Transdisciplinary Design Toolkit: Lab to Street—Tangible Science Framework to collaboratively create art, tech & science experiences

Transdisciplinary collaborations require new methodologies to bridge disciplinary gaps, especially when stakeholders are unfamiliar with some tools and processes. These methods help address challenges in unfamiliar or unexpected collaboration contexts. This research explores how design can connect science (Lab) with society (Street) by fostering collaborative and experiential communication of scientific concepts. The study focuses on the Toolkit: Lab to Street—Tangible Science Framework developed within ChromDesign, a European research project where design and molecular biology intersected. The Toolkit is a hybrid theoretical and practical guide, enabling transdisciplinary exchange, shared methodologies, and common lexicons, guiding researchers from scientific concepts to public engagement. It structures the process across three phases: context definition (research), conceptualization and formalization (ideation), and concept tangibilization (experience implementation). Evaluated by experts and tested in CERN (Switzerland), ELISAVA (Spain), and FH Joanneum (Austria), the Toolkit proved effective in translating complex multidisciplinary research into tangible, accessible formats. This paper highlights how design methodologies can be translational to science communication through artifacts, arts, and technology, creating more engaging public experiences. The Toolkit offers an open-access solution for fostering collaborative knowledge transfer, demonstrating the transformative role of design in making scientific research more accessible and experiential.