Design Studio 3

Digesting Sergio's talk on responsible design the third Design Studio touched on the 'why' of our projects and how we shape our next steps.

Project continuation

Getting closer to the community. Considering who does and doesn't benefit from our initiatives and how this is developing over time.

1. Work on multiscalar design space to look for new intervention opportunities
2. Find opportunities using the RI tool
3. Is there an intervention you can design that responds to a guiding question coming from the RI tool?

All human and non-human agents have a role in the trajectory of the project.

Q&A

• Do you feel responsible for the actors of your project?
To some extend, yes. Involving them and re-ideating to their responses is what I feel most responsible for.
Beyond that point that sense of responsibilty does fade - or has to - at least, since it gets in the way
of making next steps.
• Where do you set the boundaries of your experiental community?
Ideally the community around the project has some healthy sense of personal interest in correct outcomes.
So when the communal boundaries are at feedback and communication on a regular basis during the process
it would already be quite an achievement.
• What do I know and what not about my project? (assumptions, interests, values..)
On a certain level I know what the product needs to grow into which outcome. I know the paths in which
the project can head and which (design)decisions lead to that. I am aware of its uncertainties and weaknesses.
• Am I commited enough?
Yes
• In what sense am I corresponding to an interest, a need or an expectation of socio-technical contexts?
The post-truth era is real and the recent increase of social consciousness on our impact on earth is a good thing.
If the project can contribute to those developments in - perhaps - unexpected ways and places maybe some
of the choices we make as self-convinced consumers can be rethought.
• How do you promote diversity and inclusivisity and how adaptable is your project?
The project is centered around a versatile, tiny plant. While discussing it the response usually varied between
ridiculing it and being intrigued by it. In the first place, seeing those reactions really exposes both the
character and stigmas accosiated with Duckweed but maybe even moreso, Duckweed shows a bit of the
characteristics of its perceiver.