World model
World Model: Rethinking collective mobility – in a playful, collaborative way, making it visible
A study project by: Lilith Wirsing
3rd semester, 2025
Lecturers: Martin Haas, Sebastian Haase, Tanja Hakl, Andrea Krajewski, Romina Marsico, Tsune Tanaka, Tomas Zebis
The topic
How is interaction currently perceived? How will travelling change in the future? How much scope for interaction will remain in the mobility of the future? What can we envisage, and what is desired?
I have been exploring these questions this semester. In doing so, I have found that interactions which are not strictly necessary for the journey itself are viewed negatively. When we are travelling with others, such interactions seem to disturb us more than they benefit us.
And when you ask most people about their ideas for the future of mobility, the answers come as no surprise. Few ideas are truly new, and many are simply ‘Car 2.0’. Why haven’t our visions really evolved beyond the widespread idealisation of the car?
As a result, whatever is simpler or cheaper will prevail, and the systems we have long since established will seem the most sensible option, rather than rethinking mobility.
But we need new approaches – for climate change and for our own sake. People could do with more interaction. Because the more people you know from different places and cultures, the less likely it is that division and hatred can be fuelled by such criteria. The potential of design is clearly evident here. Because design is what enables people to choose the more fulfilling option rather than the simple or the cheapest.
That is why, this semester, I want to create a framework for discussing mobility design and dreams. To understand others’ perspectives and derive our own visions of the future. For futures in which we want to live.
The idea
Weltmodell is my approach to reaching people and encouraging them to rethink, reinterpret and reshape the future of mobility.
To this end, Weltmodell operates on various levels:
1) a series of facilitated workshops that bring people together and enable them to collaboratively develop new mobility paradigms, and 2) a digital tool that facilitates this process regardless of location, visualises visions of future vehicles and makes them accessible as a collection.
For this semester, I have therefore chosen the Futurium, the House of Futures in Berlin, as my conceptual project partner and have established the framework for this project through feedback sessions aimed at providing expert context and validating the project’s premise. You can also gain an insight into the work of the Futurium via its YouTube channel.
1) Workshop: ‘Collective Mobility: Ride Along, Help Shape the Future’
In the workshop, participants are guided step by step from existing transport models towards their own visions of the future tailored to their group – the focus here is on group discussion, understanding different perspectives and, as a result, developing a shared vision. The resulting visualisations of future modes of transport serve as mementos for participants and as inspiration for anyone interested.
2) Digital tool (world model) + collection
The tool complements the workshop regardless of location: users build their vehicle model online, add tags and information, save intermediate steps and share designs – in this way, a collection grows that can incorporate perspectives ‘from all over the world’.
What makes this approach special is that it supports this shift in perspective digitally as well – in the concept, for example, through (fictional) co-creators who are intended to bring unfamiliar viewpoints into the design process.
Testing the Experience
Initially, to talk face-to-face about mobility, interaction and the future, and later, to see whether this is really the best way to convey and spread food for thought.
To this end, I:
- conducted a focus group interview with public transport users to gain an understanding of their needs
- conducted usability tests with clickable dummy prototypes, moderated these sessions and analysed the results via audio and video
This led to the development of the latest version of Weltmodell, as shown on the left. It features a different design language and tutorial videos instead of walkthrough pop-ups, but the functions and content have largely remained the same.
Implementation
The design and conceptual development of the website and the tool were carried out in Figma in the form of wireframes and an interactive click-through mock-up. In addition, a basic version of the website was prototyped. Alongside fundamental requirements such as ease of discovery and self-explanatory design, the focus for the tool’s user experience is particularly on active use and trying out its functions. I therefore created a tutorial video to clearly demonstrate how the tool works and its interaction flows. This focuses on usage scenarios and provides a clear, easy-to-follow impression of the tool. On the right, I’ve included a short excerpt to give an insight into the tool’s workflow and functions.
I’ve included links to the full tutorial video, my documentation and the click-through mock-up of the website in the download section below.