About the project
Shifting Perspectives is a design thesis to showcase a shift in climate communication. The website shows insights from a designer's perspective through different methods and artifacts, including observations, facilitations, creative writing, a reflective chatbot, and proposed shifts. Through the artifacts, the project seeks to translate interdisciplinary knowledge and to express a necessary shift from a reactive to a proactive, systemic approach to climate change mitigation and its communication.
Research approach
For the design and research thesis, a mixed-methods approach was used to identify possible solutions to the research question: “What strategies can policymakers use to communicate climate change mitigation measures to the public to better progress towards the net-zero goal 2045?”. As a foundation, an interdisciplinary approach was selected, moving across the fields of communication, political, and social sciences, as well as the design domain. To engage in interdisciplinary research as a designer, I had to take on multiple roles throughout the project. These consisted of observing and supporting a climate district by joining their meetings and events for over five months. Facilitating workshops with experts from the environmental field and experts on everyday life. Analyzing literature and case studies. Lastly, incorporating the classical design role into these spaces I interacted with through posters, presentations, workshop setup, and new artifacts such as the website and its content to start new interactions.
Background
The need to mitigate climate change in Germany is growing. This is putting increased pressure on policymakers. The societal transformation required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change is bringing about immense changes in everyday life in German society. Although there is a high level of awareness about climate change in German society, the behavioral changes prompted by these measures are meeting with significant resistance due, among other things, to conflicting values, norms, and attitudes toward the measures.
Refelction
Here will be the current perspecrtive displayed. As I realize that transformation takes time. It is shaped and disrupted by a tangled web of causes, the landslide, the constructions, the visitors diverting the paths, and farmers exploiting me. The effects reach further, and the influence of many different actors is often unseen. They seem to recognize me differently, and I need to communicate with them depending on the context. This is new to me, and I still have to find effective ways to do it. Still, changes seem to be addressed only to individuals, and the collective effort is missing. Could the wind that passes over the ridge, the blooming fields, and the beauty of the forest help me in different ways? These actors can be human or non-human. Each holds different powers in the web of change. Now I look back at what is happening and see the biggest challenge.