After defining the problem space, the project moved into a second research phase, focusing on archetypes, user journeys, and interviews with both experts and everyday users. From the user perspective, the central conflict emerged as a polarization between those who fear or reject digitalization and those who primarily seek greater ease and efficiency in their administrative experience.
In the third phase, following the parallel product development towards decentralised service locations that ran throughout the entire project, the Service Cube was developed in detail. The Cube evolved from an analytical status interface to a hybrid management location where digital and analogue services are brought together. Building on expanded archetypes, the focus was on accessibility, trust and transparency, implemented through auditory interfaces, holographic visualisations, haptic guidance systems and analogue service offerings. The architectural design is based on the principles of Shigeru Ban and uses transparency as a central symbolic element. In addition, speculative extensions were formulated, for example regarding the mobility of the Cubes, their integration into existing infrastructures such as the S-Bahn system, and the possible future decoupling of service interfaces from fixed locations. The cube alslo illustrates possible conflicts of privacy, that may still arise even though transparency is addressed, opening up a problem space within a solution.
The supplementary website is based on Berlin.de, is getting a UX and UI update, and also focuses on education, information and trust, particularly with regard to the S-Cube, its locations and interaction.
