Unit 4 Consolidating Stage, ​Final Major Project (FMP)

Matilde ​Eiras Cação

Contents

FMP Proposal

Brainstorming/ Planning the FMP

Meeting and Brainstorming with my Client

Notes from Client Conversation

Planning my Time for FMP using a Gantt Chart

Specification and Justification

Client Context

Wider Context

Planning my Research

Primary Research- Survey and Replies

Research- Healthy Sources of Dopamine

Research- Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments/ Biomaterials

Research- Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments- Bacteria Study: Streptomyces Coelicolor

Research: Biomaterials- Bananatex

Experimentation from a Past Project- Dyeing Fabric with Spirulina

Research: Plant Dyed Fabrics

Planning Experimentation

Primary Research- My Client’s Reaction to a Nature and AI Installation at the Serpentine Gallery

Contents

Primary Research- My Client’s Reaction to a Traditional British Phone Booth

Secondary Research- How do Phone Booths Work?

Secondary Research- How do Phones Work?

Primary Research- V and A Visit

Secondary Research- Phone Booth Dimensions and other Existing Product (Office Phone Booths)

Primary Research- Other Existing Products- Ikea Tent, Cubbyhole with Client Feedback

Secondary Research- Other Existing Products- Mosquito Nets, Azorean Traditional Fashion

How will my Product Differ from the Existing Products

Primary Research- More Questions for Mayah (my Client)

Pecha Kucha (Presenting my Ideas to a Group) Slides and Feedback

Aesthetic Influences- Mood Boards on Afrofuturism, Avócore, Kawaii, Solarpunk, Final Mood Board

Material Investigation

Material Experimentation- Attending a Workshop by Eleanor Williams, Owner of a Sustainable Fashion Brand

Design Options Plan

Practical Skills and Planning- Design Variations

Research- Physarum Chip (Slime Mould Tech)

Research- Anthropometric Data

Tutor Feedback and Planning Next Steps

Contents

Idea Generation Techniques for the Space’s Appearance- Material Manipulation and Modelling

Practical Skills- Sketching and Idea Generation- Design Variations- Client Feedback and Personal Evaluation

Planning, Practical Skills and Problem Solving: Final Design Rough Sketch/ Plan

How the Final Design Links to my Title ‘Healing the Planet and Ourselves through Biokawaii’ and the Theme ​‘Protest, Democracy and Empowerment’

Midpoint Review, Feedback and Evaluation

Planning- Next Steps and Justifications

Planning and Practical Skills: Developed Final Design Proposal

Planning and Problem Solving: Developed Final Design Proposal- Buying the Product

Client Feedback on Final Design Sketch

Research and Evaluation: Research Points I Haven’t Included in the Final Design and Why

Practical Skills: Solidworks Final Sketch- Process and Outcome

Evaluation: Tutor Feedback after Final Design Review and My Response

Planning Prototype Manufacture

Practical Skills- Prototype Manufacture- Process: 3D printing, Sewing, Painting, ‘Glueing’, Using Plants etc.

Final Outcome Photoshoot- Planning, Reference Pics and Outcome

Presentation- Making a Booklet to Communicate How my Design Works to the Public

Final Presentation (Exhibition Setup)

Contents

Overall Problem Solving

Client’s Evaluation Of My Work

My Evaluation Of My Work

Bibliography

Time Management Reviews for each couple of weeks are spaced out throughout the site.

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 1

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 2

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 3

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 4

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 5

Final Major Project ​Proposal Pt 6

Developmental

Stage Assessment Feedback

Sent by staff member of Ravensbourne University, London, Jennifer Ruddell, screenshot taken by author in 2024

This feedback is for my last Canva site (developmental stage) which I’ll keep in mind when moving forward ​with this project

Developmental

Stage Assessment Feedback Pt 2

Sent by staff member of Ravensbourne University, London, Jennifer Ruddell, screenshot taken by author in 2024

Developmental

Stage Assessment Feedback Pt 3

Sent by staff member of Ravensbourne University, London, Jennifer Ruddell, screenshot taken by author in 2024

Developmental

Stage Assessment Feedback Pt 4

Sent by staff member of Ravensbourne University, London, Jennifer Ruddell, screenshot taken by author in 2024 = Improvement points

This screenshot is of author’s own work (taken in 2024)

