Paris 
Design
Workshop
Exchange

by OpenCity Projects

Photo: Félix Marye

OpenCity Projects participated in the Designing for Diversity exchange as part of an ongoing partnership with OCAD University (Toronto) and ENSCI-Les Ateliers (Paris). The for-credit workshop invited students from across design disciplines to explore diversity and inclusion in the suburbs of Paris.

Just outside of the city, students spent time on south L'Île-Saint-Denis which is undergoing major urban renewal as part of a state-sponsored program. They engaged with residents to learn from real people about the neighbourhood and their day-to-day living experience in a community that includes more than 80 nationalities. Through research and co-design sessions, students developed public space design concepts around music, play and nature—universal themes that connect people across cultures. They created prototypes to demonstrate and test their design solutions including a musical promenade with acoustic instruments, an interactive treasure island game app, an illustrated storybook about the island's natural beauty and a marketplace curated through community workshops.
 
As a featured speaker, OpenCity shared insights from our projects and Design for Diversity toolkit which was required reading for the course. We also joined a panel of experts to advise project teams on their design work.

Watch the video below for more details about the workshop.