View
126
Download
4
Category
Tags:
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
A presentation about the Synapse Studio and a series of Design Workshops we led at VCUQatar, Doha, culminating in a talk at the Tasmeem Doha 2011 Conference.
Citation preview
Anab Jain | Director, Co-Founder, SuperfluxMarhaba
Friday, 8 April 2011
Marhaba everyone! (Hello in Arabic) Its a pleasure to be here at VCUQatar, and I’d like to thank Line, Muneera and Pornprapha for inviting me to lead the Health and Wellbeing Synapse Design Studio and the series of workshops, it has been a very exciting challenge!
Health and WellbeingSynapse Design Studio, VCUQatar
Friday, 8 April 2011
Let me start right from the beginning. Back in October last year, I was invited to lead the Synapse studio at VCUQatar kicked off, under the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Topic. The studio had students from graphic design, fashion and interior design, and was conceived as a point of convergence, a chance for the students to work on a mulitdisciplinary project.
LOCAL FIELD VISIT
Friday, 8 April 2011
The students and I kicked off the studio by visiting various different hospitals, health clinics in an attempt to understand the landscape. Here in Doha, there are hospitals for men, women, and for people with different economic backgrounds. Some like this one, are on a very impressive scale, equivalent to a five star hotel. Local Qatari citizens get free surgeries, and some of the more popular ones have been in cosmetic enhancement.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Especially rhinoplasty, or what is more popularly known as the ‘nose job’.
Friday, 8 April 2011
A small surgery that requires you to be in the hospital only for a day, makes a significant difference to your appearance.
Stem cell bank still
Friday, 8 April 2011
Another medical centre that recently came up is the Virgin health bank, banking umbilical cord stem cells. This particular bank is of huge significance here in Qatar, because the country has one of the highest number of genetic disorders in the world.
Friday, 8 April 2011
In fact, to decrease the deformities the Government has made pre-marital examination compulsory.
Diabetes Walk, Qatar
Friday, 8 April 2011
Another reason for the bank is that Qatar also has a large number of people who suffer from diabetes, which is caused by a hereditary gene which is moving within a very small population.
As science and medical technology progresses in rapid steps, bringing possibilities to not just cure, but also significantly enhance the functions of our bodies, what would be the implications on our health and wellbeing?
CREATING THE DESIGN BRIEF:
Friday, 8 April 2011
So looking at these different aspects of the landscape - where on one side: Cheap, quick, painless cosmetic surgery has meant we whiten our teeth, remove excess fat, alter the shape of our nose, while on other, stem cell therapy is becoming commonplace, we formulated the key question for the design brief.
ECONOMICS | TECHNOLOGY | DESIRES
Friday, 8 April 2011
We identified three key factors - Economics, Technologies and our own human Desires - have created a space for something new to happen.
BEYOND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Friday, 8 April 2011
This new space is a conceptual area, but also fast becoming a real market space that is almost ‘beyond health and wellbeing’ the way we understand. This is not to suggest that its a ‘good’ space, but its a new space, and will continue to open up. What sorts of products, services and experiences will occupy this space? And how will designers play a role in shaping this space? Lets take a moment to see what is happening in other parts of the world....
AIMEE MULLINS: ‘FUNCTIONAL’ ENHANCEMENT
Friday, 8 April 2011
This is Aimee Mullins, a very wellknown American amputee, athlete
Friday, 8 April 2011
And a fashion model!
Friday, 8 April 2011
And these are some of her 12 legs... she works closely with a fashion designer to create special prosthetics for different needs and occasions.
Friday, 8 April 2011
But not just Aimee anymore. Bespoke Prosthetics, is a company that designs and produces ‘good looking’ prosthetics for anyone who needs one. Clearly, designers are actively shaping this area.
How will you as designers address these questions within the context of Qatar?
Qatari Citizens (minority) Migrant WorkersExpats
Friday, 8 April 2011
Bringing it back to the studio the key question for the students was how would they rise to these societal changes within the context of Qatar. Given their field research, did they think that those with limitless access might indulge further, perhaps with a desire to buy into a new ‘enhanced lifestyle’ or even beat ageing? Or would the decreasing costs of these technologies allow all, even for those without much access, to ‘benefit’?
STUDIO OBJECTIVES:
• UNCOVER SOCIETAL CONCERNS
• ENGAGE IN CRITICAL THINKING
• EXPLORE WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Friday, 8 April 2011
The biggest thing this studio hoped to achieve was to work as a catalyst that would empower the students to uncover societal concerns, engage in critical thinking and explore implications of their work within the wider economic and technological changes. Ultimately this would directly impact their specific design projects that were going on simultaneously.
