MUNICH CREATIVE BUSINESS WEEK
Inspiring empathy through contextual research
Date: May 13, 2025 • 6:00 - 10:00 pm CET
Location: Bayerstraße 85, 80335 Munich
Agenda:
• 6:00 pm: Networking & drinks
• 7:00 pm: Keynote presentation
• 7:45 pm: Q&A
• 8:00 – 10:00 pm: Evening social
What if the key to better design isn’t more ideas – but deeper understanding? Discover how contextual research fuels empathy and inspires more meaningful, inclusive, and human-centered design.
In a world of increasing automation, AI and abstraction, we believe it’s more important than ever to keep people at the heart of design. Contextual research helps us do just that. As systems become more complex and digital products more integrated into our daily lives, there is a growing need to step away from assumptions and data-driven generalizations. Instead, we must turn to empathy as the foundation of impactful, human-centered innovation.
Culture, language, infrastructure, and expectations vary widely, and yet many organizations still fall into the trap of creating for the "average user." Contextual research goes beyond the user survey or usability test. It involves immersing oneself in the everyday lives, routines, and environments of the people we design for.
Speakers
Jana has a background in Sinology, Sociology and qualitative research methodology and landed in the design world by accident. Since then, she has made her way through the world of design and global consulting both in Germany and China, expanding her knowledge and experience in design research and strategy. Jana is passionate about people, understanding contexts, and reading between the lines - all to create frameworks that enable clients to make better and more sustainable decisions in their innovation and product development processes.
A seasoned creative leader, researcher, and educator, Rudolf brings over two decades of experience in the creative industry. His human-centered design approach drives him to lead interdisciplinary teams that merge quantitative and qualitative data, shaping not only tangible design decisions, but also impact product strategy and drive significant organizational change.
Join Rudolf and Jana for a conversation on how contextual research drives empathy. Drawing on practical examples and insights from our everyday work and past projects, we will dive into questions such as:
- AI in research: Identifying effective and ineffective use cases.
- Embracing complexity and context in research: Preventing poor decisions through comprehensive understanding.
- Integrating empathy into design: How to make the most out of personas
We’re excited to welcome you at Star Space Munich. See you at MCBW 2025!