This screenshot is of author’s own work (taken in 2024), source of pic on top left: Oxman (Accessed: ​15th March 2024)

The 3 photos at the top are author’s own (taken in 2024), Sources of other images: Behance (Accessed: ​23/02/24), Genius (Accessed: 27/02/24), McCall Studios (Accessed: 23/02/24)

Sources of photos that aren’t author’s own: Metropolis (Accessed: 4/03/24), Body and Soul (Accessed: 12/03/24), Youtube- AsapSCIENCE (24/08/23), Youtube- ​National Communications Museum (9/12/20), RDD Textiles-Instagram (Accessed: 14/03/24), US Electric (7th Jun 2021), Etsy- The Zan House (Accessed: 17th ​March 2024), Youtube- The Partnership in Education (12th Jan 2021), Youtube- Pixielocks (12th Apr 2021), Youtube- Netflix (13th June 2022), Dazed (28/08/23),

Sources of photos that aren’t author’s own: Etsy- The Zan House (Accessed: 17th March 2024), Etsy- Stuart Moores Textiles (Accessed: 17th March 2024), ​Dassault Systèmes (14th June 2023), Logolynx (Accessed: 15th March 2024), Microscopy UK (Accessed: 15th March 2024), UKFT (Accessed: 15th March 2024)

Sources of photos that aren‘t author‘s own: Sonicbids Blog - Music Career Advice and Gigs (Accessed: ​15th March 2024), Amazon.sg: Toys (Accessed: 15th March 2024) Nanoblock Telephone Box Building ​Kit Available at: https://www.amazon.sg/Nanoblock-Telephone-Box-Building-Kit/dp/B01DK2X1G4

This screenshot is of author’s own work (taken in 2024)

This screenshot is of author’s own work (taken in 2024)

This wasn‘t the complete bibliography at the time of making the Pecha Kucha, I only had to include some evidence of Harvard referencing.

FMP- Pecha Kucha

Evaluation (Presenting my ideas to a group) Feedback Pt 1

Class handout filled in by a classmate (Samson Terrett)

FMP- Pecha Kucha

Evaluation (Presenting my ideas to a group) Feedback Pt 2

Class handout filled in by a classmate (Samson Terrett)

FMP- Problem

Solving and Evaluation: Pecha Kucha

(Presenting my ideas to a group) Feedback Pt 3

Given this feedback, I’ll consider design variations that are different to phone booths to provide more alternative ​solutions, but still tackling the same key problems (environmental decline, mental health decline, phone addiction, ​loneliness) by keeping in mind key themes (biodesign, safe spaces, calming aesthetic, privacy, connection).

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

This 7 week project (started early) is to design a product (as I’m pursuing product design) that’s in line with ​the theme ‘Democracy, Protest and Empowerment’. The notes (far left) are based off the FMP launch talk.

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm ​with Client

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)- screenshots of client’s messages

Final Major Project ​Plan/ Brainstorm ​with Client

Client discussion notes- deciding the ​direction of the product design (see ​client product ideas list on previous ​slide):

My client’s favourite product design idea was ​the one where the phone booth was designed as ​a healthier dopamine alternative to our ​smartphones through playful design. This is as a ​protest against societies’ lowered attention ​span/ mental health due to their phone ​addiction.

There’s an emphasis on the phone to only be ​used to connect with people (only to make calls, ​nothing else), but the phone and phone booth’s ​design would boost people’s mood by providing ​dopamine from a healthy source e.g. via a playful ​design and I could also look into game design. ​Perhaps there’s an option to connect people ​with the elderly as not only are they often lonely, ​but they have a lot of wisdom.

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Notes from ​conversation with ​client continued:

