WDR & MDR – Workshop and Visualization

Client: WDR Innovation Hub & MDR next

Year: 2023

Among many other divisions, public broadcasters such as WDR and MDR house bustling hives of innovation that are spearheading the evolution of media consumption. The WDR Innovation Hub and MDR next are driven by questions about the enigmatic future of journalism, while actively promoting digital transformation and fostering innovation. The two joined forces to envision the behavior of future media users and find a way to work creatively with existing data. It turned out that making tables, spreadsheets, facts and figures accessible and fun can be a challenge.

Here are the steps that lead to the Userverse 2035 Wimmelbild:

Workshop at the client's site in Berlin

The more complex a topic, the more critical the joint conceptual work – which is why we often recommend an initial workshop. And what could be more complex than the future? In the workshop, we structured and prioritized trends and identified thematic fields in media use. The insights gained were used to give the final image its basic structure – because an informative Wimmelbild is only disorganized at first glance.

Implementation

Starting with the basic structure, a grid of user groups, the image began to take shape. We developed different scenarios for how each group would use the media and ways to show how they were connected.

The wit and charm that make up our trademark helped the picture grow into an informative yet entertaining whole.

Products

The final product is actually a selection of three; the Wimmelbild was delivered as an online poster, a large print version, and a handy pocket map. As such, it adapts to its respective purpose, at times serving as a basis for workshops and at other times as a visual aid in advising the various ARD stations.