This lab takes students on a digital round trip through the design thinking process, linking hands-on prototyping with paper, textiles, clay, and other materials to digital manufacturing methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and vinyl cutting. The lab offers a holistic view of design, from concept to production. Its layout ensures that even in an office environment, advanced machinery, including a high-powered laser cutter and a kiln for clay-printed models, can be used safely and efficiently by students.
Lab Persona
If DESY were a persona, they would be a creative, solution-oriented maker with a strong eye for detail and a curiosity for exploring unfamiliar fabrication processes. Whether experimenting with 3D printing on textiles or laser-cutting foldable structures, DESY is driven to address real-world challenges. The lab encourages hands-on exploration while sparking conversations and raising awareness around global and social topics through design.
Create with Technology
The lab is equipped with a range of tools that support both physical and digital fabrication, including 3D and resin printers for rapid prototyping, a laser cutter and vinyl cutter for precision cutting, and a sewing machine for working with textiles. Airbrushing equipment and post-processing tools allow students to refine finishes and details, supporting projects from early prototypes to presentation-ready models.
Project-based Learning
For example, a master’s student project could involve designing a concept for a shelter structure that addresses displacement challenges around the world. Students work in groups to create an initial shelter solution tailored to a specific country of their choice.
Meet the Expert
Meet Chiara, a LearnLab Expert and Lecturer at DESY. She is an industrial designer with a strong focus on computational origami and digital fabrication, and is passionate about exploring how design can address real-world challenges through hands-on experimentation and interdisciplinary approaches.
Chiara studied industrial design in Italy and South Africa, where she developed a strong interest in design for social innovation. She has worked for several years at the intersection of digital fabrication and interdisciplinary collaboration across Italy, South Africa, and Austria.
During her master’s studies, Chiara researched and prototyped a full-scale, origami-based shelter. This project was exhibited at the Ars Electronica Festival in 2023 as part of the Open Futurelab, highlighting the potential of computational design for adaptable and sustainable structures.
“It is not a failure if you learned something, it is a finding.”
