MOTIF Institute for Digital Culture

MOTIF was an independent think tank (2018-2021) that operated at the intersection of technology and society. In times of rapid technological change, we advise organisations and policymakers on equitable tech. We do research, translate our findings into feasible formats, and work towards social justice in the digital age.

MOTIF was an independent think tank (2018-2021) that operated at the intersection of technology and society. In times of rapid technological change, we advise organisations and policymakers on equitable tech. We do research, translate our findings into feasible formats, and work towards social justice in the digital age.

SELECTED PROJECTS

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY

An active civil society is crucial for a functioning democracy. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of digital infrastructure for civil society work. Free, open source technologies and access to knowledge and networks are urgently needed. That's why we, together with CityLAB Berlin, created Digital Vereint, a platform that supports civil society organisations and their digital work.

PLATFORM WORK AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

DIGITAL PRODUCTS & RESPONSIBILITY

PLATFORM WORK AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

The platform economy transforms the world of work and promises new possibilities in terms of openness, equality and flexibility for workers. At the same time, research shows that platform work perpetuates problems such as precarisation and discrimination. Our qualitative research aims to explore platforms from intersectional perspectives and to put vulnerable groups at the centre. Read our study on women in the platform economy.

GENDER AND TECHNOLOGY

The tech industry claims to be future-oriented, yet it still has a diversity problem. Women* are facing fewer opportunities and sexist work environments. The lack of diversity and equity is reflected in technological innovations. We advise governments and organisations on gender equity in the digital sphere. Also, we facilitate workshops for digital product development and embrace the imagination of feminist futures for the internet.

To us, strategy goes beyond business planning. Together with our clients, we co-develop long-term strategies that consider societal implications from the very beginning. In workshops and regular check-ins, we ask the right questions – and translate the outcome into feasible, clearly structured strategies. Our toolbox includes qualitative research, games, future scenarios and more.

The tech industry claims to be future-oriented, yet it still has a diversity problem. Women* are facing fewer opportunities and sexist work environments. The lack of diversity and equity is reflected in technological innovations. We advise governments and organisations on gender equity in the digital sphere. Also, we facilitate workshops for digital product development and embrace the imagination of feminist futures for the internet.

ETHICS AND EQUITY IN AI

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

ETHICS AND EQUITY IN AI

Artificial intelligence affects various areas of our daily lives and is currently at the center of many public debates. While one side has great hopes in AI, other voices fear dystopian scenarios. Our goal is to spark a discussion on AI and society that goes beyond hopes and fears, to foster education in AI and to advocate for ethics in AI applications. To do so, we give talks and lectures, and facilitate training workshops for employees.

The interplay between technological innovations and culture is in constant motion. Profound data is required in order to estimate and navigate new and old societal challenges. That’s why we tackle tech-related topics with methods of the social sciences. Our recent work includes research on gender effects in the platform economy and the future of smart cities.

Artificial intelligence affects various areas of our daily lives and is currently at the center of many public debates. While one side has great hopes in AI, other voices fear dystopian scenarios. Our goal is to spark a discussion on AI and society that goes beyond hopes and fears, to foster education in AI and to advocate for ethics in AI applications. To do so, we give talks and lectures, and facilitate training workshops for employees.

ABOUT

MOTIF was an independent think tank founded by Katrin Fritsch and Helene von Schwichow, that operated from 2018 to 2021. We like to do research on urgent socio-technical questions and translate our findings into accessible, creative formats. Our work includes qualitative research and academic writing, as well as lecturing, creating concepts, and facilitating workshops. We collaborate with universities, schools, research institutes and public organisations. In 2019, MOTIF was nominated on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the category tech.

Are you interested in our work? Send an email to:
contact@motif-institute.com

MOTIF was an independent think tank founded by Katrin Fritsch and Helene von Schwichow, that operated from 2018 to 2021. We like to do research on urgent socio-technical questions and translate our findings into accessible, creative formats. Our work includes qualitative research and academic writing, as well as lecturing, creating concepts, and facilitating workshops. We collaborate with universities, schools, research institutes and public organisations. In 2019, MOTIF was nominated on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the category tech.

Interested? Contact us:
contact@motif-institute.com

TEAM

Katrin Fritsch - Co-Founder and Managing Director.
Katrin is a data and society researcher, writer, and creative consultant. She has worked in several agencies, lectures at universities and holds an MSc in Media and Communications of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Katrin Fritsch - Co-Founder.
Katrin is a data and society researcher, writer, and creative consultant. She has worked in several agencies, lectures in universities and holds an MSc in Media and Communications of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Katrin Fritsch - Co-Founder & Managing Director.
Katrin is a data and society researcher, writer, and creative consultant. She has worked at several agencies, lectures at universities and holds an MSc in Media and Communications of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Helene von Schwichow - Co-Founder and Managing Director.
Helene studied communication in social and economic contexts in Berlin and Paris. Previous to MOTIF, she worked as content strategist in start-ups and as a research assistant at UdK Berlin and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet & Society.

