Community Thread: Designing Relational Infrastructure Between Exchange Students and Residents of Tallinn

Author:
Ansar Nurmakhambet
Supervisor:
Eva Liisa Kubinyi
University:
EKA

Study abroad exchange semesters are broadly associated with experiencing cross-cultural adaptation and expanding social networks during the stay. However, despite co-existing in one space, it is rarely possible for exchange students and local residents in Tallinn to form meaningful connections. This thesis investigates the structural conditions that produce this social siloing and proposes a relational service design intervention to address it. Following an interpretivist research paradigm and guided by a hybrid design process model, the qualitative research employs relational ethnography, semi-structured interviews, a co-creation workshop, spatial explorations, design probing, and speculative drawing as its primary methods. As a result, this project proposes a design artifact in the form of a handbook designed to accompany exchange students across the full duration of their semester in Tallinn.

Link to full thesis