• Users could be connected with the elderly by having elderly people voluntarily provide their numbers if someone wants to call ​and talk to them, this could be just to chat and to distract from everyday life or to ask advice etc.
• Involving the elderly in a futuristic reinterpretation of the phone booth is a nice touch as it shows the elderly are as much a part ​of the future as everyone else.
• My client described herself as Afrocentric and also values traditions and culture which the elderly are associated with.
• A ‘mental health library’ could be part of this alternative phone booth e.g. people could write down things that they think of to ​keep themselves going or a kind message to a stranger or things they’ve learned in therapy etc. and these could be ​categorised and put into folders in the ‘mental health library’ section of the phone book.
• This would have to be monitored in some way to prevent people writing nasty messages.
• I could use my research pages on the digital theme to investigate how information is stored as this is another problem with our ​smartphones- access to the internet and too much information (including a lot of negative content) can take a toll on people’s ​mental health.
• My client also liked the idea of the canvas made from Bananatex (a fabric made from banana fibres) and using bio-based ​pigments for users to colour the canvas.
• My client was a fan of the ‘graffiti wall’ idea where anyone can draw or make notes on a large surface, this is because my client ​paints on large canvases, so she likes large spaces to draw on, to see ideas clearly and to make notes on (e.g. a chalk wall). I ​could find a way to incorporate this into the alternative phone booth design.
• My client also suggested to include headphones so people can ‘escape’ in some way by listening to music.

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

FMP- Planning ​my time

Images here are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Deadline: 14/5/24

FMP- Brief/ Plan/

Specification and Justification

Based on client discussion and project proposal

FMP- Time

Management

Expectation

Reality

• Submitted project proposal and Canva site on time
  
• Client brainstorm took longer than expected (as I had many possibilities to share with her, so it dragged into the 2nd ​week)
• Didn’t attend 1 session that taught me all of Solidworks, but I discovered the YouTube channel CAD CAM Tutorials ​and completed one of their 48 Solidworks videos (roughly 20 mins each). *
• Noted a few bullet points of what I could research, but played it by ear, rather than planning which days I’d dedicate to ​what research- this made the research phase drag into the week of the 25/3/24
• I did make a specification and justification sheet in that time frame.

*I got more comfortable designing basic forms after the 6th video completed in the week of the 8/4/24

Client Context Page

About: Mayah is a 19 year old Ghanaian architecture student ​(living in London) who also likes running, swimming, painting, gift ​making, singing, playing the guitar and listening to music by ​artists such as Tyler the Creator, Asake and Ayra Star. She has a ​relaxed personality, she’s fun and loves to socialise, she’s also ​sentimental and has a competitive spirit.

Problems to solve: The walls in Mayah’s house are very thin, her ​house is busy and she has little privacy when she wants alone ​time. Mayah also prefers calling over texting people, but most ​people text.

Aesthetics: Earthy, bold/ bright colours, funky, green and gold ​accents, Tyler the Creator as a key influence

Mayah :)

Picture sourced from her ​instagram @mayahbaidoox

Environment: Mayah and I both value sustainability, so I’ll research sustainable materials ​and processes, think of a setting for the product e.g. specific space, country, for private or ​public use etc.

Safety: I’ll research more into the safety of the product once I know more about how it’ll ​work.

Function: The product will connect people and improve their mental health e.g. via said ​connection, playful design and/or escapism/ envisaging a positive future.

Materials: Apart from general biomaterials, Mayah likes bamboo, bubble wrap, concrete ​and cotton wool.

Aesthetic Influences:

Genius (Accessed: 27th February 2024)

Complex (4th February 2023)

Wider Context:

Environmental Decline- Global Warming

Earth.org (4th January 2024), Conserve Energy Future (23rd February 2024), Braungart M. and McDonough W. Cradle to cradle remaking the way we make things, ​Vintage (2019)

2023 was recorded as the hottest year to date due to global warming. This is mostly due to the use of fossil fuels emitting ​greenhouse gases e.g. CO2. These absorb heat leading to the greenhouse gas effect, so more heat is trapped in our ​atmosphere. This increases overall temperatures which can lead to problems such as more bushfires and melting ice in ​arctic regions (so animals there lose their habitats) which increases sea levels and sea temperature (so floods and storms ​are worse).

Wider Context:

Environmental Decline- Plastic and Textiles

Earth.org (4th January 2024), Conserve Energy Future (23rd February 2024)

Other environmental problems I found in articles about the most pressing environmental issues in 2024 include plastic ​pollution, fast fashion and textile waste. Reportedly ‘14 million tonnes of plastic’ enter the ocean every year, harming ​wildlife. Plastic takes 400 years to decompose, so it’s not a sustainable option. Many textiles use chemicals in the dyeing ​process that take a lot of energy to treat and, if they leak to the environment, they negatively affect its health. Plastic is ​also found in garments as many use polyester.

