Futures Magazine (EN) - DesignLab University of Twente

FUTURES

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Are citizens Are citizens the new ne w scientists?

Smart vest vest:: a breath breath of air for for children children Rethinking our digital world world

FUTURES

FROM THE EDITOR

THE FUTURES ARE NOW! Who could have imagined by the end of 2019 that a pandemic would drastically change our world in such a short space of time? And that Covid-19 would transform the challenges we face? If the last few months have shown us anything, it is that there is an urgent need for more cooperation between science and society. When the virus strengthened its grip on the world, all eyes were on universities and technical institutes to help in the fight against the pandemic. Rightly so.

At DesignLab, our ambition is to bridge the gap between society and science and open up new avenues for a better future. 2020 has proven that it is impossible to predict the future, but we can imagine how society might look and anticipate its needs.

In Futures, we show how we give shape to this ambition.

Over the years, we have carried out many projects with societal impact. Whether it concerns protective clothing for the homeless, devising new ways to involve citizens in science, testing the ethical aspects of the new CoronaMelder app, or intensive cooperation between scientific disciplines and the rest of the world.

DesignLab is the centre of excellence of the University of Twente for citizen science, responsible design and transdisciplinary work. We look for different ways to solve the challenges facing humanity. So, not only do we focus on smart textiles, 3D printing and drones, we also think about the future of, for example, artificial intelligence. The futures are now!

Sabine Wildevuur, director DesignLab

CONTENTS

6 Transdisciplinary research It is a word you will hear a lot around DesignLab. But what is transdisciplinary research? And how will it help us tackle society’s toughest problems?

8 Responsible Design Thinking She used to be in robotics, but now – among many other things – Cristina Zaga helps people to determine the best way to manage water.

By using a method called responsible design thinking. Curious?

12 Interview Six years ago, Vanessa Evers was one of the founders of DesignLab. Now she’s in Singapore on her mission to create humanfriendly technology. She is director of the Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity in the city state. What can we learn from each other?

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Hackathon Three students at the University of Twente put their heads together to find a way to prevent learning difficulties among students during lockdowns. With their app Mentor.Me, David, Morteza and Gleb won the EUvsVirus Hackathon. And they didn’t even know each other beforehand...

Corona-app While the corona virus was spreading, scientists and the government were eagerly looking for technology to contain the outbreak.

At DesignLab, the government’s Corona-App was tested.

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Wearables Wearable, smart technology is clothing that improves your health. Designer Hellen van Rees and Edo de Wolf from DesignLab prove how practical wearables can be. Van Rees with a vest that helps asthma patients breathe.

And De Wolf with a suit that keeps the homeless warm and dry.

Citizen Science Citizen science reflects the need to involve society and citizens in scientific research.

That is why DesignLab is working to establish the UT Citizen Science Hub, which develops innovative methods for citizen science with social impact.

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Essay Let human values be the basis for the development and use of technology.

Responsible design must integrate societal needs into new technological developments, argues Peter-Paul Verbeek, distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Technology and co-director of DesignLab.

Master-Insert The professionals of the future look beyond the boundaries of their fields of expertise.

They work together with other disciplines to tackle societal challenges. The new MasterInsert Shaping Responsible Futures of the University of Twente prepares them for this.

4–11–18–27 WORK ON PROGRESS

FUTURES

WORK ON PROGRESS At DesignLab we change the world on a daily basis. Meet some of our changemakers and see what they do.

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PHOTO ANNABEL JEURING

Hi, I am Roelof de Vries postdoctoral researcher on Behavior Change Technology

And I’m working on An interactive dining table together with Juliet Haarman (EEMCS-HMI) to capture social eating behavior. It measures the weight of the items on the table. This way, eating behavior becomes measurable, which is an important step to understanding why and influencing how we eat.

FUTURES

TRANSDISCIPLINARY TEAMWORK

SOLVING SOCIETY’S PROBLEMS Yes, it is a buzzword. But no, it is not a hollow phrase. Transdisciplinary teamwork is the way to tackle societal issues. And DesignLab is right at the forefront of this approach, says Mascha van der Voort, professor of Human Centred Design.

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he term transdisciplinary is half a century old; it was coined in the early seventies by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. He wrote an article on new ways that people learned and cooperated. One of the best examples, according to Piaget, was a group of researchers he saw working ‘within a total system, without any firm boundaries between disciplines’. Individual skills and knowledge were enhanced by the dynamics of the group. Ideas flowed and became communal concepts. That, it dawned on the Swiss scholar, was the future of science. As our world becomes more complex, only teamwork can help it forward.

Others developed the concept further, discovering the transdisciplinary method as the apotheosis of co-operation, even outside the traditional realm of academia. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) transdisciplinary research can even address complex issues that were, until now, beyond the reach of science. “In drawing on the breadth of science, as well as on non-scientific knowledge domains, such as local and traditional knowledge, and cultural norms and values, it aims to supplement and transform scientific insights for the good of society.”

Forward looking “This is exactly why transdisciplinary work is one of the central tenets of DesignLab”, says Mascha van der Voort, one of its scientific co-directors and professor of Human Centred Design. “One of the conclusions we reached at the very beginning of DesignLab, was that universities have to do better when it comes to solving society’s problems.

The University of Twente is forward looking, and embraces both technical and social sciences. It offers the perfect environment to apply transdisciplinary methods.”

The University of Twente, and especially DesignLab, have implemented transdisciplinary research and methods ever since. Van der Voort: “Twente has stated that it wants to be the ultimate people-first university of technology. This means it has to bring science and society together, and serve as a portal for solving social issues.

Transdisciplinary work “Transdisciplinary work is about using a fresh perspective and creativity. By generating new knowledge and insights out of the merging of disciplines and experiences, we will be able to address the enormous challenges of society today.

DesignLab supports this process through training.

You can, however, only teach so much. Ultimately, it is up to students, staff and society to take it further. And they do; I see that daily.”

Mascha van der Voort

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Mascha van der Voort

We are looking for the right way of doing that, so we are developing the concept of transdisciplinary work further.”

To quote the OECD: “Transdisciplinary research offers a practical way to address issues that are highly contested, and where stakes are high. It can expand on existing scientific evidence and give rise to more innovative, holistic solutions. It can generate both new scientific insights and practical societal benefits. As such, it is a necessary complement, but not a replacement, to traditional research practices.”

Out of the escape room Yet, as Van der Voort wants to make clear, there is not one definition of transdisciplinary work. Rather, it is a way of working that evolves and means different things to different people. “We now teach the transdisciplinary method within what we call the Transdisciplinary Master-Insert, a six-month programme that students follow and that is complementary to their master’s curriculum. But it is not simply a matter of reading a textbook and all of a sudden you are an expert. We let our students reflect on what it

means to them, where they stand and how they can make transdisciplinary methods work in their world.”

