Design Space Evolution
My design space is an evolving journey that connects current societal challenges with future opportunities, always seeking to balance innovation and sustainability.
Last updated
My design space is an evolving journey that connects current societal challenges with future opportunities, always seeking to balance innovation and sustainability.
Last updated
In exploring my design space, I focused on two main areas: the environmental impact of 3D printing and the disconnection between humans and nature, particularly in urban, industrialized settings. This investigation took me down paths that linked modern technologies like digital fabrication with the ancient human desire to connect with the natural world, as well as emerging cultural movements like psychedelic environmentalism.
My initial research centered around the 3D printing industry, which has revolutionized many areas but also created new challenges. Mass production of 3D-printed objects, like toys, has led to waste issues, especially with leftover materials like spools. As 3D printing grows, there is a need to address the environmental cost of these production processes (that are NOT mean to mass-production), seeking ways to reduce waste or find sustainable alternatives for 3D printing materials.
At the same time, I explored how living in industrialized cities creates a disconnection from the natural world. In such environments, nature is often reduced to parks or small green spaces, leaving many people without a meaningful connection to natural ecosystems. This disconnection makes it harder to foster climate consciousness, as people tend to care less about what they cannot see or experience daily.
This led me to the work of LAMAQUINA, whose artificial plants made from Pure.Tech material absorb CO2, and William Darrell's mechanical interpretations of natural forms. Both artists challenge the divide between nature and artificiality, using technology to replicate or simulate natural processes, which inspired me to consider how digital fabrication could also be used in this way. I also found inspiration in the psytrance festival community, which often takes place in nature, using music, movement, and natural landscapes to create a sense of deep connection between people and the environment.
Through the Atlas of Weak Signals, I identified several trends that intersected with my initial research. For instance, the signal related to Psychedelic Environmentalism piqued my interest, as it highlights how altered states of consciousness, often achieved through the use of substances in natural settings, can lead to increased empathy towards the environment.
I also discovered a local psytrance community that organizes similar events but in urban spaces. This led me to explore post-naturalism, which addresses how our experiences of nature are becoming more mediated and influenced by technology, especially in urban contexts.
A critical area of opportunity emerged in the concept of environmental sensing using technology to enhance human awareness of the natural world around us. This concept ties closely to the weak signal of Reconfigure Your Body, which suggests that we could augment our senses to better perceive the environment, perhaps through wearable technologies or biohacking methods. These ideas align with biomimicry, the practice of imitating natural structures and functions through design, often facilitated by digital fabrication technologies.
In expanding my design space, I’m exploring how we can reconnect with nature by rethinking both high- and low-tech approaches. Beyond my initial focus on the environmental impact of 3D printing, I’m now examining low-tech alternatives inspired by Indigenous knowledge and practices, which often emphasize balance and direct interaction with the natural world. This shift has led me to consider sensory-enhancing technologies that could bring people in urban settings closer to nature in meaningful ways.
My recent interventions, such as tracking daily water usage and navigating the city without digital tools, highlight how small, intentional actions can shift our awareness and behavior. These experiences align with my growing focus on environmental sensing and data visualization, how design can reveal the hidden impacts of modern technology, especially AI, on our environment and resources.
As my design space has continued to evolve, my focus has shifted towards human sensing, data visualization, and audiovisual immersive experiences. These areas have become central to my exploration of how technology can amplify emotional and environmental awareness, fostering deeper connections between individuals and their surroundings. Projects like the heartbeat sensor, which transforms emotional states into visual patterns, and the soundscape map, which documents the emotional and auditory landscape of Barcelona, reflect this progression. These interventions examine how emotional data can be collected, visualized, and understood, offering new insights into human interactions with space and sound.
My updated design framework incorporates six interconnected topics: climate crisis, data visualization, nature empathy, human sensing, low tech, and audiovisual immersive experiences. These themes orbit around the central idea of creating immersive, sensory-driven experiences that provoke emotional responses and spark meaningful dialogue. This evolution stems from a desire to use design as a tool not only for storytelling but for creating platforms where users can engage with their emotions and environments in transformative ways.
Recent experiments, such as constructing a kinetic sculpture that uses light and movement to evoke hypnotic visual effects, expand this narrative further. These works explore how dynamic visuals and interactive elements can elicit introspection and emotional shifts. Additionally, my interest in mapping emotional landscapes highlights the importance of participatory design and collaborative data collection in creating tools that reflect shared experiences. This approach aligns with my goal of building connections between individual perceptions and collective understanding, further anchoring my design space in the realms of sensing, visualization, and immersive technology.