Zaina Abu Dayeh
Friday, 8 April 2011
One of my students, Zaina, interviewed lot of her friends around their aspirations for cosmetic enhancements. She found out that there was a need for a constant change in one’s appearance, either due to unspoken social pressures, or plain boredom. For instance, one of the girls was about to go for rhinoplasty so that the profile photographs of her wedding will look better.
Questions: “What is the perfect body?
“If medical technology allows you to have a perfect body would you try?”
Does you consider acquiring this ‘perfect body’ due to social pressures?”
Zaina Abu Dayeh
Context:“Woman are covered with Abbayeh; very little of the female body is shown.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“It is getting more and more difficult to define a concept of contemporary beauty. In urban society, where the hunt for perfection begins at an early age and modified ‘plastic beauties’ wave from the covers of glossy magazines, humanity’s struggle for perfection appears almost limitless.”
The Theory of Divine Proportions
Zaina Abu Dayeh
Friday, 8 April 2011
She investigated further, and started drawing out the theory of divine proportions over photographs of her friends and interviewees.
Sketches: ‘The Device / Machine / Artefact’
Friday, 8 April 2011
She went on design a scanning service, that would allow people to see themselves post cosmetic enhancement. these are her early sketches of a machine, that people walk towards, and scan themselves:
screen grab of her device possibilities
SERVICES OFFERED:
Friday, 8 April 2011
At the scanner one could select one or more of these services. What is interesting about this is that by suggesting a device that lowers the barriers to cosmetic surgery still further - the device becomes an embodiment of these wider trends and allows people to engage with those trends in a totem. after making these prototype sketches she went back to the women she had interviewed earlier:
Video Interview 1
“Here in Doha, I know many friends, who from a very young age, they like to do surgeries, specially their nose and stuff... and it would be good to store a record of their faces before doing it, so that they dont get shocked.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
One of them said: “Here in Doha, I know many friends, who from a very young age, they like to do surgeries, specially their nose and stuff... and it would be good to store a record of their faces before doing it, so that they dont get shocked.”
Video Interview 2
After seeing an image of my face with perfect nose, I’d be convinced to change it. And if everyone who used the service felt the same way and would want to change themselves, then no one would be unique, and I think that’s something people should avoid.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“After seeing an image of my face with perfect nose, I’d be convinced to change it. And if everyone who used the service felt the same way and would want to change themselves, then no one would be unique, and I think that’s something people should avoid.”
Video Interview 3
“After seeing those advertisements and posters, I am very keen to use this service. It gives people a view of what the outcome of the surgery might be, and seeing how it can produce a perfect human face, its much more encouraging to go and try it out.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“After seeing those advertisements and posters, I am very keen to use this service. It gives people a view of what the outcome of the surgery might be, and seeing how it can produce a perfect human face, its much more encouraging to go and try it out.”
THE ‘IDEAL’ BODY
Friday, 8 April 2011
One of the key questions that Zaina’s work brought up was around humanity’s limitless struggle for the ideal body.
Yang Soon Elizabeth Ju
Friday, 8 April 2011
Her research focussed on interviews with expats, and increasing interest in the...
Stem cell bank still
Friday, 8 April 2011
...Virgin health bank, stem cell therapy in qatar, its side effects on our skin (making people look younger) and resulting impact on our identities.
How can fashion become a powerful tool to remind us of the fragility of our bodies?
How can design remind us that imperfection could be valuable?
How can designers be involved in an active debate around such technologies that will shape our futures?
Yang Soon Elizabeth Ju
Friday, 8 April 2011
Based on her research, Elizabeth raised the following questions:
Imperfection as Accessory Degeneration over Time An Ageless Society
Friday, 8 April 2011
Her response was a series of fashion accessories that raise critical questions about the nature of stem cell therapy and its consequences. With a large percentage of the population going in for stem cell therapy, she wonders if the side effects of this treatment could turn the cure into a fetish? If it could make you look ‘young’ and ‘hide the process of ageing’ would those without any ailments also want it? Through a series of fashions accessories she aims to draw attention to the fragility of our bodies, its relationship to disease, and the process of ageing.
