Critical Design Blog

Hello, thanks for dropping by! 👋 This is a personal blog where I will post thoughts, questions, food for thought, etc... on the topic of "Critical Design". I hope you enjoy reading, and I look forward to you sharing your thoughts (e.g. in the comments) too!

[christinasthoughts]

Reflecting on the course

I'm sitting here (remembering this phrase as I definitely also used it in another previous blog post ✍🏻) thinking about the amazing experience I just went on, and I can't help but feel a sense of thankfulness and fulfilment. Today marks the end of a great course that forced me to step outside of my comfort zone, and attempt new experiences (as it began in the first lecture with the task of creating a blog and posting once every one to two weeks). Furthermore, I have thoroughly enjoyed every single lecture (and, of course, the exhibition). I had a lot of fun taking a course that didn't simply emphasise programming but also allowed me to practise other abilities beyond that, such as critical thinking and prototyping.

Dear readers, I appreciate you sticking with me on this amazing journey. 🙏🤗

[critical-patrick]

Memory Archive Cube vs. Sense Enhancer - final project

My group developed as a final project 2 different things, which both consist of similar parts but are not really connect to each other.

The memory archive cube was a further development of my initial object.

We did the story telling as a kind of "influencer unboxes super cool stuff and promotes it to viewers - without even knowing all about it".

Here are some pictures of the project, the objects and the making:

and now to the making: (we 3D printed, laser cutted, clued, clued, clued)

[christinasthoughts]

So as promised, here are our final prototypes (reblogging from my college, since he was faster than myself 👀).

[critical-nana]

.. a little sneak peak 👀

[christinasthoughts]

Hello everyone, as promised, here are updates on the development of our final prototypes. At this time, though, I won't provide any spoilers. 😉

We are now in the process of making our prototypes a reality. The lab space is brimming with options, from high-fidelity parts to unprocessed, low-fidelity materials (every substance can inspire our original thoughts and pique our creativity, as we figured out today again). We began by starting the 3D printing process (after learning how to use the machine; a special thank you to the people at the institute who assisted us in using the machinery) and then moved on to building our other objects and preparing the necessary parts for the laser cutter. ✂️

The bottom line is that today was a huge success, and a tonne of work was accomplished! ✨

The final touches and some awesome effects need to be added to our prototype when the 3D model is ready tomorrow. Stay tuned for further updates! 🤗

[christinasthoughts]

I was walking through the centre of Vienna the other day and noticed this saying in a shop window. What do you think, comment with 👍 if you agree or with 👎 if you disagree.

btw: just had another team meeting on our final project and it went quite well. We already have a strong strategy and I'm looking forward to revealing portions of it here on this blog soon, so stay tuned! 👀

[christinasthoughts]

[christinasthoughts]

Material Speculations 3: object concept of the earring

I'll introduce the object concept behind the stunning earrings known as HarmonEarrings in this blog post, but first of all, please have a look at my previous two blog entries, which demonstrate the mood board and mood sketch, before getting into the specifics of HarmonEarrings because the information in those postings will be the foundation for this one. 😉

What are the "HarmonEarrings"?  A significant part of the Black Mirror episode "Assisted Reality" revolves around these earrings. They are provided to the residents of Luxe Restraint, a luxurious assisted living facility, as a gift. They are not just usual earrings, though; they have cutting-edge sensors and the capacity to link with the wearer's brainwaves, creating a powerful bond between them and an AI carer named "HarmonGuide".

What are they doing, and what can you do with them?  These earrings accomplish two tasks. On the one hand, they represent luxury and elegance while enhancing the wearer's aesthetic look. On the other hand, they provide an entrance to Luxe Restraint's assisted living experience. Among others, the wearer's vitality values are captured by the integrated sensors, allowing the AI carer to gather information and continuously monitor the wearer's thoughts and feelings. The AI can anticipate the wearer's needs and wants thanks to this thorough monitoring, giving them individualised care and assistance.

What function do they serve in individuals' lives? The elderly people residing at Luxe Restraint *can* benefit from these earrings. They serve as a strong link to their AI carer. The AI also benefits from the data that is captured, as it turns out later in the episode.

How do they impact societal inequalities? These earrings contribute to societal inequality because they are part of a luxurious assisted living facility. Only those who can afford the Luxe Restraint have access to such medical technology and individualised treatment. This emphasises how different socioeconomic groups have varying access to resources for advanced assisted living.

How do they impact the environment? The manufacturing and disposal of technical devices have an impact on environmental problems like resource use and electrical waste.

