Miro board
My personal reflection on the Miro board. I created it with the intention of mapping out the project I aim to undertake in the MDEF program, making it a predominantly theoretical exercise. This process proved instrumental in identifying weaknesses, particularly in the environmental aspects, encompassing the entire lifespan and environmental considerations. I believe the project is well-positioned within the community context.
My main takeaways from this activity are that it helps you identify blind spots and expand the areas of your project with a sense of exploration and opportunity in itself.
The reflection lab is a tool for recognizing better opportunities and exploring ways to enhance a personal project with increased awareness of subjects that may not have been considered before. It also serves as a means to gain new perspectives and insights for development
For my first design intervention this trimester, I utilized the biomaterials I had developed for digital prototyping. I ventured to a park with a friend with the primary aim of creating a wearable top. However, the focus was on the experience itself. We enjoyed a picnic and approached the design process playfully, prioritizing exploration over the final outcome
At the beginning, I felt nervous, fearing that it might not work out, especially because we had to figure out how to attach the figures to the material. Fortunately, eyelash glue worked perfectly. We started with a meal and conversation, and then, in an after-lunch activity, we began our project. I entrusted decision-making to my friend, Alexandra, allowing her to lead the design choices. Suddenly, we found a rhythm and direction. It was enjoyable to relinquish control over the final result and simply embrace the process and to laugh and experience the endorphins for creating.
The children in the park approached us, their curiosity piqued by our activities. They ended up joining us, playing with the bio-materials I gifted them. They asked questions and stayed to watch the entire process unfold. I didn't take pictures of this due to respect of their privacy.
I find this experience to be an excellent starting point for designing with bio-materials, emphasizing co-creative processes and adopting a non-western perspective, particularly in approaching activities for the sheer pleasure of engaging in them.
Here is the Miro board where I have put the values, actors, infrastructure and more ideas for the design interventions to come
To further pursue my interests, I participated in Pilot Transitions 1 with Petra. During this experience, I had the opportunity to visit a shoe factory, attend classes on design for disassembly, engage in discussions about the leather industry, participate in workshops, and hear talks from businesses focusing on circular economy practices, particularly in denim fabric reuse.
Through this experience, I had the chance to connect with women immersed in the creative and fabric culture, each with their own unique projects, ideas, and interests in digital fabrication and reuse. This encounter provided invaluable insights and potential avenues for collaboration and exploration within my own project.
With Minnie, we dedicated sessions to learning Grasshopper, following tutorials while also allowing ourselves the freedom to play and explore. We delved into how we could apply these newly learned shapes to digital fabrication and the use of recycled materials. Starting from scratch, these shapes provided us with a platform to begin thinking about design in objects and processes for fabrication. Through this experimentation, we honed our skills and expanded our understanding of how to bring our creative visions to life while integrating sustainable practices.
From this initial process, we also experimented with resin printing the figures. My plan is to combine these techniques into a cohesive process that integrates recycled trash. I've been collecting discarded materials from construction sites and exploring the use of plastics with a sewing machine. By incorporating these elements, I aim to create innovative and sustainable designs that merge digital fabrication with traditional crafting methods, all while promoting environmental consciousness.
For the design dialogs with Minnie and I reworked a dynamic machine originally made from trash during the Micro Challenge week. After addressing mistakes from the first iteration, we reinstalled it. Now, its movement reflects the Barcelona weather forecast, symbolizing the flow of trash in ocean waves.
I shared my material exploration with peers, discussing design and inviting their input on how they would use it. Their perspectives were valuable, confirming that my work intrigued them enough to spark ideas. This encouraged me to pose the question to the community I want to engage with: "What would you do with this?"
I believe that despite being clear about what I want to achieve, the most challenging aspect for me remains reaching and collaborating with the community. This could be due to my personality or the lifestyle I've led here in Barcelona. However, from this point, I have the guidance to collaborate with the community I wish to engage with, whether in Chile or Berlin, especially because I have a stronger support system there. Although I saw myself as more decisive this term, I still feel trapped by my pursuit of perfection.
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