IMPERFECTION AS ACCESSORY
Friday, 8 April 2011
The first by Elizabeth is aiming to raise questions about the growing genetic health concerns in Qatar. The inspiration for this exploration is Homocystinuria, which is one of the most common genetic disorders worldwide as well as in Qatar. One of the major symptoms include abnormally tall and thin spidery fingers, and longer than average limbs. Post stem cell therapy, when most of the population would have ‘perfect bodies’ - would fashion accessories be needed to create ‘imperfection’ and remind us of past genetic deformities?
DEGENERATON OVER TIMEFriday, 8 April 2011
Inspired by the small and numerous skin pricks that diabetes patients endure from daily injections, this dress has small luminescent dots on the waist where a diabetes patient might have had to make regular pricks. Post stem cell therapy, when people no longer suffer from diabetes, could fashion remind us of the fragility of our bodies?
AGELESS SOCIETY
Friday, 8 April 2011
The last piece by Elizabeth is conceived as an external body clock. This wearable artefact gently cracks over the lifetime of its owner, cracks revealing the ageing process. Designed for a scenario where stem cell therapy makes most of the population look visibly younger, would we perhaps need external devices to remind us of the passage of time?
AUGMENTATION / ENHANCEMENT
Friday, 8 April 2011
Elizabeth raised critical questions around the role of technology in generating desires for augmentation or enhancement.
* Wake up at 4:00 am
* 4:30 company transportation
* 11 pm sleep* 1 room 6 people (sometimes 10)
* No medical facilities
* no break time
* Salary 1400
* No insurance* Cut from salary to pay the agency 3000
* Not able to enjoy weekends because of stress
* Implicit knowledge of each other’s whereabouts.
Al Hussein Ahmed Wanas
Friday, 8 April 2011
Finally, my third student Hussein was working with migrant workers, speaking with them, even following them through their working days whenever he managed to get permissions.
“How can design enable migrant workers to escape from the daily mundane pressures of working life?”
Al Hussein Ahmed Wanas
Friday, 8 April 2011
Hussein quickly realised that he found himself in situations that were difficult, and much bigger then what he, as a designer had ever considered before. He wondered, how could design enable migrant workers to escape from the daily mundane pressures of working life?”
Could I create playful tools & services that might allow migrant workers to have the experience of momentarily being ‘Super Enhanced’?
Al Hussein Ahmed Wanas
Friday, 8 April 2011
Sketching out ideas - ranging from anti gravitational elevators to virtual identity and holographic pads. This is very much a work-in-progress at the moment.
ENHANCING HEALTH SERVICES
Friday, 8 April 2011
Hussein’s project brought the Studio’s third key question around ‘enhancing health services’
SYNAPSE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING DESIGN WORKSHOPS
Friday, 8 April 2011
And so finally, The learning, as well as the emergent themes from our Design Studio provided us with the framework for the three workshops that we lead during the Tasmeem Conference.
MY IDEAL BODY IS...
HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORKSHOP BY ANAB JAIN | SYNAPSE TASMEEM DOHA 2011 | VCUQATARPOSTERS DESIGNED BY CAROLINA VALLEJO AND ANAB JAIN, SUPERFLUX, LONDON | www.superflux.in
IF I HAD ONE DEVICE TO
HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORKSHOP BY ANAB JAIN | SYNAPSE TASMEEM DOHA 2011 | VCUQATARPOSTERS DESIGNED BY CAROLINA VALLEJO AND ANAB JAIN, SUPERFLUX, LONDON | www.superflux.in
ENHANCE MY BODY...
HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORKSHOP BY ANAB JAIN | SYNAPSE TASMEEM DOHA 2011 | VCUQATARPOSTERS DESIGNED BY CAROLINA VALLEJO AND ANAB JAIN, SUPERFLUX, LONDON | www.superflux.in
OPEN SOURCE POSTERS
Friday, 8 April 2011
The themes were translated into three open-source posters. Each poster posed a question, playful, yet provocative, inviting participants to annotate them.
Friday, 8 April 2011
And soon the participants began to warm up:
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
The poster that was empty on day 1, soon
Friday, 8 April 2011
Grew...
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Till it was full of layers of ideas from people who were expressing hidden desires as well as deep fears. Playful and imaginative conversations began to emerge.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Let me share a few from each poster: “I’d like a smaller face and a higher neck.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“Just a little less fat”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“wish I had longer, faster legs”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“even the ability to run 20 miles a day. doubled muscle tissue to increase physical strength, a smaller ribcage would be useful.”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“Wings maybe?”
