Demo Day

  • Prototype Fund
Ankündigungsbild von opendata.ch für «Demo Day»

24 February 2022, 17:00 @ Online, free

The Demo Day on 24 February 2022 concluded the second round of the Prototype Fund – online because of the pandemic rather than at the Berner Generationenhaus. 125 people had registered and just over 80 took part. It opened with a workshop on the “Futures of Democracy”: in five groups, participants sketched utopias and dystopias of Swiss democracy in 2050 and invented digital tools that would exist in them. The results fed into the planning of a democracy festival initiated by Luca Brunner, Lukas Hess, Nathalie Klauser, Che Wagner and Nikki Böhler.

After a welcome from Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, the six teams pitched their civic tech prototypes in three minutes each; in two demo rounds, people could then try two of the tools in breakout rooms. The pitch videos and slides are listed in the programme under each project. To close, Florin Hasler announced the third round, which broadens the focus from civic tech to public interest tech.

Photos

  • Group photo of the teams of the Prototype Fund's second round

Photo: Prototype Fund

Documentation and recordings

Programme

  1. 17:00–17:10
    Welcome

    Florin Hasler introduces the Prototype Fund, Nikki Böhler introduces the workshop.

    Florin HaslerProgrammleiter Prototype Fund, Opendata.chNikki BöhlerGeschäftsführerin Opendata.ch
  2. 17:10–17:55
    Workshop – Futures of Democracy

    What should our democracy look like in 2050? What do we have to change to get there? Contemplating the futures of Swiss democracy together. The results will be incorporated into the planning of a diverse, decentralised and immersive “Futures of Democracy” festival taking place in 2023.

    In five breakout groups on informing, deliberating, developing proposals, deciding, and monitoring and assessing; each group then presented one tool in the plenary.

    Nikki BöhlerOpendata.chFlorin HaslerPrototype Fund, Opendata.chNiklas LimacherOpendata.chNathalie KlauserModeration
  3. 18:00–18:05
    Introduction to the pitches and welcome from Stiftung Mercator Schweiz

    Florin HaslerModerationTorben StephanProgrammleiter Digitalisierung + Gesellschaft, Stiftung Mercator Schweiz
  4. 18:05–18:30
    Project pitches

    The six teams of the second round present the civic tech prototypes they have been working on for six months.

  5. VoteLog

    With VoteLog, civil society organisations can assess parliamentarians’ voting behaviour. The ratings are visualised and help to form public opinion.

    votelog.ch · Project page

    Fernando ObietaPitchRaphael BosshardSimon FischerPatricia LenzSalim BrüggemannChristoph LaszloReto Schneider
  6. VelObserver

    With VelObserver, residents can rate bicycle infrastructure and continuously check its planned expansion.

    velobserver.ch · Project page

    Lea StrohmPitchRoger FischerYvonne EhrensbergerThomas HugRes MartiFelix SchindlerPeter Gassner
  7. Forum for Inclusion

    Forum for Inclusion makes people without voting rights more visible in Swiss democracy by providing them with a platform to voice their opinions on popular votes.

    f4i.ch · Project page

    Jeannie SchneiderPitchVinzenz LeuteneggerFlurin HessKadira MujkanovicPaolo Rüegg
  8. Citympact

    Citympact puts a simple tool in the pocket of every GenZ citizen to make their voice heard on projects and issues affecting their municipality.

    citympact.ch · Project page

    Johann RoduitPitchAlexandre LuyetOrlanne PereyFrançois Farquet
  9. businessresponsibility.ch

    businessresponsibility.ch strengthens transparency and democratic control over the human rights performance of Swiss companies, based on the new non-financial reporting obligation.

    businessresponsibility.ch · Project page

    David WeissPitchCahit AtilganDina PomeranzMiguel Vazquez VazquezKobbina AwuahDeborah Kistler
  10. Baloti

    With Baloti, people without voting rights can learn and experience Swiss direct democracy through mockup referendum votes in ten languages.

    baloti.org · Project page

    Uwe SerdültPitchThomaskutty SebastianKaj MaringFiona HilpertshauserPedro Cordeiro
  11. 18:30–18:57
    Project demos

    Two ten-minute demo rounds in breakout rooms; in between, Florin Hasler announced the third round (public interest tech).

  12. 19:00
    Apéro

    Wrap-up and informal exchange.

Read the original announcement

Let’s upgrade 🇨🇭 democracy! The Prototype Fund supports people in strengthening political participation in Switzerland with open source projects. On 24 February our six teams will present the civic tech projects they have been working on during the last six months. Join our Demo Day to be the first to test their open source prototypes, get to know the teams and contemplate the future of Swiss democracy together.

The Prototype Fund is a joint initiative by Opendata.ch and Mercator Foundation Switzerland.

Organising team

  • Florin HaslerProgrammleiter Prototype Fund
  • Nikki BöhlerGeschäftsführerin Opendata.ch
  • Niklas LimacherOpendata.ch

Sponsor

  • Stiftung Mercator Schweiz