The first cohort of students doing the Transdisciplinary Master-Insert was, for instance, challenged to build an escape room where participants would experience transdisciplinary working and its added value. The only way out of the room, was using transdisciplinary co-operation.

Of course, there is much more to the concept than that.

“One of the things that is central to transdisciplinary working is that it is generally not about looking for a quick solution. You first need to analyse the problem at hand.

Is it even a problem? What is it, in and by itself?” There is no fixed format, just an approach that uses the intrinsic curiosity of people. “This is a key aspect of transdisciplinary work. You merge existing knowledge and experience to generate new knowledge. It is more than just applying knowledge from different disciplines.”

utwente.nl/dl/transdisciplinary people.utwente.nl/m.c.vandervoort

FUTURES PHOTO ERIC BRINKHORST

Cristina Zaga

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INTERVIEW CRISTINA ZAGA

“ULTIMATELY, MY WORK IS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE WE WANT TO LIVE IN” She used to be in robotics, but now – among many other things – she helps people to determine the best way to manage water. Cristina Zaga, researcher at DesignLab, talks about applying responsible design thinking and the magic of cooperation.

For a country which is famous for keeping dry feet, the Netherlands has had a lot of issues with water in the recent past. Part of the problem is that when it rains, these days it pours, and the water does not seep away. DesignLab was asked to help. Cristina Zaga, who is a specialist on responsible design thinking, went to work on the issue at DesignLab. “One of the problems is that some people like to fill their gardens with tiles, which makes them easy to maintain, but also very impermeable”, says Zaga. She is involved in a project which tries to come up with a new way to manage water in the Twente region. To do so, she works with the province, the municipality of Enschede, residents of the city and various other stakeholders. The intention is not to come up with a perfectly tailored solution right away, but to analyse what the actual problem is, its context, and to explore potential directions to find a solution.

“With such a multi-faceted problem you want the various parties to understand each other, to make them see they have to work together.” How? “We used a kind of roleplaying, where we asked the parties to almost literally walk in each other’s shoes, see the other’s point of view.

This way we wanted to create a shared empathy, make sure everybody sees what the impact of the problem is.”

So back to the water and the problem of tiled gardens.

Do we force the inhabitants of Enschede to take them out? Not so fast, Zaga says. “What we do at DesignLab is based on responsible design thinking. This is a mouthful, but essentially it means that we do not only focus on the solution, but also on the problem. By exploring potential

solutions, we reframe the problem itself. Part of DesignLab’s approach is to take the interaction between technology and society as a starting point. What role can technologies play in addressing social problems, and what social implications do these technologies then have? We co-design a solution with all parties, compromise if we have to.”

Expert in the method It is a recurring theme in Zaga’s work: cooperation and co-creation. The project to make the soil permeable again is a very good example of her work at DesignLab, to design processes to tackle major problems in society. She works together on projects like these with all kinds of people from the University of Twente: scientists, technicians, students and moderators – the specialists who actually lead the sessions with the stakeholders.

“My role is to have a helicopter view on the methods used: do they really contribute to solving the issue? And to develop – with moderators, researchers and students – the method that best fits the challenge. But first and foremost I am a researcher. I analyse the sessions we have with the various stakeholders to assess how well the methods work.

Then, in consultations with people at DesignLab, I try to figure out what needs improvement.”

Zaga emphasises that she is not in any way a specialist in the field of water management. “I am not an expert in whatever issue we try to tackle, but in the method.”

Neither is she solely looking for a quick fix, her focus is on sustainable solutions. “Our goal is to make an impact on society.”

INTERVIEW CRISTINA ZAGA

FUTURES

So, when it comes to the water, why not simply issue a municipal by-law prohibiting the tiling of gardens? It sounds simple, but that is not the way to go, says Zaga.

“Responsible design is a bottom-up approach, in which citizens have a say in the design of solutions that will impact their lives.” And by doing so, reaching better results. She is a strong believer in symmetrical processes involving all stakeholders, instead of an edict from above. This approach will achieve the most durable solutions, she states.

“We live in a complex society. Corona is a case in point.

In Italy, my home country, an app was made by the government to combat the disease.

They implemented it top-down. The result? The app never really got off the ground. In the Netherlands the new app was tested in DesignLab, using our methods. We let ordinary people contribute to the design process. Does it meet their wishes? Do they understand how it works? Is there some function they want it to have? Involving citizens early on increases the chances of the thing actually doing what it is supposed to: help people.”

Reflect and reframe Responsible design thinking is also a great way for transdisciplinary teams to work together. Not only on serious issues, but also on new products. Zaga: “It used to be that a company perceived a problem or an opportunity and then tried to find a solution. A prototype would be made and if it worked, production started.”

But not at DesignLab. “With a team, we start out by ascertaining what the problem is exactly. What are we trying to do here? Is it necessary? We don’t rush into a prototype. We find a way to frame the issue and reflect.”

Only then design and engineering activities start. Not to construct a prototype, but to try and make the ideas floating around tangible by constructing what is called a boundary object. Zaga apologises for the jargon. “Once an idea takes a physical shape, and becomes tangible, it is easier to talk about it, reflect on whether this is exactly the direction we want to go in.”

Reflecting and reframing are a very important elements of DesignLab’s approach, Zaga says, to constantly question the direction you are going in. “We sometimes even distance ourselves from the project and look if we are still going in the right direction.”

Zaga’s own life could be considered a textbook example of ‘reflect and reframe’. She is from a working class family in northern Italy; the first to pursue an academic education. Her own career meandered, after different studies she found herself in the United States, working on robots for children.

But it is in Twente where she really found her calling.

As a result, she feels the need to pay back the world for the opportunities she has had.

Working at DesignLab as a postdoctoral researcher suits her perfectly.

“Ultimately, my work is to shape the future we want to live in.” Technology can be a big part of that, but it is responsible design that offers solutions.”

But not just any design. “Innovation should never be a goal in and by itself. Look at Facebook. When it first came out, everybody was in love with it. What a great way to keep in touch with others. But now the resistance against Facebook is enormous, it has turned into a source of fake news and hate speech. Nobody ever thought about the ethical perspective during the development, and it is hardly designed in a responsible manner.”

