BWEGT

A career site for those who want to shape the future of mobility at bwegt.

The aim of the new career site was to combine the large number of job offers from the partner associations on the bwegt career portal in a simple, understandable and clear way. The relevant information of the job offers should be available in one

place, instead of the previous time-consuming and confusing way of searching through the individual career portals of the partner associations.

 was launched at the end of 2017 as the successor to the 

 brand, with the aim of creating sustainable mobility for everyone and thus inspiring more public transport users. In order to recruit new staff and shape the mobility of the future, bwegt's careers website was redeveloped from the ground up in 2021. The redesign was led by strategy and design agency BEAUFORT 8.

BWEGT CAREER

BEAUFORT 8

HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd

First use of the analogue camera Canon AE-1 Program

The test device in this first use scenario was the analogue camera Canon AE-1 Program. The subject's task was to load a 35mm colour film into the camera. This involved opening the film door, inserting the film correctly and closing the film door again. Afterwards the respondent had to take a photograph, which included turning the camera on. The respondent had never used an analogue camera before, there was no time limit for this test and the think-aloud method was used.

The test was recorded with video and audio. In the next step, the test was analysed in detail using the mapping method. It took the respondent approximately nine and a half minutes to complete all the tasks successfully, with hints required at four points. The results of the test were divided into the categories 'doing', 'seeing', 'saying' and 'feeling' on a map. In the course of the analysis, 'moments of truth' and first striking features were identified and recorded in the form of insights.

When designing the poster, particular attention was paid to a consistent layout and choice of colours. This was achieved by using a four-column grid with 12mm column spacing and a colour scheme based on the colours of the camera (silver and black) and the 35mm film manufacturer Kodak (yellow to orange). This was implemented on the poster with a light grey, light black and light orange. Technical drawings of the front and back of the camera, the 35mm film and an illustration of a photo

shoot were used to give an overview of the test device and to support the brief. The entire design process led to the final product, an A1 poster, which gives the impression of an instruction manual for the camera, due to the strict separation of task and product description, as well as the explanation of the findings. At the same time, illustrations visually support the insights.

The goal of interaction mapping is to capture complex issues and create a common understanding. The task was to test an everyday product such as an alarm clock, a doorbell or a camera in a first-time use scenario with one person and to visualise the insights gained on a poster, pointing out conspicuous features during the first use.

CANON AE-1 PROGRAM

Own project

Web accessibility: Necessary for many, helpful for all.

The findings of the qualitative research highlight a number of governmental, economic and societal barriers to web accessibility and how these can be addressed in the context of the research question. In particular, the experts highlighted the need to raise awareness of digital (visual) accessibility among stakeholders. The elimination of missing (expert) knowledge, the implementation of accessibility in training as well as the optimisation of the work process during the implementation were mentioned as essential success factors.

For this purpose, a strategic concept was developed and a transmedial image was created to support the attention and presence of digital accessibility in an overarching way. Several campaign posters were created to raise awareness of the issue, which were presented in analogue form as City Light Posters and used in digital media as Moving Posters. A website also serves as a source of information for the uninformed and as an information platform for actors who want to achieve an accessible implementation of their offers.

In today's society, digital access to information is increasingly offered and demanded. However, it is often the case that information is not equally accessible to all. The discussion about the topic on the one hand and the consistent implementation of accessible websites on the other hand promise relevant advantages, but are not yet widely supported, even though this information must be accessible to all people according to the German constitution. My bachelor thesis shows what the requirements for visually accessible user interfaces in web design are and which success factors can be derived from this for a visually accessible application. Interviews were conducted with eight experts from the field of digital accessibility.

ACCESSIBLE WEB INITIATIVE

The work analyzes the challenges and potential of digital history education in the context of historical-political educational work against the background of the increasing time gap to the Nazi era and the gradual demise of contemporary witnesses. The methodology includes on-site visits, a comparative content analysis of existing

remembrance projects, expert interviews and a survey of young people. As part of the project, a digital format was designed as an application example that deals with a contemporary approach to the topic of remembrance culture for young people between the ages of 14 and 19.