Helene von Schwichow - Co-Founder.
Helene holds a master degree in Communication in Social and Economic Contexts from the Berlin University of the Arts. She has worked in content curation and communication in start-ups and as a research assistant at HIIG and UdK Berlin.

Helene von Schwichow - Co-Founder & Managing Director.
Helene studied communication in social and economic contexts in Berlin and Paris. Previous to MOTIF, she worked as content strategist in start-ups and as a research assistant at UdK Berlin and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet & Society.

Diana Kozachek - Freelance strategist.
Diana is enrolled in the masters degree programme on future studies and has worked as a digital communications concepter in creative agencies, such as Scholz & Friends Berlin, for clients such as the European Commission or Car2Go.

Diana Kozachek - Freelance Strategist.
Diana is enrolled in a masters degree programme on future studies and has worked as a digital communications concepter in creative agencies, such as Scholz & Friends Berlin, for clients such as the European Commission or Car2Go.

Theresa Reimann-Dubbers - Freelance Designer.
Theresa is an artist and designer; her work concerns the societal impacts of emerging technologies and has been exhibited at Ars Electronica, NeurIPS, 2020 Daejeon Biennale and the Dublin Science Gallery, amongst others.

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Nayyara Rahman - IFA fellow 2021.
Nayyara is an award-winning author and researcher passionate about social justice. Her work in integrating technology with business ethics is aimed at making organisations more efficient, accountable and transparent.

Nayyara Rahman - IFA Fellow 2021
Nayyara is an award-winning author and researcher passionate about social justice. Her work in integrating technology with business ethics is aimed at making organisations more efficient, accountable and transparent.

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WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

RESERACH& PUBLICATIONS

Fritsch, K., & von Schwichow, H.

(2021). Künstliche Intelligenz und Feminismus: Aktuelle Debatten. Expertise für den KI Think Tank female Entrepreneurship (KITE), ein Projekt der bundesweiten Gründerinnenagentur mit Unterstützung des BMJFSJ. Berlin. www.kite-bga.de

(2021). Digitalisierung der Zivilgesellschaft. Eine Bedarfsanalyse im Auftrag des CityLAB Berlin. www.digital-vereint.berlin

(2021). Wie starten wir mit Open Source? Info-Paper für Vereine und ehrenamtliche Organisationen im Auftrag der Stadt Hannover.

(2020). Zwischen Flexibilität und Unsicherheit: Erfahrungen von Frauen in der Plattformökonomie. Expertise für den Dritten Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung, Geschäftsstelle Dritter Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung, Berlin. www.dritter-gleichstellungsbericht.de

(2020). Feministische Zukünfte schreiben. In netzforma* e.V. – Verein für feministische Netzpolitik (Ed.), Wenn KI, dann feministisch – Impulse aus Wissenschaft und Aktivismus (p. 181-185). Berlin: netzforma* e.V.

(2020). Contra / Por: Narrar Futuros Feministas. Gegen / Für: Feministische Zukünfte Erzählen. In Goethe Institute Mexico & Pitzilein Books (Eds.), Blickwinkel: Momento Futuro (p. 130-136). Mexiko City: Goethe Institute Mexico & Pitzilein Books.

(2020). Technology = Politics. Arts of the Working Class, 120, p. 28.

(2020). Feminist Futures. Missy Magazine, 05/20, p. 11.

(2020). World Wide Inequality Web. ROM, 4. p. 150-154.

(2020). Forge New Norms: Information Society Trend #03. NTT Group, Ensō Space.

(2019). Against Prediction. In Mosene, K., Kettemann (Eds.), Many Worlds, Many Nets, Many Visions. Critical Voices, Visions, and Vectors for Internet Governance (p. 40). Berlin: Alexander Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Leibniz Institute for Media Research |Hans-Bredow-Insitute.

(2019). The Learning Machine. Forbes, 11/19, p. 66.