It is those kinds of mistakes Zaga desperately wants to avoid by applying DesignLab’s approach. “I want to make an impact. DesignLab gives people the opportunity to do that. I hope students take full advantage of the possibilities this place offers. I see a lot of students become more confident after learning to function in a transdisciplinary team. Who knows what they will go on to do. What they will think up. They are our future and we are giving them instruments to shape it in a responsible way.”

utwente.nl/dl/responsible-design people.utwente.nl/c.zaga

WORK ON PROGRESS

Hi, I am Denisa Licu master student Interaction Technology

And I’m working on Spotting wild boar using drones. The project is a joint venture between the University of Twente, province Overijssel and Space53. The aim is to see if the population of wild boars can be spotted and tracked from up high. This way the regional authorities can monitor the wild boar population more efficient. https://www.utoday.nl/news/67822/using-drones-tospot-wild-boar

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FUTURES

INTERVIEW VANESSA EVERS

“STUDENTS ARE MORE INVOLVED THAN EVER” Last summer, Vanessa Evers, co-founder of DesignLab, left for Singapore on a mission: to further increase the social impact of science, innovation and technology, through transdisciplinary collaboration, just like she did at the University of Twente. She talks about her life in Singapore during a zoom session from the South Asian city-state.

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says. “For example, to introduce artificial intelligence properly in the financial world, we need input from different disciplines.

We want to use the latest technology in a positive way and learn to find solutions for the negative aspects of innovation. So, we bring together historians, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, business experts and others.”

What was it that surprised you about your students?

“They realised the need for co-operation between different disciplines long before I did. This generation knows they are part of a profound development, and they are very eager to take it further. Look at the success of the Solar Car, for instance; the renewable energy race through Australia, for which students from all faculties signed up.

Students have no desire to just follow the curriculum, they want to widen their scope and make their education more meaningful.

Perhaps they will come up with ways to solve the worldwide plastic problem, or design a system that makes sure artificial intelligence doesn’t turn hostile. Students also want to play a greater role in projects, themselves.”

So students are leading, not the university?

“When we started DesignLab, we thought that we, the professors, would think it all up and arrange it. Perhaps eventually a student

13 PHOTO RENATE BEENSE

“The self-organising ability of students is very powerful”

Vanessa Evers

FUTURES

would be allowed to participate in a project. I did not yet see how powerful the self-organising ability of students is. The companies that visited us in Twente were also impressed. Those are experiences I brought with me to Singapore.”

How is life and work in Singapore?

“It took some getting used to. We are living on a university campus with our family – including a dog and a cat. The pets were non-negotiable, otherwise our children didn’t want to move to Singapore. With a son in the last year of primary school, I regularly drive to the Dutch school in the centre of Singapore. Our daughter is now attending the international school. Being in Singapore for a year now, I finally found my footing in the local academic world. I lived and worked in the United States for a while, and I knew that through and through. I now have a bit of a feel for the lie of the land here in Asia, although Singapore is, of course, a very international city.”

INTERVIEW VANESSA EVERS

helps to legitimatise its existence. This was also what I did at DesignLab. There are so many issues in society and business, to which transdisciplinary research can find an answer. It is my job to match supply with demand.”

How do you do that in Singapore?

“We have selected eighty fellows, people who are the best in their fields and who are active in the international arena. Often, they work in fields where scientific disciplines overlap, such as e-health. These fellows are at the forefront of our transdisciplinary research programme and projects.

The institute links them with partners from different areas.

In terms of philosophy, the DesignLab and the Institute in Singapore are not that different; it is all about co-operation between scientific disciplines to solve social issues, in partnership with the business community and government.

But I also see that we really do things differently in the Netherlands.”

How? “Singaporean companies are eager How does NTU view your mission? to partner up with a prestigious “The Singaporeans are in the top tier “Team science university. They know research when it comes to technology and costs money and they have the innovation. But to have a positive social is the future, resources to pay for projects. In the impact, you need to reflect on what Netherlands our partners are often is happening in the world, and what that’s where more cautious, uncertain about their lessons we can learn from previous return on investments. Companies innovations. This determines the the solutions and governments in Singapore also ultimate impact of new technology. approach us with issues that transcend Nanyang Technological University come from” a single discipline. Unlike in the became aware of this a while ago.

Netherlands, they are aware that they When they started, in 1991, they have to make a budget available for attracted the best people. That projects to work. How come? The Singaporean government catapulted NTU into the global top of universities, rubbing employs many people with a background in science and shoulders with MIT and Oxford. That is the big difference technology, so they are used to taking a long view. It also with the Netherlands: the speed with which major makes it much easier for us to talk to them. I have noticed decisions are made and the focus on working towards this in conversations on themes such as social housing and a desirable outcome. But when they reached their goal, smart cities.” the question also arose: what now? What do we want it all to mean? What, actually, is our community impact?”

And the scientific approach?

“With a strong government like Singapore has, brimming And the answer became the Institute of Science with resources, you do have to keep an eye out for and Technology for Humanity. academic freedom. In the end, this will give you the best “When I came to Singapore last summer, the Institute results. A real difference with the Netherlands is that the had just been established. Managing it was a side job for Singaporeans are much more goal-oriented, whereas university administrators. Therefore, it hadn’t really gotten the Dutch are more concerned with the process. I have off the ground yet; there were many projects that were noticed Singaporean academics often take a step back waiting to start. My first goal was to get an overview of and first look at the bigger picture. What is the problem who was doing what, and to formulate a clear policy for the Institute. Now that this is done, I am mainly busy with – if it actually is a problem – and who should be involved? making sure the Institute sustains itself financially as this Then they determine their goal and go straight for it. In the

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Robots in cleaning One of the projects Vanessa Evers started at DesignLab studied the use of robots in the cleaning industry. In the Dutch collective labour agreement for this sector it was agreed that cleaners should have more technology at their disposal in order to perform their duties in a safe and healthy way. Using robots seems like the logical answer.

One of the problems is that it is not easy to use robots to clean. They work well in a predictable environment where there are no people around. Like a car production line. But if the environment is more chaotic, such as an office, the robot is out of his depth.

Netherlands we tend to get started right away and take the final goal as given.”

What new insights would you like to take back to the Netherlands?

“A lot has been achieved since 2014. Not everyone at the University of Twente was thrilled when we started DesignLab. I understand that, but it was a brave choice of the university to pursue their ambition of high tech, human touch. Now you see similar projects everywhere; TU Delft wants to co-operate with Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Eindhoven University of Technology is talking to Tilburg University.

In sessions with various people from the cleaning sector, DesignLab came up with a list of conditions that robots have to meet in order to be able to help with cleaning.

Among other things, they have to be smart, support ergonomic work and be able to see how dirty a room is. With the help of Lego Serious Play methodology and other approaches, the participants even made models, together with students, of what the role of robots in the cleaning industry could be and could look like.