Wider Context:

Environmental Decline- Urban Sprawl

Conserve Energy Future (23rd February 2024), Braungart M. and McDonough W. Cradle to cradle remaking the way we make things, Vintage (2019), Metropolis ​(Accessed: 4th March 2024)

The last environmental problem I’ll mention is urban sprawl. This is when people move from the city (densely populated ​area) to more rural areas (less densely populated areas) which effectively causes the city to expand outwards. The ​surrounding nature is ‘traded’ in return for more buildings. This increases the amount of CO2 in the air as there are fewer ​plants to absorb it and more buildings being built using fossil fuels also increases the CO2 levels. Often, the capitalist ​narrative is that expanding the city is always progress, there’s an emphasis on growth, but the book, ‘Cradle to Cradle’ ​rightly asks ‘What do we want to grow?’. ‘Growth’ is not progress if it sacrifices the environment.

Wider Context:

Environmental Decline- Making the best use of our resources (Cradle to Cradle)

Braungart M. and McDonough W. Cradle to cradle remaking the way we make things, Vintage (2019), Research Gate (Accessed: 4th March 2024)

In summary, the key things I’m taking away from the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ book are:

• Healthy growth is sustainable and uses waste as food.
  
• Keep biological and technical nutrients separate when designing, or at least design in a way that makes it easier for ​biological nutrients and technical nutrients to be separated (without contaminating each other). This will allow for an ​abundance of both types of nutrients to be reused again and again without compromising the planet or future ​generations.
  

Wider Context:

Environmental Decline- Plastic Specific Solutions

Epoch BioDesign (Accessed: 4th March 2024), The Guardian (4th October 2022)

Epoch BioDesign is a company that’s developing enzymes to break bonds in polymers (plastics) to convert them into ​reusable chemicals. They purposely target the polymers that have been the most difficult to recycle. This both reduces the ​carbon emissions from the chemical industry and reduces plastic pollution. The chemicals at the end of their biorecycling ​process can be used in applications across various industries (see image on the bottom left). This is the waste=food ​approach that the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ book talks about. A fun example of enzymes breaking down plastic is the wax worm ​(above image) whose saliva breaks down polyethylene bonds (at room temperature, so no expensive heat energy needed).

Wider Context:

Biodesign

Biodesign Institute (19th December 2023), Kent State University (Accessed: 4th March 2024), Agora Magazine (Accessed: 4th March 2024),

Biodesign combines design thinking with knowledge of biological systems. It prioritises living systems instead of fighting ​them e.g. via normalising sterile technology- which is unsustainable. Biodesign finds innovative, sustainable ways to ​generate energy, grow food and alternative materials. I will explore examples of this in the research section of this project. ​Biodesign involves the study of how environmental deterioration also negatively impacts human health and how we can ​heal the environment from the pollutants in its air and soil.

Wider Context:

Biodesign

Science Partner Journals (Accessed: 4th March 2024), photos on the right taken by Ece Gözen (2022).

The above diagram illustrates biodesign’s different sides which Science Partner Journals labelled: the scientific dimension ​(theory, methods, engineering and applications), the organismal dimension (animal biodesign, human biodesign, microbial ​biodesign, plant biodesign and ‘de novo’ organism biodesign) and the social responsibility dimension (concerns security ​and ethics). Biodesign is a double edged sword, that’s why there’s the on/off switch- it’s used depending on the security ​and ethics information (i.e. ‘if unsafe- switch processes off’. I interviewed CEO of biotech company, GÖZEN, Ece Gözen in ​2022 and she pointed out that she doesn’t agree with modifying the structure of organisms.

Wider Context:

Biodesign

Image above is author‘s own- transcript from interview (taken 2024), photos on the right taken by Ece Gözen (right) and her husband (took middle photo) (2022).

Modifying organisms can also fall under biodesign, but Gözen said she disagreed with it as it isn’t respectful towards ​nature. Agora magazine also reported that biodesign can be dangerous when misused e.g. by bioengineering and creating ​new pathogens- this could cause ecological imbalance. Gözen explained to me that there are 4 key ‘designers’ on earth: ​bacteria, algae, yeast and lichen. She said we should collaborate with them as they have their own wisdom that spans ​centuries- there’s no need to modify them. During the last time we met in late 2023, Gözen encouraged me to find a ​specific area in biodesign (e.g. focus on one of the ‘designers’) and do a deep dive, which I’ll do for this project.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline- Loneliness epidemic, phone addiction, reduced attention span

