Embedded Files
GREEN TRANSFORMER STUDENT CHALLENGE (T4EU & EKA)
24 students from 8 different universities gathered in EKA to join the 5-day challenge. The issues of sustainability were explored through lectures, workshops, field visits and hands-on prototyping in interdisciplinary teams.
Each of the 6 teams approached sustainability through a different perspective with the outcomes including apps, workshops and community reach. Read more about it here.
My role at the hackathon was to mentor the teams and keep an eye on their process. I was also included in the jury.
CO-DESIGN WITH TALLINN'S OLD TOWN ASSOCIATION
Year: 2023
Team: Helen Bender, Karolin Eks, Anette Jaaniso, Mariann Hendrikson, Risto Tepper, Kaisa Uik
Type: Co-creation & Communities course, EKA
Mentor: Eva Liisa Kubinyi
We worked with the Old Town Association (Vanalinna Selts) to explore the present and future of Tallinn’s Old Town. The goal was to bring residents and designers together to co-create visions for a more livable district.
We carried out 24 interviews with residents and the Association members, then organized a two-part co-creation workshop with eight participants. Using role-play and scenarios, we mapped the challenges of living in the Old Town and co-created visions for its future. Issues like tourism pressure, fragile everyday life, and the lack of community spaces came up repeatedly.
The work culminated in a report and presentation, which combined research insights, workshop discussions, and our recommendations. Proposals included
welcoming new residents more personally,
improving communication channels like the website and newsletter,
organizing more diverse events and
creating a “thought wall” to collect ideas.
More than deliverables, the process itself helped motivate members and strengthen dialogue about the future of the Old Town.
Read the full report (in Estonian)
Read an article about the project (in Estonian)
EKA WORKSHOPS
At the Estonian Academy of Arts, I’ve been involved in several outreach and educational activities designed to make design more visible to future students and the wider public.
PRE-ACADEMY (EELAKADEEMIA)
Eelakadeemia is a preparatory program for young people aged 16–26 who are curious about architecture, design, fine arts, or art culture. The program gives participants a chance to try hands-on assignments, many similar to entrance exam tasks, while also building their portfolios and gaining confidence for future studies.
I mentored one of these courses, introducing participants to industrial and digital product design.
SCHOOL OUTREACH WORKSHOPS
As part of EKA’s outreach program, I have facilitated several design workshops for secondary and high school students. The goal of these sessions is to introduce young people to industrial and digital product design and to give them a first-hand taste of the design process.
In the workshops, students form small teams, analyze real-life problems, sketch solutions, and present quick prototypes. The process — from introduction to final pitches — compresses the essentials of design thinking into a 90-minute experience.
MISCELLANEOUS
For example, I ran a kids’ activity at the EKA Christmas fair, where we built forts out of foam blocks and played “snowball fight” with plastic balls. I also facilitated a teacher workshop where participants designed their dream classroom.
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