The project relies on digital strategies to make the history of National Socialism accessible to a young target group. Central to this is an interactive application that conveys historical content in an emotional and participatory way, thus enabling a new, accessible form of history education. 

The combination of contemporary media formats, interactive elements and personalized functions creates sustainable access to the culture of remembrance of National Socialism for young people.

The application presents itself as a medium that invites users to engage with the stories behind the victims of National Socialism and the connections between them. The mobile app and the accompanying website enable the local recording of individual fates and historical sites from the Nazi era and deliberately rely on the principle of serendipity, the phenomenon of discovering something significant without having consciously searched for it. It is also possible to follow the connections regardless of location and across cities. An interactive map shows historical and modern city layouts in order to visualize changes and trace the connections of the people involved.

The stories are narrated using short videos tailored to the target group. The website uses a scroll-based 3D effect, while the app relies on a familiar story format. Historical photographs are supplemented by illustrations in a graphic story style or placed in the respective historical context of the person at the time. The stories are specifically linked to current topics that concern young people today in order to create low-threshold access.

The 'memory box' is the personal area of the application where users can save their discoveries and progress. People, places and topics can be saved in this area so that they can continue at the relevant point at a later date. For fully explored stories, mementos are provided in the form of items that can be associated with the corresponding story. Memorabilia in unfinished stories remain grayed out to encourage users to continue exploring. Another central element is the integrated 'Archiv Lab', which was developed in cooperation with the Arolsen Archives. It not only offers the opportunity to search for specific people and view authentic documents, but also facilitates the reading of historical documents with AI-supported text recognition. 

In addition, users can submit new information about people and places, which will be checked by the Arolsen Archives according to the two-source principle and integrated into the existing network. In this way, a collaborative archive is created that continuously uncovers new connections and expands historical knowledge. With this combination of interactive formats, participatory elements and scientifically based content, 'Hi:Stories' enables a modern approach to the culture of Nazi remembrance - an approach that makes the past tangible and at the same time encourages critical thinking about the present and future.

The strategy is based on a targeted social media campaign to reach the target group in the social media where they are active on a daily basis. A strong and reputable brand presence on social media serves to arouse curiosity and, by linking the story to current topics or exciting details, to draw interest to the fact that there are new perspectives to discover.

Instagram Carousel Ads link well-known personalities from the Nazi era with current topics and thus enable low-threshold access. TikTok and Instagram reels use short videos with dynamic voiceovers to link historical topics with current issues and arouse users' curiosity.

How can the Nazi era be communicated to young people aged 14 to 19 in an accessible and sustainable way?

The master's thesis 'Hi:Stories' examines creative and didactic strategies for the development of a contemporary culture of remembrance in German-speaking countries. The focus is on examining the extent to which digital and hybrid formats can be used to address young people in their everyday lives, raise their historical awareness and strengthen democratic values. The central element of the work is the conceptualization of a digital application that acts as a didactic tool to help young people better understand the Nazi era through the personal narratives of Nazi victims and their connections to each other. In addition, the presentation of continuities with current issues illustrates the relevance of remembrance. The combination of theoretical foundation and practical implementation enables a contribution to the further development of the culture of remembrance in a digital age.

HI:STORIES – NEXT DOOR

Adrian Jans & Sarah Müller

Against this background, the idea of a digital human was born: A virtual copy of an individual, created from data collected by various algorithms. This copy contains all character traits and the most personal data, often including data that the individual is not even aware of. The aim of this project is to raise awareness of data collection and use and to encourage a more careful approach to digital services. 

The digital person serves as a reflection of one's own digital identity and as a reminder to critically scrutinize one's own data traces. »TRAZES«, a multi-layered educational campaign, encourages reflection and rethinking and shows where unconscious actions with personal data can lead in the future. The assessments of the effects of our digital behavior are based on a laboratory experiment. The following research question was investigated:

What influence do different usage activities and personal data have on the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret the identity of users?

