Meet DigiHub Designer Marina Almanstötter

Name: Marina Almanstötter
Age: 26
Nationality: German
Study programme: MA Design for People (Communication Design)

What is your educational and/or professional background?
I did my bachelor’s in Industrial Design in Regensburg, a city in South Germany. After graduating and before coming to Designskolen Kolding, I worked in a communication design agency for about one and a half years.

What is your role in DigiHub?
I’m currently working on two projects at DigiHub — in both I work mainly in the field of UX and UI design, but I’ve also taken part in the user research done in the beginning of a project.

What can businesses gain from working with DigiHub?
DigiHub gives companies the opportunity to take part in a design process with the latest design and research methods and gain new perspectives from young emerging designers who are often not afraid to challenge conservative or conventional standards and processes.

What have you gained?
Apart from learning new software and improving ‘traditional’ design skills, as a DigiHub student assistant you also gain experience in all the areas that you might not have the opportunity to explore as an entry-level employee in a typical agency, including testing your ideas with users, working self-organised and on your own schedule, and presenting your work to the clients. Plus, it’s always exciting to see a project you’ve been a part of become a real product!

What has surprised you the most about working in DigiHub?
From previous jobs I was quite used to the situation that there was often no money and no time to invest in proper user research and testing. Therefore, I found it pleasantly surprising to see how much value DigiHub and our clients place on this essential part of the design process, and how much our ideas and the outcome are influenced by it. I also really appreciate how much responsibility we student assistants are given, be it in the decision-making process or in client meetings.

What are you particularly interested in or inspired by at the moment?
I’m always interested in how we as designers can contribute to tackling systemic injustices, and how we can help to shape a not only environmentally, but also a socially sustainable future.

What role do you think design and designers will play in the future?
I’m hoping that designers will use their potential to become an important agent and contributor in solving the major crises we’re facing, regarding our planet and our societies (instead of playing an active part in promoting consumerism or reinforcing injustices).

About DigiHub
DigiHub is a one-of-a-kind digital design venture run by Design School Kolding. It matches student assistants and senior designers with small and medium sized businesses to develop new digital services and products based on technological insight as well as design thinking, craftmanship and creativity. This involves understanding the needs of target users, co-creating and testing concepts, developing user-friendly digital products and service prototypes, and introducing products and services to new markets.