Unearthing Treasures

The approach to the thesis has been to connect strategy with a tactile, artistic execution of the design proposal. The project investigates how design can be of service to young adults who are experiencing challenges within the Danish educational system. 

Unearthing Treasures is an analogue toolkit which aims to support young adults’ sense of self-worth and clarity of their qualities and competences, thereby assisting them when navigating the complex system of institutional, cultural, and social arenas life consist of.

The development of the toolkit builds on primary empirical data from students at Den Forberedende Grunduddannelse (FGU), gathered through a 3-day workshop. During this workshop, the students shared their thoughts and feelings about their educational journey through creative interview exercises and helped develop visual inspiration for the project through co-creation.

The project further builds on theory and secondary empirical data from the book Breakdowns and Trust: How young adults without education become by Anne Görlich (2020) and the Centre for Youth Research (CEFU).

All young adults are in the process of developing their identity. This process occurs within a complex interaction between themselves and society, culture, institutions, and relationships (Görlich, 2020).

It has consequences for young adults if breakdowns, such as stagnation in school, social isolation, and performance pressure, become stuck in how they understand themselves, the world, and others. These processes can also be called subjectification processes and positions (Görlich, 2020).

Research Question: How might I develop a physical toolkit utilising visual rhetorics, aesthetic learning processes and play design, which can aid in improving young adults’ sense of self-worth to support them in forming positive subjectification processes and positions?