In a scientific experiment, the Instagram reel feed was analyzed in a controlled laboratory environment. In this environment, various factors could be tested and manipulated in order to better understand how the Instagram algorithm works. By setting certain conditions, such as interacting with certain content and posting certain posts, it was possible to observe how the algorithm reacts and what impact this has on the reel feed displayed. The results of the experiment with three different behavioral patterns, normal user, influencer and robot, show that users can significantly influence the Instagram  

reel feed through their individual behavior. In particular, interaction with certain content leads to the algorithm presenting more content on a specific topic in the user's feed. These observations confirm that not only the Instagram algorithm, but probably also other similar algorithms, are able to develop a kind of “digital personality” of users. The algorithms continuously learn from user behaviour and adapt the feed accordingly to provide a personalized and relevant user experience.

»TRAZES« has a targeted presence where people leave their digital footprints and companies exploit them. The content is brought to the target group via three contact points: a series of posters, a competition and social media. All of these lead to an educational 

Here, the three areas of shocking - educating - pointing out and dystopian elements are played with. Users are made aware of how quickly they are willing to disclose personal data and which data is beyond their control.

Intelligent technologies promise progress, simplification of everyday life and entertainment. Especially in the recent past, tools such as ChatGPT have ensured that artificial intelligence has reached all levels of society and raised awareness of the innovative power of such technologies. However, the complexity and effectiveness of the use of artificial intelligence are opaque and cannot be estimated. In particular, the processing of personal data by artificial intelligence raises questions.

How do technologies of this kind work? What impact do they have on the individual? And above all, what risks do they pose?

TRAZES

Adrian Jans, Marie Köhle, Noah Kirschgens

Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels

2035: The transformation of reading culture and the book industry landscape

In Germany, one of the world's leading markets for books, the book industry is facing significant change. Advancing digitalisation, changing reading habits and the urgent need for sustainable business models are shaping the current appearance of the industry. In this project of the Strategic Design programme at the HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd students

use design to investigate various possible, probable and desirable futures for reading culture and the book industry. In doing so, they integrate user-centred design methods with futurology techniques. The projects were realised in cooperation with the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (BöV).

As part of the project, an intelligent reading pen was developed that actively involves children in the reading process and supports them through multilingual dialogue-based reading aloud. The central question posed by the project was as follows: "How can reading culture be transformed and

revolutionised for the year 2035 through interactive technologies?". The methods of 'Design Futuring' made it possible to develop an innovative future scenario that takes future developments and their impact on the book industry into account.

The »talebuddy« is the centrepiece of the »tale« brand. It brings the analogue and digital worlds together. It is equipped with a wide-angle camera with infrared light sensor, a vibration motor, microphone, loudspeaker, a powerful processor, gyro sensor, an LED ring, an NFC chip and a button for repeating what has been said. This enables the »talebuddy« to read aloud in multiple languages and in dialogue.

Always present and playful: »talebuns« are attachments with a built-in NFC chip that can be purchased in addition to the »talebuddy«. In combination with the »talebuddy«, they allow you to experience the stories with the voice of the respective character.

Energetic and loud: In combination with the »talebuddy«, the »talebrick«

enables the auditory reception of stories as an audio book and also functions as a charging station for the »talebuddy«.

To use it, all you have to do is hold it over a specific book. The »talebuddy« recognises the book and starts reading aloud immediately. It uses either the voice of a »talebun« or a self-generated voice and asks interactive questions to promote understanding of the text. The »talebuddy« has built-in speakers so that the audio output is clear and distinct.

A companion app allows parents to track their child's progress, download new voices and customise settings such as language and volume. The ergonomic design ensures that the »talebuddy« sits comfortably in little hands and makes reading aloud an exciting and interactive experience. The final result was captured in a 

Imagine that in 2035, pre-school children will have access to a personal reading assistant who will accompany them every day as they discover stories. How will this affect children's learning to read and language development? The »talebuddy« project is researching the transformation of reading culture in 2035 and the integration of state-of-the-art technologies to promote reading skills in children.