What DesignLab has done very well, is to create a very optimistic and pleasant environment, a centre for education and research. As far as I am concerned, the next step is to acquire and set up major cross-disciplinary research programmes. Team science is the future, that’s where the solutions come from and that’s where the budgets are.”

nisth.ntu.edu.sg people.utwente.nl/v.evers

FUTURES

#EUVSVIRUS HACKATHON

“DESIGN THINKING WORKS” David, Morteza and Gleb had never met before. That didn’t stop them from winning a prize during an intense, three-day hackathon. They designed an innovative solution to repair the social damage done by the corona outbreak. Their Mentor.me app helps schools and children

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to not get behind in their development.

studies international business management and is in his second year at university. But despite their very different backgrounds, when they met in April 2020, they got to business right away, even though – or perhaps because – the corona-crisis in the Netherlands was at its most intense in that month.

Morteza Kiani Anbouee

initiative of the European Commission. The goal of the three-day event was to come up with innovative ideas to fight the coronavirus outbreak, and the collateral social damage in many communities.

More than two thousand participants from various countries worked on these problems.

Gleb Podorozhnyy (22) has Russian roots and is about to graduate in creative technology.

Ecuadorian David Chiriboga Gaibor (21) plans to graduate in mechanical engineering. Morteza Kiani Anbouee (24), from Iran,

Isolated kids “We did not have the time to get to know each other well and divide roles according to talent,” says Gleb. “That just happened organically, during the three-day hackathon. From Friday evening until Monday morning we worked on the project together, and discovered each other’s strengths. Building on that, we empowered each other.”

For instance, David came up with the idea to do something with education, Gleb explains, one of the hackathon categories. “He did a lot of research in that field. It helped us to put into practise our commonly shared determination to work on meaningful and socially oriented projects,” adds Morteza. And that was one of the main purposes of the pan-European hackathon. The idea behind the competition was to develop innovative ideas to fight the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

In total more than 22,000 innovators, in different member states of the European Union and beyond, took part and came up with over 2,000 solutions, submitted in areas including health and life, business continuity, remote working and education, social and political cohesion and digital finance.

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“We focused on education because, during the lockdowns in Europe, children were very isolated Gleb Podorozhnyy from their teachers and schoolmates,” says David.

“Social research tells us this has a profound impact on their development and cognitive abilities. This is especially true when it comes to children from disadvantaged homes and underdeveloped countries.”

Human contact Gleb, Morteza and David developed an app and they called it Mentor.me. It offers a solution to keep the education and development of social skills of students going during lockdowns and social distancing. It matches primary and high school students with mentors at school, but also with students at universities. They, too, have more time on their hands due to the coronavirus.

Almost all universities were closed.

“The human touch in tech inspires all three of us,” says Gleb. “A lot of our daily life is automated, but tech can never replace human contact. School is not just about learning subjects, it’s also about developing your social skills. With this app we want to keep that process going during crises like the corona outbreak and the closing of schools.”

While David put in the research, Morteza focussed on the best features for the app, and Gleb did the attractive and functional design. “An eye-opener in this project was that what we had learned at university about design thinking in theory, actually works when you are working on a real project,” Morteza says.

The jury agreed. Winning the hackathon resulted in a 4,000 euro budget for further development of their app, a prize that was sponsored by the Association of Nordic Engineers. “But to develop our app further, into a viable product, we would need 10,000 to 15,000 euros,” says Gleb, who is eager to continue the project after graduating, as are David and Morteza. So if anybody is interested?

David Chiriboga Gaibor

European Matchathon Winning the Dutch competition in their category also meant that the team from Twente got the opportunity to participate in the Matchathon, to compete with other European winners. During this online event the teams were matched with corporates, investors, accelerators and venture capitalists from around the world, to put their innovative solutions into production.

The European Commission, in collaboration with all member states and the participating H2020 associated countries, will provide follow-up to the best projects coming from the #EUvsVirus Hackathon. H2020 is the European fund for research, innovation and technological development.

utwente.nl/dl/mentor-me

WORK ON PROGRESS

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Hi, I am Hellen van Rees researcher sustainable and functional textiles, fashion designer

And I’m working on A vest that helps children with breathing difficulties. The concept was first developed as a posture correcting devise. But it turned out that it could be put to good use for the smallest members of the community. hellenvanrees.com

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WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

SMART AND DURABLE CLOTHING THAT HELPS Wearable, smart technology is becoming part of our clothing. Hellen van Rees designed a vest that allows asthma patients to breathe better. Edo de Wolf worked on the Sheltersuit that keeps refugees and homeless people warm and dry. They used DesignLab to make it happen.

R @hellenvanrees

unning socks that offer advice on your running technique, underwear that tells you to relax… No, this is not the script from a science fiction movie, but a selection of ‘smart clothes’ on offer in the real world right now.

By incorporating wearable technology into our garments, we can constantly keep tabs on our health and well-being, and adjust our behaviour if necessary.

It is the next step in the evolution of so-called wearables that we increasingly use, such as the well-known and immensely popular smartwatches and Fitbits. An estimated 28 million world citizens now wear such a smart bracelet that keeps track of how many steps they take every day, how many calories they burn, and how deeply they sleep at night. And, as with all technology, wearables – especially the sensors that collect the data – are getting smaller and smaller. That means that the number of possible applications is exploding, most of all in the area of textiles. The result is a smart onesie that warns you when your baby has turned on its tummy, a Levi’s jeans jacket that controls your smartphone, and pyjamas that help your muscles recover after a tough workout.

It’s a booming business, with many interesting opportunities to improve our lives and make them more sustainable. This is recognised by the European Union, which started the Wear Sustain subsidy programme two years ago.

This initiative, with 2.4 million euros in funding, finances some 48 projects in which artists, technicians and designers work together on innovative and sustainable e-textiles and portable technology.

Fashion and textile designer Hellen van Rees and interaction technologist Edo de Wolf of the University of Twente both received funding from Wear Sustain. Van Rees got hers for a bodysuit that corrects your posture with ‘e-textiles’, and De Wolf received his for investigating a new kind of Sheltersuit, a system that protects the homeless against the elements. Both developed their innovations at DesignLab.

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WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

instead of see or hear. If you sit in the wrong position, the fabric will contract, and you will sit up straight intuitively.”

Due to all the media attention for this innovative method, the three were contacted by a paediatric pulmonologist.

