Invisible Hands is a design research project that uses film to make invisible labour visible. The project focuses on cleaning staff working on the TU e campus and explores how their everyday work is experienced, valued and perceived within a large institutional environment. Through visual ethnography, the project does not only document actions but captures emotions, routines and the lived reality of this work.
The research is set up as a participatory process. Together with the cleaners, moments from their daily routines were filmed and reflected upon. Film functions as a shared language and a tool for reflection, both for the participants themselves and for managers and policymakers. Instead of translating experiences into written reports, the project uses moving images to communicate insights that are often difficult to express verbally.
Invisible Hands demonstrates how film can operate as a design tool within organisations. As a method to spark dialogue, foster empathy and make abstract themes such as recognition and visibility tangible. The project positions film as a bridge between lived experience and decision making and highlights the value of visual research in complex social and organisational contexts.
