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Communicating Ideas

Info

FACULTY: Pablo Zuloaga

CALENDAR: 16-01 → 31-03

TRACK: Reflection

Technoecology

Project Vision

The Core

WHAT?
Highlight how the environment is changing due to our perception and use of technology. Disrupt our conception of developing new technologies with technocratic solutions, instead stimulate alternative ways which co-operate with the ecological state.
HOW?
Education, Interdisciplinary Research, Open Source Strategies, Artistic Expression.
WHY?
There is a urgent need to cooperate in between the different disciplines to resist the polycrisis we are facing. The ways we are now addressing the ecological crises are not working, so it’s important to take a step back and reconsider both the concepts of technology and ecology. At the same time, we need to keep hope and imagine new futures through a powerful narration, without referring only to a specialised and academic public.

Stakeholders & Communication Strategy

The exercise of the communication radar was instrumental in clarifying my thoughts. Even though I thought that my project lacked a clear direction, this tool allowed me to precisely define my area of interest and identify potential peers with whom I could collaborate. In this process I identified multiple channels through which to diffuse and communicate my potential project, which mostly resonate with the fields of scientific research, art, and culture. Therefore I selected specific collectives, festivals, physical and digital magazines that resonate with my vision.

So Far?

These reflections and visions found their first concrete realization through GAIA, which my peers and I presented during Design Dialogues II. GAIA is my initial speculative and practical attempt to forge a symbiotic relationship between technology and nature. Throughout this process, new ideas and reflections emerged, for example:

  • The narrative that we used to communicate these ideas is fundamental: While abstractions can be dangerous to hide underlying concepts, they can also serve as a powerful tool to stimulate cultural and perspective changes.
  • The realistic aspect is not relegated to the background: From the interactions during the Design Dialogues, many new possible ideas emerged. Therefore, leveraging the power of communication from the beginning to gain attention can lead to more credibility and feasibility by designing efficient purposes. This is most likely to be achieved by expanding the niche and collaborating with people from other fields.
  • The prototyping process was so much fun and intense: The very core of the project lays in hacking the original computer to make it work according to our issues while preserving its original components and behavior. Additionally, the challenge of combining this electrical system with moisture and water was not easy, but it led to a completely different approach to prototyping compared to working only with electronics themselves.

From the outcomes of this experience, I am excited to continue with this vision in the final project.

Teaser Video