Friday, 8 April 2011
“Fast growing hair”
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
even fangs!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Similarly a poster that posed the above question
Friday, 8 April 2011
Also grew steadily over the course of three days
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
And once again, lets zoom into some of the doodles
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
A mix of interesting themes emerged.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Lastly, the poster around health services
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Had some quite interesting ideas too.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
The one about free and equal health service for humans and animals sparked a big debate (with the Gulf context)
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
image?
Friday, 8 April 2011
These posters worked as ice breakers, helping strangers get to know each other quickly enough to actually be able to align thematically, and work together on micro design projects - they generated the energy that lead teams to quickly move into the...
THE MAKING!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Making phase! Pretty much like a ‘pressure project’ or a quick design project, designers and non designers worked alongside... to cross-pollinate ideas, concerns, hopes and desires.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Fun was had by all!
PRESENTATION TIME!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
Each workshop lasted about 3.5 hours. Following the making and deliberating phase, all the groups spent the last 15 minutes presenting their ideas. (remember, lot of non-designers were participating, so this was a new experience, and they did very well!)
Friday, 8 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
THE DESIGN IDEAS
Friday, 8 April 2011
Let me go through just few of the ideas that were presented!
HEAR WHAT YOU EAT
Friday, 8 April 2011
One group came up with ‘Hear What You Eat’ - A food sensor on the fingers that is connected to your ear, giving you instant information about the nutritious value of the food you eat -
Friday, 8 April 2011
Which gets triggered when you are about to tuck into fat burgers and triple-cheese pizzas!
MY IDEAL BODY WOULD BE INVISIBLE
Friday, 8 April 2011
This group declared that their ideal body was one that could be made invisible. So that they could go to the beach in a bikini rather then the Abbayah swimming costume, go on dates, to the disco and even steal from a bank.
DEVICES THAT HELP YOU FORGET
Friday, 8 April 2011
One group set about designing a set of devices that explored the concept of memory loss. Again it was a women-only group, raising a lot of concerns around freedom and experiences of trauma.
DEVICES THAT HELP YOU FORGET
Friday, 8 April 2011
Set of implants and fashion objects - depending on your situation you are given the device. From small memory losses to avoid information overload to dealing with deeper issues of trauma.
SUPER HERO TOOL KIT
Friday, 8 April 2011
One group set about designing a super hero tool kit, as a tool to explore the aspirations of the conference participants.
SELF-DIAGNOSTICS FOR PANDEMICS
Friday, 8 April 2011
In times of pandemics such as the swine flu, there is often a log of panic, and people are not clear about their symptoms. Hospitals on the other hand are unable to handle the crowds of people pouring in - could we create self diagnostic services that work as a ‘step in-between’?
Friday, 8 April 2011
LEGO HAND MODEL used for this rapid rendering.
PROSTHETIC VISION COMIC STRIP
Friday, 8 April 2011
This team presented a comic strip, about a prosthetic vision device that reveals hidden information from the environment and transmits it into your brain.
110
A WELLNESS SPACE FOR WOMEN
Friday, 8 April 2011
One of the groups designed a ‘wellness space’ - more like a free space where women can talk without any societal pressures. This idea came from a group of women from Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
111
Friday, 8 April 2011
112
Friday, 8 April 2011
113
Friday, 8 April 2011
114
Friday, 8 April 2011
115
A PROVOCATIVE BOARD GAME
Friday, 8 April 2011
A board game that helps ‘you create yourself one choice at a time’,
116
Friday, 8 April 2011
You pick from a lot of cards and ‘find yourself’
117
Friday, 8 April 2011
The Dice!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Individual cards on the board game decide your fate
THE MAKING OF A COLLABORATIVE FUTURE
Friday, 8 April 2011
A lot of these ideas might seem fantastical, scifi or downright silly. But more importantly, they became triggers for conversations, discussions about future hopes and our own ability to be involved in the making of this future. And this is possible, because, as designers, we have these exciting tools and processes, which can create active, generative, even positively disruptive engagements... sometimes leading to more amazing stuff!
EMERGING THEMES:
FIGHTING NATUREPLAYING WITH MAGICTACKLING CONTRADICTIONS
Friday, 8 April 2011
... can open up a new set of serious themes, they may or may not have considered.
COME IN AND TELL US...
Friday, 8 April 2011
And now, finally we invite you - the audience, to continue this conversation... this is the room you are looking for, on the first floor, come drop by...
Friday, 8 April 2011
Grab a pen,
Friday, 8 April 2011
and get involved!
www.superflux.in | Twitter: @Superflux
Shukran
Friday, 8 April 2011
Thank you!
Recommended