(1.1) Circular Youth Culture

In the Circular Youth Culture project, two classes from HTL Spengergasse transformed their school day into a workshop for sustainable design. In a half-day format led by design mediators from the Institute of Design Research Vienna (IDRV), students explored how our material culture can be shaped in socially and ecologically responsible ways.

The starting point was personal everyday objects brought in by the students themselves. Through discussions and creative methods, they reinterpreted these items as reflections of their identities, cultural backgrounds, and consumption habits. This emotional connection enabled a deep and often surprising exchange: Why do we hold on to certain things? What do they say about us? And how might they be designed differently in a future-oriented world?

In the second part of the workshop, the principles of circular economy—known as the “10Rs” such as Refuse, Reuse, and Repair or the Circular Design Rules—served as a framework for design thinking. The students developed ideas for extending the life of products and conserving resources, while discovering that design is much more than just aesthetics.

To conclude, the students captured their ideas in the form of prototypes documented through photography. The resulting visual collection sparked a broader dialogue about how creative ideas can lead to tangible impulses for responsible, future-oriented design.