He was wondering whether they could design something similar for children with respiratory problems. Together with Twente Medical Centre, Saxion College of Applied Sciences, and the OCON Orthopaedic Clinic, they went on to develop a training vest for breathing exercises. “It’s like the hand of the physiotherapist is guiding the children’s Sit up straight breathing,” Van Rees explains. “This allows the children to In her studio in Enschede, Hellen van Rees normally practise at home in a better and more enjoyable way than focuses on exclusive, handmade clothing made from at the physiotherapist’s practice.” sustainable materials that she produces herself. “I always The colourful design immediately tells you that the vest design with the material in mind,” she says. “Yarns are my is meant for children. In the places where the electronics basis. I use them to make new sustainable textiles with are located, Van Rees has made a 3D printed casing with special properties.” cubes on top, which the children can The idea for the posture vest came after decorate with their own figurines, just Van Rees had developed a new textile, like with Lego. made of felt. Because this material is “I could never have imagined too stiff to make clothing, she came “As a student, beforehand that, as a fashion designer, up with little squares connected by I would be working on a solution for cords. As a result, all the corners are you don’t often get children with asthma. I was used to pivot points. If you move one square, making beautiful and responsible they all move. This makes the whole the chance to contribute fashion. Now I work for children who thing flexible and portable. Initially, need it badly.”

Van Rees used the fabric for clothing. to such a good thing” Although the prototype is ready, But she already had an inkling that the much remains to be done before the possibilities were much wider. training vest is available for children She put that into practise after she with respiratory problems. How quickly this will be done started working from DesignLab. There, she came into depends on funding, and whether there is a company that contact with various scientists from both in and outside actually wants to bring it to the market. This aspect falls the University of Twente. Together with computer scientist Angelika Mader, and interaction designer Geke Ludden, she outside the scope of DesignLab. “We are researchers,” Van Rees says. “We come up with new ideas, test them did further research into possible applications of the fabric. and make a prototype. But we don’t do products.”

Ludden designs products and services that motivate and encourage people to change their behaviour. Angelika deals with portable technology. “Our goal was to investigate how Something good “We are dealing with the fuzzy front end,” says Edo de we could robotise the new textile. E-textiles are actually Wolf, “the starting point of new ideas and concepts for a combination of technology, fashion and art,” says Van production development, not actual production.” De Wolf, Rees. student of Interaction Technology at the UT, is employed Together they eventually arrived at a prototype of a posture

by DesignLab as project co-ordinator. He worked on a vest. “When people are sitting behind their laptops, they new version of the Sheltersuit, a suit for people who sleep often slump a little. That’s bad for your back and causes rough, such as refugees and the homeless. It keeps them pain. This vest reminds you to sit up straight.” warm and dry. That project also received a grant from the European initiative Wear Sustain.

Prototype “At DesignLab, we try to gain a different perspective on The DesignLab posture vest is different from more problems by designing solutions with researchers and common forms of smart clothing. Most wearables and students from different disciplines,” says De Wolf. “Within e-textiles provide feedback by means of light, sound or a the UT you have departments and they all have their own signal on your smartphone, Van Rees explains. “This vest faculty. They often don’t know what the others are doing. gives you so-called haptic feedback, which you can feel

PHOTO FRANS NIKKELS

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“You can’t do it alone” Interaction designer Geke Ludden on working at DesignLab Geke Ludden is professor of Interaction Design and a research fellow at DesignLab. She has been working on portable technology for health and care for some time now. She co-initiated the vest for children with respiratory problems (see main article).

“At DesignLab we work on wearables. These are garments or accessories that promote the well-being of the wearer. In order to achieve such an important goal, people with all kinds of expertise have to work together.

Designers, doctors, psychologists, computer scientists and experts in the field of electronics all contribute.

Designlab is the place where they can come together.”

“Real innovations only come about by coming up with, and trying out, new ideas. DesignLab is the perfect environment to do that. There are workshops where people can work with textiles and electronics; you’ll meet people with all kinds of skills to create a working prototype together. You can also work with test users – whom I prefer to call co-designers, because they also provide valuable expertise and ideas.”

Ludden is originally an industrial designer. For her, combining knowledge and know-how from all kinds of disciplines is a given.

“You have to make sure that everyone has the same goal in mind. If you manage that, working together is a breeze. DesignLab facilitates co-operation by, among other things, applying design thinking; this means that you process everyone’s input in order to clarify what knowledge is needed in order to come to the right innovation. It works, you can’t do it alone.”

people.utwente.nl/g.d.s.ludden

DesignLab is a neutral area where all these disciplines can work together.”

DesignLab does not only employ students and scientists.

Designers like Van Rees, who are not connected to the University, also contribute to projects. Companies, governments and civil society organisations work together with DesignLab on projects, such as the Sheltersuit Foundation from Enschede. They wanted to know how

they could improve the safety and functionality of their suits for the homeless. De Wolf was immediately keen to work on it with Sheltersuit’s Jurrie Barkel. “Sheltersuit is an organisation that really does good for the world. As a student you don’t often get the chance to contribute to a project like this.”

De Wolf and Barkel co-ordinated a student team of technicians, engineers and designers, along with some help from Sheltersuit textile workers. Together, they developed flexible solar cells for the backpack in which the suit is carried. “These are connected to a power bank.

Many refugees don’t have a roof over their heads, but they do have a smartphone they might want to charge.”

“Students can become real change-makers” Edo de Wolf, project coordinator DesignLab

They also devised a warning system against hypothermia, which often occurs unnoticed during sleep. They called this the Urban Safety Kit. Sensors in the suit register chills and use light signals to alert passers-by that the homeless person is in distress. The prototype of the suit is being tested by a team in Barcelona, with the help of homeless volunteers. That is where Citilab, one of the other hubs of the Wear Sustain project, is located.

De Wolf doesn’t know if Sheltersuit will equip all suits with solar panels and a hypothermia alarm. But that’s not what DesignLab is all about either. “It is our strength to come up with new and creative ways of solving social problems.

Students can work on issues they are passionate about and become real change-makers.”

FUTURES

ESSAY

RETHINKING OUR DIGITAL WORLD We are entering an age of artificial intelligence, writes Peter-Paul Verbeek, distinguished professor of Philosophy of Technology, and co-director of the DesignLab. Students and researchers need to be aware that this development brings many ethical and societal challenges. Design thinking can play a major role in the responsible development and use of AI.

I

ntelligence, rather than space, is the new frontier.

Developments in digital technology are moving faster than ever, causing humankind to enter a new phase.

After societies based on hunting and gathering, agriculture, industry, and the current information society, we are now entering a fifth stage: a world of artificial intelligence. Society 5.0 comes with promises, but also with problems, questions and dilemmas. As digital technologies integrate with our physical world, take autonomous decisions, and influence the ways we understand the world and ourselves, we need to keep a sharp eye on ethical and societal questions.

