Border Living in Limburg
My group and I analyzed the ways citizens overcome mental, cultural, and physical barriers at the Dutch national border in order to seek advantages in their lives. Our intervention aims to minimize this tension by promoting a mental model of 'regionality over nationality.' We designed a coherent brand language to visually unify both Dutch and Belgian Limburg, easing the cognitive transition across borders and empowering locals to proudly express their regional cultural identity.
Spring 2026 / Systemic Design Studio
Sponsored by Muzus
Systemic Design, Gigamapping, Intercultural Design, Reframing, Mental Models
Research and Gigamapping
To begin our research exploration, we first needed to understand the current attitudes and behaviors of people living in Zuid-Limburg, as well as some high-level research on the area's history and economy. We used this information to begin mapping the systems and decisions that affect the wellbeing of young people in the area. To gain a deeper understanding of wellbeing, we made a diagram based on the Need Typology which defines thirteen fundamental human needs. We also created a causal loop diagram to evaluate the positive and negative practicalities of living in the border region.
We started out making low-fidelity diagrams on paper, and iterated on our work as we digitalized each map.
Iceberg Model
We utilized two types of iceberg models to map and analyze the mental models underpinning behaviors and norms. The first iceberg model helped us navigate the systems and touchpoints related to the border, demonstrating that fragmented administrative barriers necessitate Limburgers to make a deliberate decision to cross the border. In other words, the default option is to stay in one nation, but people do choose to cross the border when they find an advantage. The second iceberg was useful to explore the strong cultural identity and pride exhibited by locals, leading us to our primary insight: Limburgers are extremely proud of their culture, but may be limited by national distinction represented in their lived environment. Our design encourages a 'regionality over nationality' mindset to allow for stronger social connectivity across the border.
Final Gigamap
My primary contributions were the Needs Typology, Statistics, and Social Connections maps.
Design Brief Reframe
How can cross-border living in 2060 contribute to the wellbeing of young people (16-27y) in the border region of Zuid-Limburg?
How can the wellbeing of young people living in the Dutch-Belgian provenance of Limburg be enriched?
The design brief provided by our sponsor, Muzus, was not specific enough for our purposes. What kind of cross-border living? Is that the best age range? Should we limit scope to only Zuid-Limburg, Netherlands?
Our first iteration on the brief removed the futuring aspect, as this was not in scope for our 4 week project timeline. We expanded our thinking to include Belgian's living on the border, and clarified our intent to enrich wellbeing.
How to amplify regional belonging of teenagers (13-18y) in the Dutch-Belgian provenance of Limburg?
Our final version specified a target age and which aspect of wellbeing we want to enrich. Throughout this process, we identified an intervention point through which our group could make a difference.
Design Intervention and Exhibition
We developed a regional brand for Limburg to facilitate cognitive connection despite national borders. The logo, patterns, and color choices are inspired by the Limburg landscape, meant to represent the famous hills. The logo shape utilizes abstractions of the letters "L," "I," and "M." The color palette was inspired by the blue and yellow in the Limburg flag paired with the green of the hills. The slogan "Regionality Beyond Borders" puts a positive spin on our intended mental model that promotes regional instead of national identity.
The brand is delivered to Limburgers through three primary touchpoints: merchandise, community groups, and third-spaces. The merchandise serves as a means to express local cultural pride and identity, and creates opportunities for Limburgers to connect with each other even if they moved out of the region. Our concept prototype includes stickers, postcards, clothes, and accessories. Companies can utilize the brand as well; we prototyped a region-specific transport card that can work with both Dutch and Belgian public transit systems.
The creation of certain community groups facilitated by this brand can help residents develop stronger social ties to their cross-border neighbors. We imagined soccer teams, Carnaval events, and a school exchange program.
Lastly, the presence of our brand in public and in third-places can signify regional coherence and act as hubs for regional social groups. By incorporating the Limburg brand in public places like bike lanes, bus stops, or even swimming pools, we are in effect advertising our mental model mediated by the activities of daily life.
AI Usage Statement
We utilized AI to translate various documents into English and to quickly generate concept prototypes. All image mockups of our design intervention were generated with AI, but the brand itself was developed and executed separately and without AI. The postcards, stickers, and transport card were created without AI.
Our Group
From left to right: Maaike Roosendaal, Yonatan Enawgaw, Maria Jose "Majo" Agudelo Cataño, Nicole Woods, Katharina Schwab.
