Re.medie

Exploring social media through culture, rhythm, and local practices

Diploma project, 2026

Collaborator:
Sør-Varanger utvikling & Pikene på Broen

With: Mona Simers Mehus

Role: Reserch, ideation, concept developement & prototyping

Shortlist:
Interaction design, Bekk
Material Exploration and Aesthetics, Designit

Re.medie is a master’s thesis in interaction and strategic design exploring how social media might be redesigned through culture, rhythm, and local social practices.

The project responds to growing criticism of today’s social media as overwhelming and addictive, and as platforms that often prioritise attention and engagement over belonging and meaningful relationships. I explored how alternative design strategies could support human pace, local needs, and social connection.

We used Eastern Finnmark as an edge case to explore how place-specific cultural practices might inform the design of social media. The region is characterised by vast distances, diverse and small communities, multilingualism, and traditions of connection and collaboration across borders.

Through participant observation, interviews, and participation in the Barents Spektakel festival, we explored the relationship between digital platforms, culture, and local communities.

Insights from the fieldwork were developed through exploratory design methods, workshops, and concept development. Drawing inspiration from seasonal rhythms, weather, language, the hearth as a social gathering place, Skolt Sámi storytelling traditions, and temporary communities, the project resulted in Takt — a series of design concepts exploring how social media can support synchronicity, local belonging, and meaningful relationships rather than maximising attention and engagement.

The project proposes that culturally grounded, place-specific design strategies can open up alternative ways of thinking about social platforms — as digital infrastructures that support human relationships, local rhythms, and social life.

Prototype of the Contact function

Photos from the fieltrip to Kirkenes during Barents Spektakel 2026 >

Natalie from The Norwegian Barents Secreteriat

Jeppe, Sør Varanger Utvikling

Pikene På Broen, Terminal B

Anya and Steve, artists behind Scolt Sámi Nomadic Dictionary

Early ideas

Prototyping the first Leu´dd function

Workshop

Discussiing some of the ideas

More drawing

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