This is why DesignLab focuses on responsible design: we need to integrate societal needs and concerns in technological developments. Responsible design puts society first. Instead of pushing technology into society, it offers a framework to develop technologies from the perspective of societal goals, challenges, and values of its users.

Who do you kill?

Self-driving cars have become a standard example of the ethical dilemmas and questions that come with AI. If a robot driver sees two children crossing the street and it is too late to brake, the system needs to make a dramatic choice. Will the robot protect itself and the passenger, killing the children, or change direction, probably killing the passenger but saving the children?

Even though this example has become a clichĂŠ by now, it points to important questions. Can we design ethics into machines? Can we trust decisions about life and death to a computer? And there is actually a much deeper question: what is intelligence?

AI enables technologies to take actions that used to be made by humans only: from making medical diagnoses to passing legal judgments, and from operating machines to analysing the studying behaviour of students. It is a technology that works at the heart of what makes us human: the mind. And because of this, it influences how we understand the world and ourselves, and how we make choices and decisions.

The concerns about self-driving cars deciding about life and death resemble the fears of Mary Shelley’s nineteenth century Frankenstein’s monster: a technology that looks like a human being, runs out of control, and turns against its makers. Yet, in order to really tackle the ethical issues, we should approach the relationship between humans and AI as a connection,

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rather than an opposition. Instead of focusing on the fear that AI could replace humans, we should make sure to develop and use AI from the perspective of human values.

How can we make sure that we can always understand how AI reaches its conclusions? When AI comes up with a certain solution, can we still grasp the way it thinks? Who is responsible, and who can be held accountable if a machine makes a decision?

No women in the workplace The question is: how can we make sure AI has a positive impact on society? Spotify and Netflix give us suggestions, based on what we listened to or watched before. If we value cultural diversity, it would be important to make sure that these platforms do not ‘lock us up’ in our own cultural bubble, but help us to expand our scope. Amazon built an AI-tool to help with recruiting. As it turned out, the tool did not like women in the workplace. It was biased because, to gather data, it was fed with predominantly male résumés over a ten-year period. In order to prevent gender bias, we need to train AI systems with more inclusive datasets.

Besides inclusiveness, transparency is also important.

Algorithms help medical doctors to decide about the treatment of patients. If we want to make sure that these treatments are in line with the basic principles of medical ethics, doctors need to be able to understand how AI came to its conclusions.

Over the past years, many companies and governments have developed ethical codes that list the ethical principles that should guide the development of AI, like accountability for algorithmic decisions, avoiding bias in datasets,

transparency of AI reasoning, et cetera. DesignLab’s responsible design method can help these companies and governments to take the next step and make these principles actionable. To make sure that AI will have a positive impact on the world, and to prevent undesirable implications, we need to connect these ethical codes to design practices, and to the critical implementation and use of AI systems in society. This will help ensure that human beings can always take responsibility for the impact of AI on human actions and decisions, and on society at large.

The responsible design approach of DesignLab, translates social values into technological design, and offers a framework to anticipate the social impact of technology.

Integrating design thinking and ethics of technology, responsible design processes bring together engineers, social scientists, users, and policy-makers to let ethics matter when it can still make a real difference: in the design of technologies, and in their embedding in society. This is how we encourage our students and research fellows to act responsibly in a world where technology can create new problems as well as help tackle existing ones. And this is how we aim to contribute to a responsible and sustainable future for Society 5.0.

ppverbeek.org people.utwente.nl/p.p.c.c.verbeek @ppverbeek

FUTURES

TESTING THE CORONAMELDER

THE APP THAT IS DESIGNED TO SAVE LIVES Can you fight a pandemic with technology? The Dutch government hopes so, and built a corona app. DesignLab was responsible for extensive user tests and field research. This provided food for thought.

It is the summer of 2020. While the corona pandemic is raging and medical specialists worldwide are diligently searching for a treatment and a vaccine, a few dozen young people are doing what is strongly discouraged elsewhere: they meet at DesignLab. Keeping a distance of one and a half metres, of course.

After a group of middle-aged and elderly people from Twente, students from the Twente College and students from the municipal secondary school in Enschede are allowed to test the new Dutch government corona app.

The idea behind the so-called CoronaMelder is that it warns, very specifically, as soon as the user has been in close contact for more than fifteen minutes with someone infected with Covid-19. In this way, further spread can be nipped in the bud.

Miriam Iliohan, one of the founders of DesignLab and Manager of Operations and Innovation, helps to coordinate the tests. Is this what DesignLab was founded for? “Yes, but not so much as a physical location; we can do something like this anywhere. What matters to us is the method of arriving at an inclusive assessment of the corona app. Even if the test is done in an online environment, for responsible design it is important that representatives of society provide input. Our experimental way of working lends itself perfectly to the various tests of the CoronaMelder.”

The first user tests were co-ordinated by Lisette van Gemert, professor of Persuasive Health Technology at the University of Twente, and member of the Task Force of the ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, which aims to combat Covid-19 using digital means. The aim of the user test is to see how people respond to the government’s corona app. Do they understand how it works? What do they expect from such an app?

According to Van Gemert, Twente is a good place to try out the app. “With DesignLab and the Twente region, we are

Miriam Iliohan

How does the app work?

The CoronaMelder uses the Bluetooth signal of a phone to keep track of those with whom the user has been in contact. This is done completely anonymously. Based on the signal strength and the duration of the contact, the app tries to identify the risk of infection, should any of those others be infected. Tests have shown that the Dutch corona app succeeds in about three out of four cases.

A user who is infected with the coronavirus can indicate this in the app, giving people who have been in contact with him or her, a signal. The threshold is fifteen minutes, at a distance of less than one and a half metres. If you get the signal, the urgent advice is to get tested. This is all done on a voluntary basis.

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working together on high-tech entrepreneurship. There’s relatively little coronavirus in the region, so we have the peace and quiet to see if everything works the way the government wants it to. That makes DesignLab an excellent partner with whom to carry out such an experiment.”

A total of about five hundred people from Twente took part in the initial user test. Among them residents of the asylum seekers’ centre in Almelo and young people with disabilities. Now it is the turn of pupils and students.

Coronaproof One by one, the youngsters timidly seep into DesignLab. The campus of the University of Twente is vacant, except for the building they are instructed to go to. Two girlfriends, each about seventeen years old, look around curiously at the surroundings full of prototypes, test setups and technology. First, they have to answer a few health questions and then they can report to the research leader.

DesignLab is ‘corona-proofed’; the tables are far apart.

“Not only because of corona, but also to prevent the test subjects from influencing each other”, explains Van Gemert.

The test, which lasts an hour, starts with downloading and installing the app. Is that easy for the user? And then: does the app look accessible, is it immediately clear what

you can do with it and how to use the functions properly?

