Innovation Showcases (Asynchronous Session)
Soil as Creative Textile Substitute to Restore Ecology System in Post-pandemic Time View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Khajornsak Nakpan
COVID-19 pandemic has an unprecedented global effect, especially on the way people live. We have to stop our routines, be extremely cautious, and follow social distancing measures. The global economy is also grinding to a stop. It looks as if the pandemic will slow humans down from our fast-paced development. It is an advancement which comes at a cost of environment destruction. We are tipping the natural balance. We should therefore take this an opportunity to pause and reflect on the situation as the world will never be the same again. In responding to the current situation, the researcher has started to experiment with soil in order to find potential new materials which can substitute traditional fabric. I also compare brown pigments found in soil with melanin, pigments which determine the range of human skin colors. In addition, the researcher applies Albert Henry Munsell's color theory to identify qualities of the color by its hue. In the study, the skin colors and the colors of the textile substitute material are categorized according to Fitspatrick Skin Prototype in order to develop a standard reference. The production process and efficiency of the technology is then tested and improved until it can be consistently replicated. Knowledge from the research can be used to respond to the crisis. Future textiles can integrate innovation and aesthetics to create new relationships between human and technology. This can also raise our awareness of ecological systems.
Building a System of Open-Access Digital Materials for Creative Online Activism View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Hye-Jin Nae, Miguel Cardona
We are living in a society that has been driven apart by media, technology, and misinformation. The effective use of violent extremist propaganda to recruit youth is an ever-present challenge and danger. The Ex-Out mobile app is a digital handbook that helps those looking to make a difference, create shareable social media content, and educate others in combating hatred and violence online. Through access to educational materials and a custom image creation tool, users can become more socially aware and inspired to create and share their messages. Alongside the app, our website houses an open-source media kit of visual assets that are free and ready-to-use creative assets, templates, and a style guide to promote users’ messaging. Leveraging emerging tools, a diverse group of student creators, and a collaborative process, we can create engaging, interactive solutions that help transform our digital dialogues. Our goal with the Ex-Out project is to create a space that delivers educational materials and encourages others to bring positive change through the experience of learning, making, and sharing. We hope our work will sow the seeds for future communities to educate and encourage others to bring positive change. Our showcase aims to share our practice of making digital products with a small group of people in academia. Our lessons learned and project process, including the available tools and software that we are using for productivity and the collaborative process of building the mobile app and digital project management in a small group setting.