The Telegraph (29th February 2024), Medical Xpress (30th November 2023), Wise (11th May 2021), Conntac (27th ​November 2023), Gulf News (25th October 2022), Youtube- Salem Tovar (25th February 2024)

There’s a loneliness epidemic affecting young people in many parts of the world. This is often due to the transitional stages ​young people go through e.g. leaving school, going to university, getting a job etc. In response, the UK government set up the ​‘Know your neighbourhood programme’ in 2023 and found that it helps both the old and young connect as they’re both ​interested to learn about how the other thinks (e.g. how things used to be, views on tech now etc.). According to one study ​1/3 of Americans aged 18-25 said they felt lonely frequently, almost all the time or all the time. A major factor is the digital ​world we live in, our phones take a large part of our attention (methods shown in the table above) and starve real connection.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline- Loneliness epidemic, phone addiction, reduced attention span

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline - contextual studies essay on increasing individualism, perfectionism etc.

I wrote this essay in February 2024 and wanted to include it here as it highlights some of my previous research around the ​topic of individualism and our lonely and perfectionist culture.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline- contextual studies essay on increasing individualism, perfectionism etc.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline- contextual studies essay on increasing individualism, perfectionism etc.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Decline and Solution- Slow Checkout Lanes for the Elderly

Oxford Languages (Accessed: 7th March 2024), Economics Help (10th December 2019), Eightify (18th December 2023), The Guardian (16th December 2013) ​Braungart M. and McDonough W. Cradle to cradle remaking the way we make things, Vintage, 2019, Trill Mag (13th September 2022)

In capitalist societies, short term profits and business growth are often prioritised over having a positive ecological and/ or ​social impact e.g. new, sustainable tech and paying workers fair wages are often less profitable than using polluting and unfair ​practices. Another unfair side of capitalism is the 9-5 workday not being designed for women as they have a 28 day hormonal ​cycle (not 24 hrs, like men) so their energy levels fluctuate throughout the month, putting them at a comparative disadvantage.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Solution- Kawaii

CUTE- Somerset House (visited 4th February 2024), Youtube- Hooked On The Look (20th June 2019), Youtube- Refinery 29 (17th April 2021), Youtube- Cybr grl ​(23rd December 2023), Kawaii Class (11th June 2023) NHS (Accessed: 7th March 2024), Barrett, E.L. (2022) BonBon V: The Sweet Escape

Many embrace cute or kawaii culture to deal with mental health struggles. Model and writer Hanayo described wearing ​cute clothes and visiting cat cafes to hang on to life’s happy things. Many, especially in Japan, face a lot of pressure at work ​or school, so cuteness is a way for them to escape and even rebel, refusing to ‘grow up normally’ and instead enjoying the ​simple things from childhood and create their safe space. Some also dress in this style to avoid the male gaze.

Mayah’s view:

Dazed (28th Aug 2023), Alamy (Accessed: 8th Mar 2024), Real Simple (1st May 2023), Becoming Minimalist (19th Aug 2020), Cleveland Clinic (27th Nov 2023), ​Meno Clinic (3rd May 2016), Psychology Today (Accessed: 8th Mar 2024), Calm Sage - Your Guide to Mental and Emotional Well-being (9th Mar 2023), The ​ALBERTINA Museum Vienna- Yoshitomo Nara. All My Little Words (Exhibition visited in 2023)

In our fast-paced world it’s especially important to take breaks to refresh (as our brains can only take in so much ​information at once), increase our creativity, mood, concentration and avoid burnout. Our brain’s DMN (default mode ​network) is associated with memory, ethics and self definition and is more engaged when it’s not processing information ​(e.g. staring into space).

Dazed (28th Aug 2023), Alamy (Accessed: 8th Mar 2024), Real Simple (1st May 2023), Becoming Minimalist (19th Aug 2020), Cleveland Clinic (27th Nov 2023), ​Meno Clinic (3rd May 2016), Psychology Today (Accessed: 8th Mar 2024), Calm Sage - Your Guide to Mental and Emotional Well-being (9th Mar 2023)

Our own space provides privacy, control and reduces stress. This enables forming healthy relationships- we’re able to be ​comfortable with ourselves. Daisy Davidson documents subcultural rooms- she’s fascinated by people fully and safely expressing ​who they are. Everyone should have access to these kinds of spaces. Of course, staying indoors too much can also be unhealthy, ​it’s all about balance. ‘Rubbish stuff’ by Paul Insect shows things that bring joy (even if it’s ‘rubbish’- nothing goes to waste).

