Gesche Joost

Gesche Joost is a German design researcher and Professor of Design Research at Berlin University of the Arts since 2011. She serves as President of the Goethe-Institut since 2024 and leads the Interactive Textiles research area at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. Her affiliations include the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, the Einstein Center Digital Future, and supervision roles at SAP and ING-DiBa.

• Education: Architecture (Technical University of Braunschweig), Design (Cologne International School of Design), Rhetoric (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen) with a 2007 doctorate

Her research spans human-machine interaction, gender and diversity in communication technology, wearable computing, and social sustainability. Recent work focuses on digital sovereignty, inclusive digital society, and design research methodologies. Articles address digital education, data ethics, and participatory design across 15 entries from 2008–2018.

Scientific recognitions include the iF Product Design Award (2010), 100 Köpfe von morgen (2006), and the Nachwuchs-Wissenschaftspreis (2008). She was named one of Germany's 50 most influential women in tech (2021) and holds an honorary membership in the German Designer Club.

Gesche Joost has advised on EU digital transformation as Germany's Internet Ambassador and contributed to policy frameworks through the German Advisory Council on Consumer Affairs. She co-founded Calliope gGmbH to distribute free Calliope mini microcontrollers for digital education in schools.