WikiSocia

Project description

How can we ensure that PWMI and its (potential) partners can efficiently connect with each other and share relevant information?

The goal was to facilitate collaboration, reduce information gaps, and build a platform that supports both structured and informal contributions.

Context

This project takes place within the domain of social innovation and community engagement. Our collaboration with PWMI an initiative focused on strengthening partnerships and local knowledge exchange in the city of Eindhoven centers around creating digital tools that empower citizens, partner organizations, and students to contribute, share, and connect.

The platform we designed, Wikisocia, aims to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between a wide network of local stakeholders. Based on research into partner organizations, interviews with community members, and iterative design testing, the project explores how a digital environment can support complex, decentralized information and encourage grassroots participation.

The context is hyperlocal, but the challenge is broad: how do you design for communities that are constantly evolving, and for information that is owned by everyone — and no one? Our solution leans into concepts like openness, transparency, and accessibility, while keeping the visual and interaction design friendly and intuitive for users of all backgrounds.

Results

Project Outcomes and Validation The most important outcomes of our project are both conceptual and functional. The central product is Wikisocia — a platform concept that enables knowledge sharing, partner collaboration, and localized engagement among PWMI and its (potential) partners. This concept has been developed through multiple iterations, supported by stakeholder validation and user research, and implemented in a working prototype.

On a functional level, the platform includes three key features:

• The Forum, where users can ask questions, share knowledge, and engage in discussions.
• The Project Linking Graph, a visual network that maps relationships between organizations and their initiatives.

In terms of insights, the project highlighted several key user needs: the desire for decentralized, accessible knowledge; clear visualization of partner connections; and lightweight ways to engage without requiring technical expertise. These findings came from interviews, empathy mapping, stakeholder meetings, and user testing. During validation sessions, users and stakeholders emphasized the importance of searchable knowledge, the absence of hierarchical ownership, and opportunities for shared visibility.

Through testing with residents and a PWMI student, and validation with stakeholders like Sara at T+huis, we confirmed the relevance and usability of the platform. The final prototype aligns closely with the goals of PWMI, providing a scalable and community-driven solution.

About the project group

We are a multidisciplinary project group with backgrounds in Communication and Multimedia Design. Our process was iterative and user-centered we conducted interviews, validated concepts with stakeholders, built prototypes in Figma, and tested with actual users. Working in agile sprints, we combined design thinking and technical experimentation to develop Wikisocia, a platform that facilitates knowledge sharing, partner collaboration, and local engagement.