects, others go far beyond being mere collections by including expert perspectives and in-depth contributions.
Equally important are my own design research texts, which explore the transformative potential of design in academic, social, and ecological contexts. Far beyond presenting results, all publications emphasize visual storytelling, critical thinking, and the ability to make complex design developments accessible—key competencies for academic, professional, and interdisciplinary fields.
Via orcid you will find a list of my Design Research publications:
„outdoor – Entwurfsstrategien für eine nachhaltige Zukunft“
ISBN 978-3-948964-09-2
Outdoor documents the unconventional cooperation project dis_assemble, carried out in Winter 2023/24 at Coburg University. Fifteen design students collaborated with the outdoor brand VAUDE to develop sustainable product concepts—ranging from modular systems to inclusive and circular design.
Shaped by sensory experiences in nature and expert input, the projects reflect a critical view on consumerism and social norms. The publication combines student work with professional essays on circularity, ethics, and material innovation, offering fresh perspectives for designing a sustainable future.
„outdoor report – Designing for a Sustainable Future“
ISBN 978-3-948964-13-9
outdoor report captures key insights from the event “outdoor: Design Strategies for a Sustainable Future”. The texts, based on voice notes and recordings, were created with support from AI tools, verified for accuracy, and manually edited. The result: a hybrid between documentation and experiment.
The event marked the launch of the publication “outdoor”, a collaboration between Coburg University’s Integrated Product Design program and VAUDE. It features student projects alongside contributions from experts exploring sustainability from diverse angles—ranging from circular economy and zero-waste to posthuman design and planetary health.
Panel discussions, Pecha Kucha talks, and themed workshops created space for exchange and critical thinking. Students, designers, and researchers engaged in meaningful conversations about the role of design in times of ecological crisis and social change.
The publication sees design as a reflective, embodied, and relational practice—not just as a tool for solutions, but as a means of rethinking our responsibilities and relationships in a fragile world. “outdoor” is not a guidebook, but an invitation to explore.
„Hacking the Porcelain Industry & Porcelain Prints“
ISBN (online) 978-3-948964-11-5
ISBN (print) 978-3-948964-10-8
This publication consists of two magazines that explore innovative approaches to working with porcelain. The main magazine documents an experimental project where young designers, in collaboration with KOBER Steinwiesen GmbH & Co. KG, used semi-industrial tools and techniques to develop new concepts with this versatile, centuries-old material. It shares insights into their creative processes, results, and strategies for bringing these ideas to the public.
The accompanying magazine, Porcelain Prints, focuses on the creative and technical possibilities of 3D printing with porcelain, an emerging and largely unexplored area.
„Liv Strömquist denkt über sich nach„
Semesterprojekt Wintersemester 2024/25
Kooperation mit dem Landestheater Coburg
„Staging Abstract Matter“ (SAM)
Semesterprojekt Sommersemester 2024