Future Waves
D-Mars - Design Research Out of this World: In Search for New Ideas and Technologies for Extra-terrestrial Habitation
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Romi Mikulinsky
New conceptual frameworks are evolving as we move towards deep space exploration; the design of stable habitats capable of sustaining life is therefore becoming essential. The variances between the natures of the atmospheres and landscapes, the constraints of mobilizing materials, combined with conceptual and ethical challenges arising from humans’ immigration from Earth, render the design of such complex constructions a remarkable challenge (physical and theoretical). This study overviews the challenges and outcomes of a unique design seminar dedicated to the possibility of inhabiting Mars. This initiative is a collaboration between Bezalel Academy’s Graduate Program in Industrial Design and D-MARS space analog research center, located at Ramon Crater. The goal is to inspire and encourage designers and inventors to advance new ideas and technologies for extra-terrestrial habitation. We focus on the following challenges, considering design projects working not just on the individual level, but on what the collective is and may be: 1.Habitat - Team designs a sustainable shelter for a crew of 4-6 astronauts, using a variety of construction techniques and materials from available technologies, as well as envisioning novel possibilities. 2.Space Colonialism - The Anthropocene is a widely used term indicating a period where human activity has profoundly changed Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and surface. This group's design outcome highlights ethical concerns regarding the colonization of Mars in response to the dramatic human effects on Earth's ecosystem. 3. Ecotourism - Ecological Space Tourism - Can we limit human impact on the environment and turn space waste into new sustainable experiences?
Resonate: Nostalgia in a Post-Postmodern World
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jon Jicha
Our appetite for nostalgia in post-structural/post-modern western consumer culture reflects a value system that extends beyond the production of objects. Imbued with emotive content derived from advertising and propaganda, these sensory ‘things’ have become place-holders for our collective landscape…as permanent and real as the real. So, what is post-Postmodern? What inhabits the nostalgic space of Generation X? What does it mean to live in a primary online-dependent world? These and other questions, were debated by a group of undergraduate students from Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design. The conversations centered around researching artifacts, language, memes, music, advertising, and online environments. The May 2019 exhibition, Resonate: Nostalgia in a Post-Postmodern World, discussed in this paper, is the result of their investigations and ruminations.
Content Creation in the Undergraduate Design Classroom View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Christine Lhowe
Students often graduate design programs able to articulate creative concepts and the visual decisions made in crafting their work. Less often are they able to verbalize the strategy behind the content and the research that impacted the form. In addition to teaching technical skills and creative thinking, educators have the responsibility of creating ethical designers knowledgeable about the messages they are communicating. This paper shares the results and learnings of two course projects where students work with user groups—including the disabled community and under-represented populations—to conduct research in order to create authentic content advocating for positive social change.
