Paula L. Schuster

Paula L. Schuster is a design researcher specializing in prototyping. She studied Communication in Social and Economic Contexts at the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK) and Product and Interface Design at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (FHP).
Since 2022, she has been pursuing her doctorate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, supervised by Prof. Dr. Claudia Mareis (HU Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Frank Heidmann (FHP). In her dissertation, she examines how prototyping is used in research projects, focusing on who or what participates in design processes and how social transformation is materialized through prototyping.
From 2018 to 2022, Paula worked at the Interaction Design Lab of FHP on projects addressing mental health and speculative futures. Since 2021, she has been part of the design promoviert team of the dgtf.
Articles in Edited Volumes
Schuster, P. L., Peukert, D. 2024. »Prototyping – eine Praxis der transdisziplinären Designforschung.« In Designforschung – Designwissenschaft - DesigntheorieDesignforschung und Designwissenschaft, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, 127-154.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-45253-7_7
Articles
Tost, J., Schuster, P. L., Heidmann, F. 2021. »Prototyping Inconvenience: A pedagogical experiment on designing for debate in design education.« Interaction Design and Architecture(s), (51): 81-110.
https://doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-051-004
Conference Proceedings
Brändle, R., Schuster, P. L. 2023. »The Phenomenon of Low-Fidelity Prototyping – An Overview Across Design Practices Making Deliberately Simpler Models.« Presented at DRS EKSIG, Milan, June 19th 2023.
Tost, J., Schuster, P. L., Heidmann, F. 2020. »"Stranger Things - Prototyping Inconvenience": A Case Study On Critical Design In Design Education.« Presented at ACM DIS2020 SpeculativeEdu Workshop.
Others
Flechtner, R., Dewitz L., Maué, R., Tost, J., Schuster, P.L., Ackermann, J., Heidmann F. 2023. Facing fears, facing opportunities: Lessons learned from a participatory design format with people affected by social anxiety. FH Potsdam.
https://doi.org/10.34678/opus4-3116
Exhibitions
Flechtner, R., Maué, R., Tost, J., Dewitz, L., Schuster, P.L., Heidmann, F., Ackermann, J. Digitalität und mentale Gesundheit. Exhibition. Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. Potsdam. 1 October 2021 - 31 October 2021.
Okoko, D., Langer, L., Dollinger, P., Gert, D., Tost, J., Schuster, P.L., Heidmann, F. Stadt der radikalen Öffentlichkeit. Exhibition. Makerspace Erlangen. 1 October 2021 - 31 October 2021.
Talks & Presentations
Brändle, R., Schuster, P. L. The Phenomenon of Low-Fidelity Prototyping – An Overview Across Design Practices Making Deliberately Simpler Models. Panel Presentation at the DRS EKSIG, Milan, Italy. 19 June 2023.
Schuster, P. L. Prototypes as Co-designers: A taxonomy of Prototyping. Panel Presentation at the dgtf – Material Trajectories. Designing with Care. Virtual. 7 May 2021.
Tost, J., Schuster, P. L. Stranger Things – Prototyping Inconvenience: A Case Study on Critical Design in Design Education. Panel Presentation at the ACM DIS2020 workshop. Virtual. 9 July 2020.
Schuster, P. L., Tost, J., Schikowitz, A., Woznica, M. PROTOTYP - Wie öffnen und schließen Prototypen mögliche Zukünfte? Talk at the Prototyping Futures – Perspektiven auf Prototyping: Wie wir Zukünfte entwerfen, Potsdam. 12 July 2019.
Events & Workshops
Schuster, P. L. Prototype your proposal. Dessau. 18 January 2025.
Wang, G., Kim, M., Schuster, P. L., Ackerschott, P. Traumland prototypen: Interkulturelles Zusammenleben auf dem Spielfeld erproben. Berlin. 24 May 2024.
Schuster, P. L., Zurwellen, J., Meienberg, S., Ibach, M., Dill, A. »design promoviert« – Semi-annual Colloquium. HS Anhalt, HSLU Luzern, HfG Offenbach and others. Hybrid. Since 4 January 2021.
Teaching & Courses
Schuster, P. L., Brändle, R., Dobler, J., Petruschat, J. Forschen durch Prototyping. Invited Critic, KHB Weißensee. Since 10 December 2024.
Schuster, P. L. Introduction to Product Design. Practical course, Tomorrow Unversity of Applied Sciences. 2 January 2024 - 20 December 2024.
Schuster, P. L. Sustainable Design for Behavior Change. Practical course, Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences. 2 January 2024 - 20 December 2024.
Schuster, P. L., Ackerschott, P. Angst vor Veränderung – Transformation prototypen. Practical course, Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. 2 October 2023 - 31 January 2024.
Schuster, P. L., Witt, T. Visuelle Ethnografie und Prototyping. Workshop, HAWK Hildesheim. Since 10 May 2023.
Tost, J, Schuster, P. L. Stranger Things – Prototyping Inconvenience. Practical course, Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. 1 April 2019 - 31 July 2019.
External Grants, Fellowships, Scholarships & Residencies
Schuster, P. L. 2023. Scholarship Elsa-Neumann-Stiftung. Elsa-Neumann-Stiftung Scholarship. 2023-2026.