Societal Structures
My final year project, in conjunction with Sustainable Futures Africa, was split in to two parts. The first part saw me work in a team of four to establish and present a future world within which I would design.
We were assigned the title of ‘societal structures’ to speculate for. Our overall task was to design for sustainable futures in the Global South, specifically imagining roles in development in ten years time.
We found it challenging to design a projected future world depicting societal structures in the Global South. We were acutely aware of our privileged position in the world and the glaring fact that the Global North, in retrospect, has not necessarily developed in the best manner.
Considering this, we exhibited a mobile learning tool, that allows for societies
to model their own ideas for development from within, allowing for a fresh and local-before-global approach, that we believed was more sustainable in the long run. Crucially, we introduced ‘nature’ as a key stakeholder or ‘block’ within the typically acknowledged blocks that make up society like economy, education and faith.
Have a look at the project in more detail via the website;
As we all know in the design world... it all starts with sticky notes!
Our first iteration was quite literally quick and dirty...
Back to the drawing (post-it) board!
Let's get more serious about this; to the workshop!
Our second iteration was far more refined, yet still playful and inviting interaction.
Although it was perhaps a little abstract!
Time to re-think again...
The Final Iteration...
We aimed to keep the play-like aesthetic, as it invited interaction and encouraged learning.
We refined the structural element, adding a more fixed modular system and available materials for the public exhibition.
The installation really came into its own during a live show, where the public were able to interact with it.
Thank you for checking it out!
...
No seriously, thank you.