The researchers are not only curious about how the technology works, but also especially about how people respond to the messages from the corona app.

The young participants try out the app and fill in questionnaires. The initial results are disappointing, says Van Gemert. “Many people don’t understand the app, not only the elderly, from whom you might expect it, but also these young people. There’s a lot of text and users don’t understand what it is supposed to do. What’s more, every part of the app raises new questions.”

As part of the test, participants are notified that they have contracted the coronavirus. “That gives rise to a whole host of new questions”, Van Gemert says. “The app is anonymous, but if you have tested positive, the contact research begins. That part is not anonymous, so it makes people doubt. Sometimes we even saw people panicking.”

Clear message The researchers from DesignLab report their findings to the government in The Hague, where they are used to optimise the app. The first results? An improved app, according to Iliohan. “Every new version I see is easier to use than the previous one. The long pieces of text have disappeared, the functionalities are now more prominent. Our user tests

TESTING THE CORONA APP

FUTURES

EVOLUTION OF THE CORONAMELDER February 27th First case of corona in the Netherlands March 6th First death in the Netherlands March 11th Recognition of the corona pandemic March 23rd ’Intelligent lockdown’ starts April 7th Announcement of corona app by the government April 18th Apps presented by companies to the ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport April 22nd Disapproval of all presented apps, government is going to build it itself June 25th Announcement that the University of Twente will test the app June 29th User test in DesignLab, followed by a field test, 1500 people participate August 14th Ethical testing corona app in DesignLab August 17th Regional pilot of the app

can sometimes cause delays, but it is a very important part of being able to incorporate the social effects of technology into a design.”

Another piece of advice from the researchers is to regulate the ‘back end’ of the app better. Van Gemert: “What the government is trying to do is so much more than just develop an app. They are trying to influence people’s behaviour. That makes communication very important.

The National Institute for Public Health, the municipal health services, and the ministries must speak with one voice and give a clear message. That aspect was clearly misjudged.”

One of the results of the experiment is that DesignLab predicts the municipal health services, known as the GGDs, will get a lot of questions, as soon as the app goes live.

Van Gemert: “When people get a signal that they may have contracted corona, they will call the GGD. How big is my risk? What should I do now? What happens to my data when I activate the app? There should be people on the other end of the line who can help the users and answer these questions.”

Radical ideas The ethical aspects of using the CoronaMelder deserve special attention. Here, too, DesignLab plays an important role. Peter-Paul Verbeek, professor of Philosophy of Technology, and one of the scientific directors of DesignLab, co-ordinates the ethical considerations surrounding the new corona app. During a so-called ‘ethical test’, he exchanges ideas with about twenty citizens who represent a cross-section of society.

It is a remarkable meeting at DesignLab, especially as privacy seems to be less important to many participants than health protection. Although it is not allowed by law, most attendees would even like the app to intervene more deeply in the private lives of Dutch citizens. “Couldn’t it function as a kind of corona passport?” one of the participants asks. It could give a green check mark on your phone (‘you don’t have the virus’) allowing you to go out, but a red cross (‘you are infected’) meaning you have to stay at home. Another participant in the session doesn’t mince his words either: “Can’t we temporarily suspend the privacy law?”

Miriam Iliohan is also present at the ethical test. “The development of an app to combat a pandemic involves not only a technical, but also an ethical discussion”, she says. “Researchers have already conducted discussions on ethics among themselves, but that’s not enough. You need to hear from citizens, and understand their concerns; you need to know what’s going on. Every citizen has his or her own frame of reference. This sometimes provides input that scientists themselves had not yet thought of. In this way, we help to change their mindset and zoom in on citizen ethics.”

And the gentleman who wants to suspend privacy, are we going to see his ideas reflected in the operation of the app?

Iliohan: “When you involve citizens, more radical ideas often emerge than when you discuss things with a group of civil servants or scientists. What his remark teaches us, is that we need to redefine the problem, constantly – to go back to the question of how best to combat corona. People want protection against the disease. Does the app do that well enough? You can’t suspend the privacy law. You can make the app work better.”

utwente.nl/dl/fighting-corona

WORK ON PROGRESS

Hi, I am Guido Bruinsma assistant professor Industrial Engineering & Business Information Systems

And I’m working on The eSportslab. In this lab researchers support serious e-athletes, by testing them on such parameters as reaction speed and stress. This is done by eye tracking, the measuring of skin conductance, reaction testing and emotion recognition.

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FUTURES

EVERYBODY IS INVITED!

CITIZEN SCIENCE It started with Topfit CitizenLab, where researchers, social partners and citizens put their heads together for innovative solutions for practical health and wellbeing. In 2021 DesignLab is stepping up its commitment to science for society in a European context, with the set-up of Citizen Science Hubs.

S

cientists have always played

an important role in meeting

society’s challenges, but usually

from a comfortable distance. The

ivory tower stands as a potent symbol of the separation between the two realms. But no longer. These days, scientists at the University of Twente increasingly work in proactive co-oporation with citizens and other outside partners, right in the heart of society.

The rise of what is called citizen science reflects the need to integrate ethics, societal engagement, gender equality, and governance with research. But foremost, the inclusive character of citizen science is a tool to open up the scientific process, and to promote good practices, increase the input of knowledge and the practical output of science.

This also means more transparency, through open access science and education, while balancing this with excellent quality research.

“With this mission in mind, it is no surprise that citizen science requires new approaches and methods,” says Sabine Wildevuur, director of DesignLab, “not only for science education and research, but also for successful collaboration with the public and private organisations.

At DesignLab we are more than ready to take on that challenge, together with the University of Twente and partners aiming towards social impact.”

CitizenLab “DesignLab bridges societal challenges with educational activities, research and practical outcomes,” explains Wildevuur. It is guided by three principles: responsible

design, transdisciplinary research, and citizen science.

“Earlier this year, CitizenLab started as part of the strategic open innovation consortium Topfit, in which health care providers, patient organisations, health insurers, companies and knowledge institutions collaborate.”

With twelve researchers from Saxion College, Enschede, and University of Twente, the Topfit CitizenLab has already launched three citizen science pilot projects, and several activities, to improve the health and wellbeing of citizens in the region, for instance for people with diabetes.

Until now, the focus of the citizen science initiative of DesignLab and its partners was mainly on development and implementation of technological innovations for health and healthcare. Wildevuur: “We will broaden the scope to other fields of research, social issues and target groups. DesignLab is a gateway for private and social partners; through us, citizens and organisations get access to researchers and new innovations that put people first. DesignLab’s ambition is to offer a starting point for citizen science initiatives.”

