ICEBREAKER: From First Arrival to First Connection

ICEBREAKER is a system that helps first-time visitors understand how Losæter works, find their way through the space, and take their first step into the community. It reduces the social and informational barriers that can make participation difficult for newcomers.

Losæter is an urban farming park and community space where different people, activities, and forms of knowledge come together and collaborate. During an initial observation of the place, however, it emerged that, for someone visiting for the first time, entering this system is not always straightforward. The activities are there and people are actively involved, but it is not always clear what newcomers can do, where to start, or who they can approach. This can create an initial moment of uncertainty, especially for more shy people, who may prefer to observe without feeling confident enough to take the first step.

The project direction therefore starts from the need to make the first experience at Losæter more accessible and inclusive, facilitating the transition from observation to participation. It focuses on the possibility of using design as a mediator between first-time visitors and the existing community, making opportunities for participation more visible and helping people understand the space, activities, and people around them. The aim is not to change the nature of the community or create new ways of socialising, but to explore how the existing system can be supported through design interventions that reduce the informational and social barriers that can make taking the first step difficult.

I am a Systemic Design student at Politecnico di Torino with a background in Product Design at University of Bologna. My education has led me to develop a design approach that focuses on the relationships between people, objects, spaces, and contexts, while maintaining a strong focus on design and on transforming ideas into concrete solutions. In the Losæter project, I sought to understand the context by engaging directly with the system, observing the park, talking to volunteers, and also interacting with people who had never visited the place before. This allowed me to observe the system from different perspectives and understand how the same situation can be experienced in different ways. My background as a Product Designer was particularly useful during the design phase, helping me translate the insights gathered through the research into concrete interventions and consider how these could fit within the existing system.

Throughout my studies, I have become interested in how design can address complex systems, moving beyond the design of individual products or services. My experience in Oslo has been an opportunity to explore this field through a perspective different from the one I am developing at Politecnico di Torino. I was interested in understanding how System Oriented Design is interpreted and applied here, and what points of connection it has with the Systemic Design approach I am studying.

The Losæter project became a concrete opportunity to experiment with this comparison while addressing the first experience of newcomers in the park. The initial experience can feel chaotic or overwhelming, particularly for shy people who may find it difficult to approach strangers, while clearer information can also help more outgoing visitors navigate the park and find activities. The goal is to make newcomers feel more comfortable, connected to the community, and encouraged to return.

The gigamap emerged from an initial period of direct exploration of Losæter, with the aim of understanding how the park works, its dynamics, and how people interact within it. Through exploring the spaces and engaging directly with volunteers, it was possible to observe how people move through the park, how the different activities are organised, and how interactions between people take place. Interviews with volunteers made it possible to gradually enter the Losæter community and gain a better understanding of both the dynamics of the different areas of the park and the more organisational aspects that allow it to function.

To further explore the perspective of those arriving for the first time, people who were unfamiliar with Losæter were also involved. Their ways of exploring and interpreting the park helped identify the aspects most relevant to the project and compare the community’s internal perspective with that of someone encountering this system for the first time. Observing these different perspectives made it possible to identify points where the system could be made more accessible and understandable for newcomers. These leverage points became the starting point for the development of the gigamap, which connects the actors, spaces, activities, and dynamics that characterise Losæter.

The right side of the map provides an overview of the Losæter system, showing its main actors, spaces, activities, and the different elements that contribute to the life of the park. It highlights the relationships between people, places, knowledge, activities, and resources, showing how participation, collaboration, information, skills, and responsibility circulate within the system. The left side focuses instead on the experience of newcomers during their first encounter with Losæter. Their journey is represented through different stages, from arriving and observing the park to trying to understand how it works and eventually reaching a moment of hesitation.

Within this journey, the main points of interest identified during the research are highlighted. These focus particularly on the difficulty of accessing information and understanding how to participate, as well as the uncertainty around approaching people who are already involved in activities. These observations led to the identification of a “first moment of hesitation”, where interest does not automatically become participation. From these points of interest, a series of design questions emerged, focusing on how to make Losæter easier to enter, make participation opportunities more visible, and help newcomers move from interest to participation. These questions became the starting point for the development of the interventions presented in the next map.

The desirable future envisioned through the ICEBREAKER project, represented on the left side of the map, is illustrated through the ideal journey of a newcomer during their first experience at Losæter. The journey begins with arriving and observing the space, and gradually guides the person towards a better understanding of what they can do, which activities are available, and who they can approach. This is supported by physical and non-physical touchpoints distributed throughout the park, acting as mediators between newcomers and Losæter.

The newcomer can then choose how they want to participate, start an activity independently, or approach someone when they feel ready. In this way, the experience moves from initial uncertainty towards participation and connection with the community. The final goal is to make newcomers feel more comfortable and welcome, increasing the likelihood that they will return and become part of the Losæter community.

The right side of the map shows the interventions designed to make this journey possible. The system mainly relies on information, spatial cues, and visible human connections.

The “Initial Board” provides an overview of the park, its activities, and the different ways to participate. It is placed at the park’s access points, helping newcomers understand the space from the moment they arrive. The smaller “Activity Boards”, located next to the activities, provide more specific instructions and information. These are placed by core volunteers according to the needs of each period. A colour-coding system connects activities, routes, and people. The colour-coded routes help newcomers navigate the space and remain consistent over time, allowing returning visitors to rely on the same system for orientation. The colour-coded T-shirts make people associated with different activities easier to recognise, showing who is working on which activity and whether they are available to be approached and asked questions. The “First Action Point” allows newcomers to complete a simple task independently, without necessarily having to ask for help. It also provides tips and guidance on how to interact and behave within the park, helping to make social interactions feel more natural. The “Return Point” provides a recognisable place where newcomers can return, reorient themselves, and decide what to do next. During events, it also acts as a welcoming point where people can find volunteers who can help them discover and understand the park. Finally, the “Leave a Trace / Pick up a Trace” system creates a space for exchanging experiences, advice, and messages within the community.

QR codes, icons, and indications of volunteer availability complete the system, making information more immediate and accessible. Together, these interventions make it clearer where to go for different activities and who can be approached without feeling that they are being disturbed, instead encouraging genuine and anxiety-free interactions. The project therefore does not aim to replace human connections, but to facilitate their creation.