Where are they produced, and where are they being used/deployed? The Luxe Restraint employs the skills of knowledgeable craftspeople, jewellery designers, and technological innovators in the earrings' production. The assisted living facility is where they are employed and utilised.

When do you use them, and when do they break? The residents of Luxe Restraint wear their earrings nonstop while they live there. They only "break" in the sense that they stop working properly if the AI carer is not reachable.

How can they be abused, hacked, and rectified if they malfunction? If the AI carer's programming is altered or hacked, the earrings may be misused or subject to hacking.

How are they manufactured, and how do various individuals use them differently?  The earrings are carefully created by hand. The earrings are given to the residents as they are getting into the restraint and are worn in exactly the same manner by each resident.

[christinasthoughts]

Material Speculations 2: mood board journey to the earring

🏅 Gold: The mood board is coloured in stunning, shining gold, a representation of wealth and elegance. The innate luxury of the earring is mirrored by the bright attraction of this precious metal.

🧑‍🎨 Design Inspiration: The earrings' design features are influenced by the pocket watch and a wedding ring. The fusion of their styles results in a composition that gracefully and charmingly embellishes the wearer's ears.

🔓 Lock: The earrings have an intriguing lock that has a deep meaning. Once worn, the earrings cannot be removed without the help of the AI.

🧠 Brain Connection: The seamless fusion of cutting-edge sensor technology and the wearer's vitality values is also symbolised in this mood board. It perfectly captures the idea that the earring serves as a conduit, synchronising with the wearer's needs, emotions, and desires.

🩺 Sensors: Pictures of the sophisticated sensor, supervision, and motherboard that are part of the earring are evidence of the cutting-edge technology that powers its enchantment. These hidden sensors create a secure link between the wearer's vitality values and the AI carer, building a foundation that guarantees unmatched personalisation and assistance.

[christinasthoughts]

Material Speculations 1: emotions on a piece of paper

I set a timer for five minutes and entered the world of mood sketching. My goal was to capture the intensity of a specific emotion on paper using rapid strokes and bold lines. As a result, the following striking image of an elderly person overcome with frustration and worry emerged: their face contorted into a scream, and their hands clutching their ears to block out the chaos or even to try to rip out the earrings. The golden stars in the background are intended to provide a striking contrast to the general luxury. ✍🏻

I had a specific song in mind when I was drawing because I discovered that the episode and Taylor Swift's song "Out of the Woods" have similar themes. Both involve a feeling of uncertainty, imprisonment, and the quest for freedom. The feeling of being stuck in a turbulent relationship depicted in the song is analogous to Lillian learning about the AI caregiver's secret objective. Lillian fights to free herself as she becomes aware of how technology has muddled the distinction between humans and machines. This relates to the song's theme of losing oneself and the anxiety associated with being unable to tell the difference between truth and delusion. 🎶

[christinasthoughts]

Making the Most of Missed Opportunities

Life has a tendency of throwing us unexpected curveballs, and sometimes we find ourselves unable to make it to a lecture. Nevertheless, I've chosen to look into other learning options rather than obsessing over what I missed. I want to closely resemble the experience by diving into the following exercises on "Material Speculations" that were provided during the lecture, exploring the content, and finding the hidden insights there. 👀

[critical-patrick]

The next Blackmirror episode just got featured!! 🥳

An object which exists in this story's world:

Memory Archive Cube: The Memory Archive Cube is a physical object that represents the storage and preservation of memories. It is a small, transparent cube in which people store their recorded memories. Each cube contains a collection of personal experiences, emotions and sensations that can be recalled at any time.

Some other objects not directly related to the story's world:

Reflection Mirror: In this world, a mirror is a ubiquitous object found in almost every home. Equipped with augmented reality capabilities and facial recognition technology, these mirrors constantly analyze and reflect society's perception of beauty and social norms. The mirror displays readings in real-time and provides instant feedback on a person's appearance, body shape, and social acceptance.

Privacy Shield Cloak: The Privacy Shield Cloak is a wearable garment made of advanced nanofiber fabric that shields the wearer from surveillance and data collection. When activated, it forms an impermeable barrier that blocks all attempts to access personal information, ensuring privacy and anonymity.

[christinasthoughts]

Have a look at this episode! 📺 I've got an additional idea for a potential object existing in the episode: The "Oblivion Key" It is commonly known as the Mindwipe, which casts an ominous shadow. It can erase memories, throwing souls into a state of ambiguity and chaos. One can traverse the interface with a touch and choose a particular period to be erased.

[critical-nana]

ready for a new episode?

Which objects exist in this story?