Youtube- Netflix (13th June 2022), Becker O. and Lebowitz M. (Released 21st June 2022)

I watched the episode ‘The Future of Houseplants’ from the show ‘The Future Of’ (cited) to get an idea of how I could use ​this bio-futuristic area in my project. Plants have been known to positively affect people’s mental health, e.g. green walls ​indoors improve the air quality. Plants are also more sensitive to air quality than humans, so they could be engineered to ​send a signal to people (e.g. by changing colour) to let humans know what their air quality is like. There’s a software called ​CRISPR (there are even at home kits for this) that can be used to genetically modify plants.

Kaku M. The future of humanity: terraforming Mars, interstellar travel, immortality and our destiny beyond Earth, Penguin Books, 2019

I was reading the book ‘The Future Of Humanity’ while researching this project and conveniently there was a section ​explaining CRISPR in more detail, so I thought I must include it here.

To summarise, the CRISPR technology works by imitating the bacteria. Bacteria carry part of the virus’s genetic material ​to identify said virus and neutralise it. CRISPR can then replace part of a virus’s genetic material with a different DNA code ​(takes place in a cell of the scientist’s choice).

Kaku M. The future of humanity: terraforming Mars, interstellar travel, immortality and our destiny beyond Earth, Penguin Books, 2019

While CRISPR can be used for good (e.g. sustainable design as seen in the ‘Future of Houseplants’ episode as well as ​curing genetic diseases) there are also some dangers to its use. Examples of dangers would be creating new pathogens ​(whether intentionally or unintentionally), any side effects associated with altering a cell’s DNA and greatly altering a ​species and their future generations (whether plant or animal).

Youtube- Netflix (13th June 2022), Becker O. and Lebowitz M. (Released 21st June 2022)

Examples of plant DNA modification include e.g. taking a gene from a bioluminescent jellyfish and introducing it into a ​plant’s genome for use as a lamp, programming trees to grow into furniture (avoiding the polluting fast-furniture industry), ​emitting toxins to fend off disease-carrying insects, plants could be engineered to detect the human stress hormone, ​cortisol, and release a calming scent (e.g. lavender) in response. Plants could even store your data in their DNA instead of ​storing data in a cloud far away (easier for hackers to reach) that’s powered by fossil fuels.

Wider Context:

Mental Health Solutions- 2 types of grounding

Youtube- The Minimalists (20th May 2022), Youtube- The Partnership in Education (12th Jan 2021), Youtube- Pixielocks (12th Apr 2021), Pinterest (Acc: 9th Mar 2024)

Grounding/ earthing can be a practice where people connect with the earth by removing barriers between their feet and it. ​Electrical appliances are grounded to the earth (negatively charged) for electrical stability. Humans carry charge but carrying ​too much of it (due to wearing shoes with rubber soles- electrical insulators) can weaken the immune system and cause ​inflammation and associated pain. Some people use grounding mats. Another type of grounding is the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise ​shown above to reduce anxiety (to focus on the different senses- external stimuli (e.g. the ones shown) can soothe.

FMP: Context

Target Market Profile

Age: 10yrs-80yrs

Gender: any (probably more likely to appeal to female- presenting people due to the colourful/ hyperfeminine/kawaii aesthetic

Income: lower to middle class (yes, expensive tech may be used, but this may be bought by organisations e.g. universities, ​schools, public libraries etc. that help make the product accessible and the price of these technologies would fall in the future)

Interests: Care about the environment, find colourful aesthetics pleasing/ soothing, could be interested in science and creativity, ​but not essential.

Needs/ Problem to Solve: Feel anxious/ lonely/ burnt out and need a quiet space/ escape- somewhere away from their busy life ​and the general public. May need space away from their phone.

How I’d Like Them to Feel: Soothed (e.g. by plants and cute/ colourful aesthetics) first, then inspired to step out into the world ​again.

FMP: Time

Management

Expectation

Reality

• I only properly sketched the initial ideas roughly in the week of the 1/4/24 because research took until the week of ​the 1/4/24.
  
