AI, climate crisis, social change: young people today are confronted with many challenges. A conversation with Julia Kostial, managing director of the Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum, about how design processes can empower young people and encourage them to engage with important issues such as sustainability and artificial intelligence.
Interview by Lara Lochmann
Photo: Christof Jakob
Julia, what topics and challenges are young designers currently facing, and how does the Stiftung Deutsches Designmuseum address these issues in its programmes?
Many young people initially have little idea of what design actually means. Their understanding is often limited to areas such as automotive or fashion design. The term ‘design’ has become quite diluted and is mostly associated with pure aesthetics. In our workshops, we promote a broader understanding: design as a process and method for solving problems. We show pupils how they can use design thinking to approach societal challenges in creative and constructive ways. It’s primarily about self-efficacy – taking small steps to initiate change, in line with an iterative process where mistakes are seen as valuable learning moments. Our aim is to show pupils that they can make a difference on a small scale, and that this can have a big impact.
Could you give some examples of projects that have personally inspired you and shaped your vision for the foundation?
One particularly popular workshop that has stood the test of time is ‘Zeichen setzen’, which helps students define their personal values and create symbols based on them. These symbols are then transferred to everyday objects before the students discuss their meaning in class. This workshop has a significant impact since it involves discussing one’s convictions and role within a group, such as the class community, as well as the creative realisation and a final presentation. It combines the design of one’s own value system with self-reflection, while conveying practical design principles such as reduction and symbolic power.
‘In our workshops, we promote a broader understanding: design as a process and method for solving problems.’
– Julia Kostial, Managing Director of the Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum
What role does the teaching of design skills play in school education, and how does the foundation support schools in establishing design as an interdisciplinary subject?
We see design as a cross-cutting discipline that can be applied in almost any subject – from ethics to mathematics to sustainability topics. We offer schools practical teaching concepts, known as guidelines, which are thoroughly prepared and ready for immediate use. We also conduct teacher training sessions and support school projects with professional designers. Our goal is to establish design not only as a subject in its own right but also as a methodological approach within school education.
How do the foundation’s workshops and programmes foster creativity and critical thinking among young people, especially in the context of current social challenges?
Our programmes encourage young people to engage with socially relevant topics and to develop their own perspectives. At the core lies the design process, which enables them to consider different viewpoints, develop creative solutions and present their ideas convincingly. Reflecting on personal values and presenting their own ideas play a central role – not only in fostering creativity but also in promoting democratic education and critical thinking.
Sustainability is also at the heart of many of your projects. How do you assess the effectiveness of design as a tool to influence behaviour towards greater sustainability?
Design provides the ideal entry point to make sustainability tangible and something that can be actively experienced. Our workshops result in concrete projects – from bee hotels to sharing stations – that demonstrate how much impact small actions can have.
We see many pupils who feel paralysed by the sheer scale of the issues facing our world today. Our workshops help them move from a sense of helplessness to taking action. Self-efficacy is the key – and design provides the toolbox. Take things into your own hands, switch on your brain, your hands, your heart – and just do it.
In what ways does the foundation incorporate artificial intelligence into its educational initiatives, and how does it introduce young people to the opportunities and challenges of AI in design?
Through the project ‘KInspiration’, which we developed together with the PwC Foundation, we teach young people a meaningful, creative way of engaging with AI. The focus is on the design thinking process, which is fully supported by AI tools – from research to prototyping using image-generating systems. Prompting plays a particularly important role: pupils learn how language influences the outcome and what challenges AI use presents – for instance, dealing with deep fakes. The goal is not only to encourage creativity but also to strengthen media literacy and critical thinking.
What potential do you see in bringing design competence directly into school curricula? How might this integration change school education in the long term?
Ideally, there would be a dedicated subject called ‘Design’ – but realistically, integrating design into existing subjects is more feasible and currently more effective. Our approach is curriculum-based: we build on topics already covered in the syllabus and offer concrete implementation formats. In the long term, we see great potential in incorporating design competence into teacher training, so that future teachers can use design as a methodological tool from the outset.
‘You can make a small change – and that can have a big impact.’
– Julia Kostial, Managing Director of the Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum
As part of World Design Capital 2026, you’ve launched the project ‘Design in Schools – Design macht Schule!’. How can this project specifically empower young people to actively shape their surroundings?
‘Design macht Schule’ is currently being developed in close cooperation with the Polytechnic Foundation, the World Design Capital project office and the Ministry of Education. The aim is to create a platform that brings together diverse school projects and embeds them sustainably. It’s not just about one-off impulses, but about long-term structures that enable young people to actively shape their environment – whether through urban walks, participatory school projects or creative interventions in public spaces.
About the Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum
The Stiftung Deutsches Design Museum was founded in 2011 by the German Design Council. It promotes design as a creative problem-solving method in schools. During workshops, pupils experience design as a practical, interdisciplinary process, not just an aesthetic concept. Working alongside professional designers, pupils develop their own solutions to real-world challenges on topics such as sustainability, values, artificial intelligence and branding. The aim is to teach design competence, foster creativity and empower young people to actively shape their world, whether it’s through an upcycling project, a values-based workshop or an AI-powered future scenario.
The foundation’s new newsletter provides information on training programmes for teachers, workshops for pupils, free handouts and insights into the foundation’s diverse work.
About the Author
Lara Lochmann is currently doing a traineeship at the ndion editorial office of the German Design Council. She previously worked for the ZDF children’s programme and regional print media. Her debut novel has been published under a pseudonym by Piper in 2019. She is interested in all aspects of design, media and culture.
Share on Social Media
