INSIDEOUT

Reflection Board for Self-Awareness

INSIDEOUT is an analog, modular self-reflection tool that promotes self-awareness and social participation for people who experience fluctuating physical or emotional well-being. It translates invisible states such as pain, energy, or mental capacity into a tangible system that helps structure daily demands, prioritize needs, and make informed decisions. Developed in a year-long co-design process with an affected person as an equal partner, INSIDEOUT enables embodied, non-digital reflection and supports communication with others. Its intuitive, domestic integration makes reflection part of everyday life rather than a task.

JURY STATEMENT

This is a profound example of human-centered design. Rooted in a year of ethnographic field research, it captures the subtle emotional needs of the patient group. This project demonstrates that a low-cost, systematic approach can maximize social impact.

WINNER STATEMENT

This iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD validates our belief in design as a tool of empathy. 'INSIDEOUT' turns collaborative processes into social impact by making invisible experiences tangible. It encourages us to make complex personal perspectives accessible and understood.

UNIVERSITY

MSD – Münster School of Design

Münster, DE

DESIGN

Julius Mergen

MSD – Münster School of Design

Wiebke Warncke

MSD – Münster School of Design