Media Lab Bayern Visit

Visiting the Media Lab Bayern felt like entering a space of creativity, where workshops flourish to create and innovate new products and concepts. The space had a healthy and refreshing atmosphere – a communal kitchen where innovators could hydrate and refuel, common spaces to decompress or socialize with others like-minded, and several whiteboards throughout the building, some asking for feedback on presentations, or offering some events and advice. Despite feeling like a relaxed space, there was a strong sense of purpose and desire throughout.

Media Lab Bayern is a place where people experiment with the possibilities of Media in Munich. The Media Lab Bayern facilitates the space and funding to experiment with new ideas that are not found in traditional media systems. These new formats and business models are given a platform to evolve and see their potential to grow and be used in the real world. This hub for innovation supports developers, media founders and journalists experimenting with new ways of providing and distributing information. This business model encourages diversity for the German media landscape, a space for growth and innovation. 

The proposed design thinking formula functions in 4 steps – all of which we had to use in our design proposal. Groups were divided to create a podcast appealing to people in our generation. We had a timekeeper, which I felt was maybe not completely accurate to the time slots that these companies were given, mainly because we had limitations with our field trip. It was very fast-paced and a bit difficult, but all groups managed to come up with unique ideas that all seemed interesting. 

Personally, I have never been in an institution such as Media Lab Bayern. I did not have expectations going into the field trip, and was quite surprised with what it had to offer, along with the structure of the company. I am not familiar with the startup process of companies, which obviously every company experiences, so it was really eye-opening to see an environment that is supportive and is a growing space for these organizations. After learning a bit through the presentation from our “tour guide/mentor”, I was expecting a tour through the space to feel very busy and high-energy, but strolling through the floor, it was calm and a lot quieter than I was anticipating. It was cool to see the design of the building relative to the functionality of all these different areas, how there are such different spaces for all types of brainstorming, evaluating, thinking and sharing. Fostering a safe space for growth and innovation is increasingly crucial with the rise of startups, and Media Lab Bayern seems to be the best place to go.