1. Initial Exercises

In the initial research phase, we engaged in a series of exploratory exercises to uncover diverse themes of loss. Activities like mind mapping and reflective prompts such as „The day I lost...“ helped us connect personal experiences with broader cultural and emotional narratives. These exercises laid the foundation for deeper inquiry, guiding us toward individual interpretations and design directions.

2. Themes and Groups Formation

As we moved into theme exploration, we shared insights and identified common interests, leading to the formation of teams. Our group of five chose to focus on the theme “Vanishing Acts in the City,” exploring urban loss through disappearing spaces, fading memories, and overlooked narratives. 

To quickly translate our concept into form, we were challenged to build a physical prototype on the spot, using simple materials to represent our initial interpretation of urban loss. This hands-on exercise helped us clarify our direction and set the stage for deeper exploration.

3. Concept Exploration

As a group, we dove deeper into the topic of urban loss by brainstorming a wide range of ideas and potential approaches. We explored different methodologies -from mapping and field research to speculative design- generating dozens of concepts that reflected various aspects of disappearance in the urban landscape. 

To stay organized and efficient, we held regular meetings, divided tasks based on individual strengths, and used democratic voting to make collective decisions. This collaborative workflow allowed us to stay aligned while encouraging diverse input and creative experimentation.

4. Investigating Solutions

To bring our concept of celebrating urban loss to life, we chose projection mapping and gamification as key tools for engagement and storytelling. Centering our project on the city of Dessau, we conducted thorough research, including surveys with locals and investigations in the city archive, to uncover stories of lost buildings and urban transformations.

Throughout the process, we explored various technologies and implementation methods, testing different formats and interactions. This iterative approach led us to our final outcome: a mixed-media game that blends physical objects with digital experiences, inviting users to rediscover and reflect on what has vanished from the city’s landscape.

5. Execution and Implementation

In the development phase, we focused on five forgotten places in Dessau, each chosen for its historical significance and relevance to different age groups. 

We conducted in-depth research into the history of each site to ensure our representations were as accurate and meaningful as possible. From there, we began shaping the structure of the game, guided by three core pillars: relevance, knowledge, and interactivity. 

Our goal was to create a social experiment that builds emotional connections between people and place, a metaphorical act of collective rebuilding that invites players to uncover hidden layers of their environment.

We decided to call it „DESSCOVER“ a wordplay combining Dessau+Discover.

Branding:

We designed the game to be accessible across generations, simple and engaging for children, yet thought-provoking and challenging for adults. Simultaneously, we began developing the brand identity, aiming for a tone that felt youthful and uplifting. 

Rather than mourning what was lost, we wanted to celebrate it. After several iterations, we landed on a block-style visual language, symbolizing the act of reconstruction through playful building blocks. 

It consisted of many elements including maps, stickers, cubes, wayfinding, posters, presentations and more

Projection Setup and Blocks Making:

To bridge the digital and physical, we envisioned a live projection of the city map paired with tangible wooden blocks players could physically assemble. We rigorously tested different setups and crafted the blocks ourselves in the wood workshop. 

Initially considering stickers for the surface design, we ultimately decided to paint each block by hand using brand-specific colors, adding a more crafted and polished finish. By the end, all the elements came together, ready for the final experience.

6. Final Project: DESSCOVER

The final project „DESSCOVER“ took the form of an interactive game, showcased at Dessau Design Show 2025, where it received enthusiastic feedback from the public. 

At its core was a ceiling-mounted projection displaying an animated map of Dessau, precisely aligned with a custom-table. The map featured voids representing lost or forgotten buildings, spaces that players were challenged to reconstruct using colored blocks. Each void came with animated facts that appeared periodically, offering hints and historical context to guide the players.

Here are the places in we focused:
- Andes Halle
- Beatclub
- Kristallpalast
- Crematorium
- Zentral Theater

The physical components included carefully crafted wooden blocks, each painted by hand to reflect the project’s vibrant brand. Every block featured a piece of a building’s facade, a glimpse of the interior, and a fragment of a sentence. When correctly assembled, the blocks formed a small-scale version of the original building, visually and conceptually bringing it back to life. Posters of each building and a set of game instructions accompanied the setup to help orient users.

Gameplay:

The game could be played solo, collaboratively, or competitively. The players begin by rolling a dice to select a building based on its assigned color. Using the corresponding blocks, they attempt to reassemble the building like a puzzle. As they play, informative pop-ups appear on the projected map to help them learn more and find the correct structure. Once the building was assembled, a question appeared, prompting players to reflect on what they learned. The first to complete and correctly answer wins the round.

Extended Documentation

You can read more detailed documentation of the entire process in this PDF file. Thank you for your interest.

7. Final Words

The success of the project motivated us to spark conversations with the city municipality about its potential as a permanent or touring installation. Looking ahead, we plan to expand its interactivity by incorporating NFC tags, enabling user-generated content to be added to the map. The overarching goal is to create an experience of collective learning and storytelling, making urban history relatable, playful, and engaging for people of all ages, locals and visitors alike.

We would like to thank Katrin Middel and Prof. Uwe Gellert for delivering a truly remarkable studio experience where we approached design from a very interesting angle that changed and evolved our perception forever.