Building Individuals

Abstract

Our world is going through several transitions at the time of writing. One of them is the digital transition. The digital transition changes the way we interact with each other, it gives us new ways to learn, new ways to work. It changes how society functions on a global scale. The digital transition makes people more individualised. It means lack of consensus and uncertainty. This will inevitably also change the role of the urban designer and architect. How we can design for such an individualised ever-changing society? This thesis explores how the digital transition affects both the design process and the design itself. Approaching the changes brought forth by the digital transition from the perspective of the individual. It uses storytelling to give shape to individuals that all have very different needs, but are able to design together through the use of pattern language. It shows how co-design must play a much larger role within our design process. As for the design itself, it breaks the notion of having an end product as design. Design becomes a perpetual cycle that gets adapted by its different individual users over time. Within this cycle, the urban designer, or architect, has the role of mediator, a person who is able to bring forth creative solutions and someone who speculates on future changes that might occur in the design.