Challenges In order to take citizen science to a national, and even an international level, Wildevuur is a member of the Dutch workgroup Citizen Science of the National Programme Open Science. She says, “At a European level too, there is a steady growth in recognition of the contribution that citizen science can make to excellent and relevant research.”

But systematic collaboration with partners outside the academic world is not always easy. The first European Citizen Science Commission concluded that, in 2016.

A top-down approach does not work, was one of the lessons learned. The voices of citizens, scientists and other professionals must all be heard, to be successful.

“Collaboration and co-creation alone, are also not enough; citizen science requires a complementary range of skills in students and researchers’, adds Wildevuur who, as

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sponsoring director of the strategic expert group science UT, is engaged in the further development of new methods of research and collaboration, with focus on citizen science.

The group also aims, importantly, to make citizen science methods available for all academic research in and outside the University of Twente.

Wildevuur: “Traditionally, academic training and research focusses on scientific competencies and methods. That is still our solid base, as scientists. But citizen science adds an extra dimension by starting the scientific process with the identification of the real-life issues that our communities, people and social organizations are facing. From the start, the focus is on positive social impact.”

It is key to make citizen science projects more rewarding and feasible for scientists, the European Citizen Science Commission has stated. The overall field of science must, therefore, widen its key performance indicators, train scientists in principles, and reward public participation.

“This is a mission for the whole science community,” acknowledges Wildevuur.

Citizen Science Hub “The next step of DesignLab and partners will be the setting up of a Citizen Science Hub for the whole of the University of Twente and beyond,” she says. This idea of a Citizen Science Hub-UT is in line with the European Union’s Responsible Research Innovation programme. The hub will also be the link to the activities of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities and is applied within the European project INCENTIVE, that will start in 2021.

Wildevuur: “This hub will further develop the ‘Twente Model’ for citizen science, and share knowledge, skills and good practices with the international network of citizen science. Everybody is invited!”

Citizens united Citizen science helps improve the quality and impact of research in a meaningful way, so as to benefit society. The formulation of research questions, and the collection and analysis of data, should always be conducted by a team that includes members of the general public. The engagement of communities outside of the University of Twente is a valuable asset to modern science and helps society to cope with today’s challenges.

It is not only citizens and researchers who collaborate; policy makers, businesses, and non-profit organisations also have input during the different phases of the research process and innovation development. In this way, the outcomes align better with the values and needs of society, as a whole.

The focus of the UT Citizen Science Hub – within the European project INCENTIVE – lies on communities, rather than on individual experts, scientists or researchers.

Communities are seen as invaluable sources of tacit and formal knowledge. They should be empowered through ‘open science’ and ‘doing it together science’ approaches.

utwente.nl/dl/citizen-science utwente.nl/dl/incentive

FUTURES

THE TRANSDISCIPLINARY MASTER-INSERT SHAPING RESPONSIBLE FUTURES

EDUCATING TOMORROW’S CHANGEMAKERS How do we turn students into professionals who shape the future? A new educational programme is geared towards teaching transdisciplinary skills. Ambitious? You bet.

H

ow do we deal with the societal problems of our age?

This ostensibly simple question is central to a new programme aimed at master’s students of all faculties at the University of Twente. It is about such issues as ageing, globalisation, healthcare, mobility, wealth distribution, and climate change. These are challenges that require well-designed and comprehensive innovations; yesterday’s solutions often will not do.

Tackling issues such as these requires a special set of competences and skills. The Transdisciplinary Master-Insert Shaping Responsible Futures was created to stimulate students in their competences and to co-create the tools that are essential to tackle societal challenges. It is a truly unique and ambitious programme that empowers students to deliver more societal value in their upcoming careers.

The six-month programme is wholly complementary to the core master’s programme at the University of Twente.

Ultimately, the Transdisciplinary Master-Insert will prepare UT students to become the new generation of changemakers. The world of today needs highly skilled professionals who are able to work in diverse teams; smart people, who will advance society in a responsible manner.

In order to become a true leader of change, students will learn to reflect on their own world views, as well as those of various stakeholders.

The programme fits seamlessly into the people first university of technology philosophy of the University of Twente. It is open to master’s students, from all educational programmes, who have an interest in critical and conceptual thinking. They will be required to team up with people from other disciplines in this challenge-driven programme, and will thus learn from each other, while addressing various challenges.

Diversity and motivation The Transdisciplinary Master-Insert is an inter-faculty educational programme, based at DesignLab and hosted by the faculty of Engineering Technology. It is also a collaborative platform between the UT, and public and private partners. The programme is taught by academics from all over the University, who will work in a transdisciplinary manner themselves.

Students from all UT master’s programmes can qualify.

Participants will be selected on diversity in background, and intrinsic motivation, demonstrated through personal development goals and societal impact plans that are proposed in their application letters. Completion of the programme will result in the certificate Shaping Responsible Futures.

utwente.nl/dl/tmi

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PHOTO ANNINA ROMITA

COLOFON Editor Sabine Wildevuur Editorial staff Jamila Blokzijl Miriam Iliohan Carolien van Zuilekom Contributors Alison Bosman Philip Dröge Mirjam van Immerzeel Sabine Sluijters Menno Swart

Sefora Tunç Student, completed the first Transdisciplinary Master-Insert What was the most memorable moment of your learning experience in the past six months?

The most memorable experience was within the first selfreflection session of the change-making module. We all gave insight into very personal aspects of our lives. It was overwhelming how much it changed the interaction with each other when we took the time to get closer on a personal level. I believe that this was very important as I could reflect on how to deal with each person for a successful collaboration.

Photography Renate Beense Eric Brinkhorst Annabel Jeuring Frans Nikkels Annina Romita Collage page 29 Jamila Blokzijl Guidance committee Desirée van Dun Wouter Eggink Laurens van der Velde Edo de Wolf Graphic design & layout Dirk van der Burgh

What was the most challenging moment?

The first phase of the Master-Insert was the most challenging.

It is difficult to work together effectively when you are not really aware of the strengths of each discipline, or of each person. It was chaotic, and initially, very annoying; but as time progresses, you learn to deal with it, and it is worth it.

What was the main impact of following this programme, on your personal and academic outlook?

I believe that the Master-Insert greatly enhanced my teamworking skills. I was lacking in aspects that I only became aware of due to the close collaboration with my peers. I became a leader, but not in the traditional sense, because leadership is not about pointing people the right way anymore; it is about making an impact collaboratively.

I believe that this mindset will benefit us greatly in the future.

utwente.nl/designlab designlab@utwente.nl University of Twente Building: The Gallery Hengelosestraat 500 7521 AN Enschede The Netherlands

FUTURES