TALEBUDDY

Adrian Jans

The application simplydo addresses this problem by making it as easy as possible to donate to charities, while at the same time acting as a guide. For these reasons, the application consists of three rudimentary areas. In the 'discover' section, charities are presented in a curative way and all participating organisations are listed with their respective services. In addition, users can receive updates on events around the world that are relevant to donations, and they can favour their favourite organisations.

In the 'donate' section, after answering relevant questions about the intended purpose of the donation, the user is presented with suggested charities that may be suitable for a potential donation based on their answers. If a suitable donation is found, it can be added to the 'donation bag' and the donation can be made digitally in the application. Simplydo is inspired by the study project 

With more than 600,000 charities in Germany alone, it is not surprising that many people can feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right charity to donate to. Especially people who are willing to donate, but feel lost in the "donation jungle", would benefit from the possibility to donate small or large amounts to charities from time to time, depending on the desired charitable purpose, without having to invest a lot of time in their everyday lives. It can be seen that the willingness to donate in Germany has risen steadily in recent years, with the greatest willingness to donate among the over-70s. At the same time, it is clear that potential donors want more transparency from charities and often lack an overview of charitable projects.

SIMPLYDO

Long-term goal: "The reduction of food waste in home food production"

As part of the design sprint, Interviews with potential users were used to identify key aspects of the product, and "how might we"-questions were used to define the application's purpose. This was followed by market research and visualisation of ideas to develop a storyboard for the prototype. User testing allowed the ideas to be tested and the findings used to develop the final prototype.

Growceries helps private individuals to efficiently and confidently share and find home-grown food (in case of surplus) with friends, other people or aid organisations free of charge. A sophisticated map function that shows available food in the vicinity, a rating system to ensure hygienic products, a community function to exchange with each other and the integrated chat function to request and pick up food are instrumental in fulfilling the long-term goal.

In developing the prototype, the main aim was to focus on a community-friendly design that would incorporate playful elements to give a sense of lightness, but also focus on the essentials of reducing food waste. The creation of own food illustrations should help to achieve this friendly appearance. The final result was captured in a 

A design sprint resulted in the prototype of the Growceries application, a platform for the easy exchange of home-grown food with the aim of making a small contribution to reducing food waste. In June 2022, the EU Commission was notified of 10.9 million tonnes of food waste along the entire food supply chain in Germany in 2020 (

). The majority of food waste, 59% (6.5 million tonnes), is generated in private households. According to the report, each consumer throws away about 78 kilograms of food per year (

GROWCERIES

I AM A DESIGNER BASED IN STUTTGART, GERMANY. I RECENTLY FINISHED MY STRATEGIC DESIGN M.A. @ HFG SCHWÄBISCH GMÜND AND I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AROUND FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

Oh hi, it’s me: Marc!
Do you wanna know more about me?

stamp it

THIS WILL BE A SPACE WHERE I COLLECT ALL KIND OF EXPERIMENTAL AND CREATIVE WORK THAT I HAVE CREATED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT FIRST I NEED A STRONG CUP OF ESPRESSO UNTIL YOU CAN SEE SOMETHING HERE. CHECK BACK SOON!

Recent Work

2022 – 2025

HI:STORIES – NEXT DOOR

TALEBUDDY

ACCESSIBLE WEB INITIATIVE

SIMPLYDO

You like what you see? Let's talk:

Selected Work

2021 - 2025

Oh hi, it’s me: Marc!
Do you wanna know more about me?

A collection of things

Stamp

Call me, beep me, if you
wanna reach me.

Recent Work

2022 – 2025

HI:STORIES – NEXT DOOR

TALEBUDDY

ACCESSIBLE WEB INITIATIVE

SIMPLYDO

You like what you see? Let's talk:

Selected Work

2021 - 2025

Oh hi, it’s me: Marc!Do you wanna know more about me?

A collection of things

Stamp

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me.

Oh hi, it’s me: Marc!
Do you wanna know more about me?

Call me, beep me, if you
wanna reach me.