Design Studio 02

The journey in Design Studio 02 continues with a deep dive into the first-person perspective, transforming personal experiences into meaningful design actions during the 2nd Term.

In this second term of Design Studio, we find ourselves at the center of the diagram introduced last term, moving beyond broad global issues and first steps into a more intimate realm of design: the first-person perspective. Here, our focus shifts toward grounding our interventions in deeply personal experiences while beginning to think about how these individual insights can resonate and connect with others. This stage of the curve emphasizes not only understanding ourselves better as tools for design but also crafting actions that are authentic, meaningful, and critically reflective.

Multiscalar design diagram

My current interests revolve around the human body as a site of exploration, using it as both a canvas and a tool to experiment with emotions, sensations, and reactions. We did the exercise of Present continuities and Alternative presents to help identify what we can do, where I examine how my first-person experiments can disrupt current norms and propose alternative ways of engaging with our world.

Through this exercise, I began to frame the boundaries of my study and reflect on the potential to scale up these deeply personal actions into something meaningful for others. This shift challenges me to generalize insights gained from my individual experiments and ask critical questions about how my findings might resonate with larger communities. It’s a process of balancing personal exploration with broader relevance, paving the way for a design narrative that is as individual as it is universal.

Topic 1 (general): Micro-interventions with my body as a tool for exploration

Present continuities

Today, I navigate a culture where the body is often viewed as a vessel for action rather than an instrument for deep, personal exploration. The sensory potential of different body parts remains largely unexplored in daily life, leaving little space for hacking or reimagining bodily experiences. In this present, we seldom pause to experiment with our own senses, emotions, and reactions, missing the chance to connect with ourselves in meaningful, transformative ways.

Alternative present

I envision a world where the body becomes a playground for discovery and self-knowledge. In this alternative present, individuals actively engage and expand their understanding of their own sensory capabilities. These experiments reframe the body as a site of curiosity and wonder, offering a pathway to heightened self-awareness and sensory enrichment. By hacking and experiencing sensations through different parts of the body, we break free from habitual perceptions and unlock new dimensions of being.

Topic 2 (specific): Exploring sweat as a reflection of the human condition

Present continuities

I am part of a society that often disregards the profound connection between the human body and its mammalian instincts. Sweat, a fundamental biological function, is stigmatized or ignored, seen primarily as a sign of discomfort or exertion rather than a window into our dual nature as animals and conscious beings. In this world, there’s little exploration of how sweat connects us to both our primal instincts and our socially conditioned selves, leaving an untapped opportunity for self-awareness and understanding of human behavior.

Alternative present

I imagine a world where sweat is no longer dismissed but embraced as a lens through which we understand our dual nature. In this future, sweat patterns become data points in an ongoing narrative of human experience, bridging the gap between the conscious and unconscious. By analyzing sweat in diverse scenarios, we unlock insights into how our bodies instinctively react to the world versus how our minds shape those reactions. This knowledge helps individuals reflect on their physical and emotional states, fostering a deeper sense of self-awareness and alignment with our evolutionary roots.