In this technologically advanced world, a hand scanning device allows people to to update their brain implants effortlessly. With this implant new abilities and enhancement can be unlocked, such as improved memory or heightened creativity. By scanning the hand, it recognizes the user and automatically links with the implant, so the owner can adjust its implant to his likings. However, individuals become slowly dependent on this technology, constantly craving for new updates.

[christinasthoughts]

Check this out! 👀 Here's another object from the story: The melancholy and hypnotic work called "The Eternal Discordance". Uncertainty and confusion are produced by its discordant harmonies, irregular rhythms, and unpredictable tonal alterations. The tune penetrates the musician's consciousness as they get fixated on unravelling its intriguing structure. The frightening presence of "The Eternal Discordance" interferes with the musician's thinking and exacerbates the unpredictable consequences, leading them to believe that the song may be the root of the implant problem. This piece tests their inventiveness while also pushing them to the brink of insanity.

[christinasthoughts]

One of the objects which exists in this story's world is the following:

When choosing to live in the "Luxe Restraint," one is given this stunning, pricey earring as a gift. However, this is not a typical earring. It has a number of sensors and can connect to the wearer's brainwaves. In order for the system to anticipate all needs and wants, the AI carer collects all the data and continuously observes the wearer's thoughts and feelings. Once in place, only the AI can open the lock, allowing it to be removed from the wearers' ears. 👂💎💭

[critical-nana]

a story in a world where we could record our memories...

... which somehow took (several) weird turns

anyways, in our last class we had to create a future world with a new technology + telling a story of a fictional person

this was the result and yea well, take a look yourself (also we totally did not run out of time at the end)

[christinasthoughts]

Have a look at this post from @critical-nana describing our last in-class session regarding narrative design in a nutshell 🥜

We started off with if/then exercises continued in defining ridiculous concepts regarding these developed concepts and finished off by creating a dystopian story about it ✍🏻

You may be wondering what this has to do with critical thinking; the answer is (apart from many other reasons):

Foster creativity: By challenging you to think of uncommon or unexpected scenarios, these exercises force you to think creatively and come up with fresh concepts. The ability to be creative in this way is crucial for critical thinking.

Call for information analysis: When developing a notion or story, you must take into account a variety of information and factors. To create a cogent narrative or concept, you must critically evaluate the circumstance and consider the many bits of information.

Now sit back and have a look at our outcomes 🪑🤖

[christinasthoughts]

There were several possibilities in the World Museum to let one's creativity run wild and to leave other visitors with (critical, awareness-raising, questionable, …) thoughts/ideas in a variety of forms.

Here is a photo that was taken by one of my colleagues while I was immersed in the contents of their minds. Remember: - "smile at people more" - "hug people" - "make them smile"

Loved this one, have a nice Tuesday! 🤗

[itsjustmarle]

Science Fiction(s): If there were a tomorrow

Big return.

Our last inspiring experience was entirely dedicated to lost ourselves in the corners of the Weltmuseum in Vienna.

The main attraction was the big exhibition about a speculative narrative of the future. I found definitely interesting the way for combining past and future going through the shapes of the present.

Moving through the spots:

1. Science fiction as a narrative of conquest and how indigenous artists from the USA and Canada use the movie Star Wars to tell the story of their own conquest.

2. Science fiction as creative resistance by artists from Brazil showing struggle against land grabbing and the destruction of their cultural identity.

3. Science fiction as a social experiment, journey into the unknown in which the first Syrian cosmonaut, who now lives as a refugee in Istanbul, continues his journey to Mars.

4/5. Science fiction as a discussions about the rights of non-human beings and the disappearance of humanity.

Science fiction as impulse to remember that is up to us to build new worlds to ensure that a positive future does not remain science fiction.

Free-thought spaces that I loved

Can you imagine our future? What it looks like?

Finally, I would like to share something I read recently that elicited automatic connections between these two reflective experiences.

Scientists Discover What Really Happens In The Brain When We Imagine The Future

A new study just confirmed that the default mode network is where we imagine the future. And they found two sub-networks in the DMN working

[delmana]

Science Fiction(s): If There Were a Tomorrow

On Tuesday, we visited the special exhibition "Science Fiction(s): Wenn es ein Morgen gäbe (If There Were a Tomorrow)" at the Weltmuseum in Vienna, which deals with the interface between science fiction and culture. One topic I was particularly interested in was the theme of colonialism in (South) America. This was a topic I had not been in close touch with before. Of course, I was already aware that the colonization process was characterized by violence, the exploitation of indigenous peoples and the imposition of European culture and religion. But to be shown this again, together with the effects of colonization, which are still noticeable today, sharpens the awareness of colonialism. I also found it particularly interesting how indigenous populations fight to preserve their cultural heritage and traditional way of life.