Gütersloh and the “Digital Trial City”

The design challenge in this project was as follows: "Develop innovative municipal educational programs on digital topics for people with little digital affinity in Gütersloh!”

The aim of this project was to develop a format that better meets the digital learning needs of people with little affinity for digital topics. The city administration of Gütersloh teamed up with the adult education center (VHS) and the HPI d-school for this purpose. Together, we examined how the existing offerings could be optimized and adapted to the actual needs of the people. To this end, five students from the HPI d-school worked on a solution for 16 weeks under the guidance of a design thinking coach.

“The task was to bring digitalization closer to citizens in a way that appeals to them and takes their individual needs into account,” explains Carsten Schlepphorst, Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, IT, Organization, and Human Resources for the City of Gütersloh. For the project team, this meant breaking down existing barriers and creating positive, low-threshold access points.

The concept developed, “Digital Trial City,” aims to meet citizens with little digital experience in a familiar environment. Instead of sending them to unfamiliar places with strangers, the educational program comes to them. “The concept envisages that the courses take place in familiar surroundings such as club rooms or community centers,” explains Henning Matthes, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Gütersloh, who is also responsible for family, youth, schools, social affairs, and sports.

The central element of the format is tutors who come to the familiar surroundings of the respective group with suitcases. The suitcases contain tablets, sensors, or simple applications for using digital services, tailored to the knowledge level and specific needs of the group. During the course, participants have the opportunity to discover the content in a playful way and overcome their fears of technology. A relaxed, open environment ensures that access to digital topics is a positive experience.

“For many people, their first encounter with digital technologies is a hurdle. By presenting the content in a playful setting, we took away their fear and ensured initial successes,” explains Dr. Dennis Köthemann, educational director at VHS Gütersloh.

The Design Thinking methodology enabled deeper insights into the needs of citizens to be gained during the course of the project. During the initial interviews and workshops, it quickly became clear that the success of the project depended largely on how accessible and comprehensible the offerings were. The emotional component plays a particularly important role for people who find technology challenging. The HPI d-school students found that patience and understanding are crucial factors for learning success.
In addition, the following key findings emerged for project development:

1. Participants need emotional support and confirmation of their progress to stay motivated.
2. Simple, clear instructions alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed by complex technical terms.
3. Trying something out immediately is the strongest motivator and leads to genuine interest.
4. The events should take place in a familiar environment to reduce additional inhibitions.

Implementing the “Digital Trial City” format requires careful logistical planning. The suitcases contain all the materials needed to teach digital topics in a playful way on site. This gives participants the opportunity to try out the devices and familiarize themselves with the content at their own pace. During the courses, learning progress is documented and participant feedback is used to continuously improve the materials and course content.
"What makes this approach special is that we introduce participants to digital topics step by step without overwhelming them. The mobile cases are a kind of toolbox that allows us to flexibly adapt the offerings to the respective needs,“ says Köthemann, describing the concept.

With 433 participants to date, the “Digital Trial City” is having a significant impact. The concept has gained traction beyond Gütersloh and is already being adopted by other municipalities and educational institutions. 

Scientific monitoring through interviews conducted as part of a master's thesis also confirms that after visiting the trial city, attitudes toward digital topics are noticeably more positive, and participants are more likely to actively engage with them – a lasting contribution to digital participation.