1. design studio

intro week

extended workspace

workspace + my community of practice

atlas of week signals cards + areas of opportunity

new week singnal

The idiotization of idols

The same way we build contemporary monuments (skyscrapers, etc.) that represent the true ugliness of human race (banks, insurance companies, among the worst) and deminer the aesthetic aspect of our cities making them an oppressive environment that forces citizens to endure overscale structures that project no collective positive value but the actual ambition to cheat and living off at the expense of the less fortunate. We build these monuments that represent the value of a small section of our societies strongest ambitions instead of building monuments that can actually hold a collective community value that people can look up to and societies can thrive.

The same way, we as a society are fomenting the creation of contemporary idols (influencers, tech giants, etc.) that not only make a living on the manipulation of information to safeguard their lifestyles while collecting revenue from the unregulated mass commercialization of garbage they create a necessity for by setting unrealistic expectations of what an accomplished person should look and act like, but also are fundamental idiots that represent no collective value onto which a society can look up to and thrive. Modern idols preach all the trending sustainability practices but promote individualism and mass consumption.

This is my new weak signal.

design space

reflection 1

reflection 2

1.1. 1pp intervention

As a first approach to interacting with or within our setting and understanding what it means to apply the skill set and conceptual framework given through the course, an intervention through 1pp (first person perspective) is proposed.

The main objective of this exercise as mentioned is to get a taste of what it means to plan, design and implement action on a specific case study. Nevertheless, the main criteria to develop this intervention is focused on the designer's personal design space and relevant aspects of inquiry the researcher has on the area of interest.

Conceptual framework:

1. collaborate with things:

Focus on non-human actors and try to consider them on the same level as you.
Exploration of non-human agencies: Extensive RPG
Power change scenarios: Agency of objects

2. "Derive" - Drifting / Deribas

Psycho geographical effects + hyperawareness

Intervention plan:

4/6 hour drift starting at IAAC

Main inquiries:

What alternative uses of public space are available or untapped?
What does it feel like to use public space in an alternative way?
Is it possible to give the public space an alternative use by altering it's perception not it's infrastructure?

1.2. collaborative intervention

For the second intervention of the masters program, the task was tackled in groups. These groups were formed by composing a collective design space with the entire group and then making connections between different aspects of each other's interests to match with people working on similar or relative areas.

Once these groups were confirmed, the next step was to find common ground within the group. This meant to define a thematic around which the exercise could be developed and define what it is that each of the researchers wanted to gain from this collaboration. This exercise allowed to further extend the focus of the design space each of the students is developing on their own and to consider different points of view for the original elements analyzed in it.

front

Ones this aspects were agreed upon, it was decided that the best possible outcome would come from the following set of parameters:

Subject: average passerby - middle to upper class
Activity: collaborative building - 3D puzzle
Setting: public space - public park

Objective:

Understand how willing are people to perform a physical activity (to build something) interrupting their activities (leisure / recreational use of public space) without knowing the outcome or its final purpose by collaborating with each other. Get the reaction of people after performing the activity and explaining that the object would be not for their benefit or use but for someone else's.

front

Personal interests:

Triggering new habits in public spaces
Triggering collaboration in public spaces
Would people perform an activity without a reward nor knowing the outcome?
Would people in public spaces perform an activity, the benefits of which will be for the next passerby?
Is it possible to use public spaces in an alternative manner without changing its infrastructure?

Intervention plan:

What are we doing this for?
What do we need people to do?
To build a 3D puzzle
Build for someone else
Passerby will be approached and asked to contribute on a small 3D puzzle building.