Design & Consequences
This project aims to explore the consequences of design
Law & Design
I was exploring the relationship between law and design in the ‘Hertzian Space’ of communication. Looking into how law responds to new technology and how design adapts itself to function under the new laws; I arrived at investigating the hierarchy of legal responsibility. Here I was attempting to design a consequence, where I could ask who’s responsible, if the law is broken in such way. I was exploring the grey areas of law through design.
'Design tends to be, a lot of times transparent, which means you understand how things are made... As technology becomes more design, it becomes more obscure. You understand what the object does or what you can do with it, but you don't understand how it does it. So its a closed subject, which you don't have any information, now you have to investigate it in another way...'
Roberto Feo of El Ultimo Grito, Interview, 2017
long LONG range THERemin
One of the outcomes was an instrument that could be played with your body. The device reversed the order in which you interact with music. Normally by listening to music you begin to dance, but in this case your dance generated the sound. Although it required a better sound engineering, it was very interactive and fun to play with. This was a functional prototype, but its functionality was developed using software, instead of hardware. In the story, the device followed the principles of a
Theremin, which is an instrument that uses your body as a capacitor. This means the closer you come to it, the higher frequency it will produce and vice versa. My proposal was that if we raise the maximum frequency of the device, we could play it using the whole body, rather than just the hands. However, consequently this would mean coming too close to the device results in producing a very high frequency, turning the instrument to a phone jammer_ which is a violation of UK’s frequency bands. Hypothetically if the remote controller breaks, the device becomes illegal to switch off. Getting too close to the instrument, is an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. Meaning the person would be charged with a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Pointing out to the restrictions we have created for ourselves_ as Michel Callon mentioned, technology ‘creates systems which close off other options’
plant pot phone jammer
At the time, the news reposted two animals being arrested. In Colchester, England, a dog attacked and killed a baby, and the owner was not questioned at all. In India the police didn't track the trail of the spy, instead they arrested the massage carrying pigeon. Being puzzled by these, I made a Touch-Sensitive Jammer. Using a jammer is illegal in the UK, but owning one is not.
My proposal was a signal jammer that activates with touch. The story was that, if a snail or a slug attempts to eat one of the leaves and consequently turn the jammer on, would I get arrested or the slug? I showed the piece to 3 police officers and asked them this question. They answer with doubt, that I would be the one in trouble as I own the device. However, there are no laws that sates such a claim, as this product doesn't exist in the market_ to be owned in the first place. This piece abled me to speak to the police about this grey area. I highly doubt that I could have engaged with the officers with an ordinary jamming device. Maybe the image would have appeared too familiar, for them to engage in an imaginary scenario where a slug could become responsible. However, I consider the interaction a fail, as I have made no attempt in documenting the conversations.
Solution Finding, Problem causing
This part investigates the use of design for solving problems and explores whether or not we harm the environment, and ourselves, through our problem solving activities. It illustrates our attempts to solve the problems of everyday life, by creating overcomplicated thing, and asks if we create bigger problems as the results of our solutions.
Self-disposable packaging
A packaging with two robotic legs, which are folded on the sides of the pack. The packaging contains a battery, GPS system and runs by a piezoelectric sensor. When the user finishes the pack, the package turns on and takes itself to the trash can.
Dishwasher desk/dinning table
A dinning table, which can turn to a desk by itself. To simplify, it is a self-cleaning table. On one end there is a flat surface as a desk. On the other end there is the dinning table, which has magnetic plates and cutlery attached to it and contains a surface that varies in level. When the button is clicked. The surface goes down and a convertible like surface folds over. The washing process then takes place as soon as the convertible surface is locked into place. The tabletop then rises to the top of the table legs, allowing it to rotate 180 degrees. Once the tabletop is completely flipped over, it will then lower and lock itself at the height of interest. Therefore providing you with a desk or a table without the need to be cleaned.
Body Dryer
It turns on when you stand on the surface in the middle and dries your body. Ending the usage of towels.