TALKS & WORKSHOPS

2021
TechRoundtable Gender & Tech / Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) / 05.11.2021
Centering Care in Platform Work / KW Institute for Contemporary Art / 25.09.2021
Zukunftsforum: Digitale öffentliche Räume mit Superrr Lab / Bundesministerium der Justiz & für Verbraucherschutz / 15.09.2021 & 13.10.2021
Edit-A-Thon Intersectional AI Toolkit / Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society / 01.09.2021
Digital Vereint / CityLAB Sommerfest / 18.06.2021
Smart City ?! / OutOfTheBox CommunityDriven / 12.06. & 28.08. & 04.09.2021
Digitale Zukünfte - Nachhaltig gestalten / CO:DINA / 01.06.2021
Digitalisierung gendergerecht gestalten / Land Sachsen-Anhalt / 26.05.2021
Plattformarbeit: Zwischen Flexibilität und Unsicherheit / Zukunftswerkstatt Schulen mit Deutsche Gesellschaft e.V. / 11.05.2021
Digital Vereint / D3 Digital - Meet-Up Hamburg / 13.04.2021
Coded Bias Community-Event mit superrr Lab und netzforma* e.V. / 08.04.2021
Feminist Visions of AI / KI-Camp / 17.03.2021
Feminist Futures / MozFest / 11.03.2021
Ethics & AI / Hyperwerk Basel / 09.-12.03.2021
Auftaktveranstaltung Digital Vereint / CityLAB Berlin / 09.03.2021
Feminist Futures / LaDoc Netzwerk Konferenz / 06.03.2021
Workshopreihe Digital Vereint / CityLAB Berlin / 03.-05.2021
How AI can change the future / GMF: Young Transatlantic Leaders / 10.02.2021
Frauen in der Plattformökonomie / Hans-Böckler-Stiftung Konferenz Machtfragen der Digitalisierung / 20.01.2021
KI & Feminismus: Aktuelle Debatten / KITE Expertise / 14.01.2021

2021
TechRoundtable Gender & Tech / Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) / 05.11.2021
Centering Care in Platform Work / KW Institute for Contemporary Art / 25.09.2021
Zukunftsforum: Digitale öffentliche Räume mit Superrr Lab / Bundesministerium der Justiz & für Verbraucherschutz / 15.09.2021 & 13.10.2021
Edit-A-Thon Intersectional AI Toolkit / Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society / 01.09.2021
Digital Vereint / CityLAB Sommerfest / 18.06.2021
Smart City ?! / OutOfTheBox CommunityDriven / 12.06. & 28.08. & 04.09. 2021
Digitale Zukünfte - Nachhaltig gestalten / CO:DINA / 01.06.2021
Digitalisierung gendergerecht gestalten / Land Sachsen-Anhalt / 26.05.2021
Plattformarbeit: Zwischen Flexibilität und Unsicherheit / Zukunftswerkstatt Schulen mit Deutsche Gesellschaft e.V. / 11.05.2021
Digital Vereint / D3 Digital - Meet-Up Hamburg / 13.04.2021
Coded Bias Community-Event mit superrr Lab und netzforma* e.V. / 08.04.2021
Feminist Visions of AI / KI-Camp / 17.03.2021
Feminist Futures / MozFest / 11.03.2021
Ethics & AI / Hyperwerk Basel / 09.-12.03.2021
Auftaktveranstaltung Digital Vereint / CityLAB Berlin / 09.03.2021
Feminist Futures / LaDoc Netzwerk Konferenz / 06.03.2021
Workshopreihe Digital Vereint / CityLAB Berlin / 03.-05.2021
How AI can change the future / GMF: Young Transatlantic Leaders / 10.02.2021
Frauen in der Plattformökonomie / Hans-Böckler-Stiftung Konferenz Machtfragen der Digitalisierung / 20.01.2021
KI & Feminismus: Aktuelle Debatten / KITE Expertise / 14.01.2021

2020
Feminist Futures with Natalia Slipenko / Data CNTRL Centre at Goethe Kiev / 12.11.2020
Feminist Futures / Descon Conference / 29.10.2020
Methodenworkshop: Feminist Futures / netzforma* e.V. / 29.05.2020
Constructing Feminist Tech Through Fiction with Dalia Othman / IFF / 02.04.2020
Hearing zur Expertise für den Gleichstellungsbericht / 30.03.2021
Can I speak to the manager?! / Hyperwerk Basel / 10.-13.03.2020

2019
10 Tactics for 2030 / KI-Camp / 05.12.2019
Feminist Futures / netzforma* e.V. Barcamp / 02.11.2019
Feminist Futures / Internationale Fachkonferenz Kompetenzzentrum Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft / 30.10.2019
Feminist Cities / ETH Zürich / 09.10.2019
Ethics by Design with Alice Thwaite / 19.09.2019
Feminist Futures / Das ist Netzpolitik! Konferenz / 13.09.2019
Technological Fictions and Feminist Futures / Z2X19 - Das Festival der Visionäre / 01.09.2019
Technological Fictions and Feminist Futures / RightsCon Tunisia / 13.06.2019
Feminist Futures in collaboration with jeem.me / Goethe Institute Tunisia / 11.06.2019
Of Bees and Bytes: A Virtual Road Trip through a Feminist Internet / re:publica 2019 / 07.05.2019
Technological Fictions and Feminist Futures / Fachtag GEWINN / 25.04.2019
Wer denkt, fliegt raus / Universität der Künste / 15.04.2019

2018
Data Walking / information+ conference Potsdam / 19.10.2018
Data Walking / re:publica 2018 / 03.05.2018

IMPRINT & DATA PRIVACY