David Gebka
Industrial Design, Systems Thinking, Design Education

With a background as a Dipl.-Ing. in Engineering Cybernetics and Dipl.-Des. in Industrial Design, I work at the intersection of physical product design, systems thinking, and critical approaches to technological and societal transformation.

Through teaching foundational and advanced industrial design studios, curating public exhibitions, establishing transdisciplinary research partnerships, and developing academic curricula, I connect hands-on design education with complex technological and social questions and translate scientific research into tangible public discourse.

2026 — Bierbank Buchbach
Transforming private garages in Buchbach, Upper Bavaria into temporary exhibition spaces for contemporary art, the Garagen Biennale runs across the weekends of September 19–20 and 26–27, 2026. For the event, I developed modular, flexible benches crafted from recycled formwork panels. Built on a consistent logical system, the designs function as sisters, not twins.
since 2026 — Odyssee 2026
Speculative design studio exploring alternative societal futures. Developed at ABK Stuttgart (in collaboration with Prof. Aylin Langreuter), combining historical typologies, cultural theory, science fiction, and advanced LLM frameworks with design experimentation to materialise future possibilities.
since 2021 — The Popular Microbiome / Micropop
Transdisciplinary touring exhibition and science communication platform translating advanced biomedical research into public, spatial experiences. Developed in cooperation with the CMFI Excellence Cluster, University of Tübingen (Stops include UNC Chapel Hill 2025, Basel 2026, Zürich 2026-2027; funded through competitive third-party research budgets, reaching 8,000+ visitors).
since 2018 — Produkt und Kontext
Foundational industrial design studio and structured 6-ECTS curriculum (4 SWS). Guiding second-semester students through research, iterative experimentation, and physical product design, using societal macro-themes (e.g., climate resilience, shared energy systems, DIY culture) as contexts for critical and context-aware design.
2023 — in_ml_out
Interactive three-part exhibition format translating complex machine learning and renewable energy dynamics into accessible public dialogue. Developed in cooperation with the MLSES Excellence Cluster, University of Tübingen (visited by the Minister of Science Baden-Württemberg, January 2025).
2022 — Pop Up Together
Community-driven spatial interventions, public-facing formats, and institutional engagement in the public sphere. Awarded the Akademiepreis ABK Stuttgart for exceptional student engagement.
2018 — Bionics Kit
Physical STEM learning kit and curriculum introducing biological robotics and cybernetic concepts, developed in cooperation with Festo Didactic and connecting engineering education, industrial design, and interactive hardware.


Systems Practice

2011 – 2018 — Systems Architect & System Designer (Robert Bosch GmbH)
Translating complex technical and user requirements into functional system architectures for global automotive series production, drawing on engineering and systems design practice.