Many young people volunteer in developing countries. World Servants is a Dutch NGO that supports development projects. Every year, around 800 young people travel to communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia to collaborate on construction work. The construction work is a means for interaction and cultural exchange. The impact is two-sided: the local community takes a step forward with a concrete construction, and the Dutch young people broaden their worldview and learn to serve others.

During a preparation weekend, the young people are trained for their projects, where cultural preparation is implictly interwoven. Interviews and observations showed that some young people experience a threshold to interact with the local community, and have implicit biases, or inequitable attitudes. This was the starting point of this design project.

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By increasing cultural competence among the the Dutch groups, the cultural interaction can become more equitable. By making and testing various design iterations (see infographics below), this project investigated how young people can gain more cultural competence.

The ‘Park your culture here’-machine emerged from this process. The final design is an experiential, standalone, human-size machine. The machine has wheels for quick and easy transportation, and it fits regular doors with its height of 190 cm. The analogy of 'parking' leverages the use and aim of the design without requiring much explanation due to parking as a commonly-known existing practice.

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During training sessions and the preparation weekend, the machine will be used to activate awareness, reflection, and knowledge about people’s own and other cultures.