Sharing Uncomfortable Stories: Co-Design, Artefacts and Care within Displacement

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

This doctoral project examines how displaced Ukrainians navigate life across different sociocultural contexts and how collective exploration reshapes their narratives about themselves, their host countries, and their homeland. The research centers on three key components: storytelling, artefacts, and co-creation workshops, offering a tangible approach to understanding lived experiences and shared reflections. It introduces the concept of “displaced epistemology”, knowledge shaped by the shifting social, political, and personal realities of migration. The project objectives are to: (1) provide a descriptive account of the migration experience, (2) explore the displaced epistemology of individuals undergoing displacement, and (3) contribute to design research by integrating participatory and socially engaged practices in migration contexts. Over the course of four years, fieldwork, workshops, and exhibitions will be conducted in Ukraine, Finland, and Germany. The project will generate insights for design research, migration studies, and social integration, positioning design as a mediating tool in understanding and supporting the experiences of displaced populations.