• I did research other companies, but spent so much time on general research (spent the most of the next month on ​that) that I didn’t find the motivation/ time to email them.
• I only used a foldscope for material research and testing in the week 25/3/24
• Only made the existing products pages and target market pages in the week 18/3/24
• Dimensions and anthropometrics came in the week of the 25/3/24, (took less time than expected)
• I didn’t prioritise researching competitor’s brand identity because I’d spent so much time on research that I had less ​time for everything else e.g. generating designs, so I felt this research wasn’t the most important thing for this ​project.
• I also didn’t explain how my product will differ from others like it as I didn’t know exactly what I’d be designing until ​the week of the 15/ 4/24 at which point I realised the product was so different it was difficult to compare to existing ​products.
  

FMP- Planning areas

to research based on client discussion and the brief ​(2 weeks for initial research- from 11th to 24th March)

= Done

FMP- Planning areas

to research based on client ​discussion and the brief

FMP- Primary

Research: Survey photo

FMP- Survey for

primary research on potential users (my design school classmates aged 18-20)- Analysis

Question 1: What things make you happy?

Responses: Travel (x4), food (x5), shopping (x2), when a package arrives, sleeping (x2), exercise, family and ​friends (x11), phone (x3), artistic/ craft activities (x5), music (x6), watching films (x3), beach, freedom, ​gaming, partying, going out, makeup, spending time pondering

Average response: family and friends

What I’ll do with this info: Prioritise connection between people in the product’s design

Q2: How much social interaction do you need on a day to day basis?

1 (don’t interact with anyone) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (like to talk to people for most of the day)

Responses: 3,3,3,3, 4,4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8

Average response: 5.2- social interaction for at least half of the day

What I’ll do with this info: Prioritise connection between people in the product’s design

FMP- Survey for

primary research on potential users (my design school classmates aged 18-20)- Analysis

Q3: How lonely are you on a scale of 1-10?

(1- not lonely), (10- very lonely)

Responses: 3, 3, 4, 4, 4.5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 10

Average response: 5.37- a little lonely

What I’ll do with this info: Prioritise connection between people in the product’s design

Q4: How addicted are you to your phone on a scale of 1-10?

(1- not addicted), (10- very addicted)

Responses: 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10

Average response: 7.87- pretty addicted

What I’ll do with this info: look into why people are addicted to their phones and find a healthy substitute ​and incorporate it into the product’s design

FMP- Survey for

primary research on potential users (my design school classmates aged 18-20) - Analysis

Q5: On a scale of 1-10, do plants positively affect your mood? (1 is negative effect, 5 is neutral, 10 is positive)

Responses: 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9

Average response: 5.87- slight positive effect

What I’ll do with this info: include plants in the project, but not too many

Q6: Do you prefer a minimal or colourfully decorated environment?: (1 is very minimal, 10 is very colourfully ​decorated)

Responses: 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10

Average response: 6.6- quite colourfully decorated, but not an insane amount

What I’ll do with this info: Design a product that is quite colourfully decorated, but not an insane amount

FMP- Survey for

primary research on potential users (my design school classmates aged 18-20) - Analysis

Q7 : If you use your phone a lot, please name the main 2 reasons why:

Responses: communication (x14), distraction (x6), background noise, fun/ entertainment (x4), boredom (x3), ​taking photos, relaxation, inspiration, music

Average response: communication

What I’ll do with this info: Prioritise connection between people in the product’s design

Q8: Would you benefit from a small public space outside (like a phone booth) where you could take a ​mental health break e.g. to stare into space, play a game that doesn’t require a screen (healthy dopamine ​option), call your grandma, call a stranger, bring your craft things to work on for a bit?

Responses: Yes!! x15

Average response: Yes

What I’ll do with this info: Design a space/ product similar to the one described in the question above

FMP- Survey for

primary research on potential users (my design school classmates aged 18-20) - Analysis

Q9: Do you have any suggestions/ other comments based on the questions you’ve answered?

Responses: no :)

FMP- Secondary

Research: Dopamine and our phones

Royal Institution (3rd May 2023), Psychology Today (Accessed: 11th Mar 2024), Wikipedia (17th Feb 2024), Web MD (Accessed: 11th Mar 2024), Cleveland Clinic ​(Accessed: 11th Mar 2024), Youtube- AsapSCIENCE (24th Aug 2023)

Dopamine is a chemical that our brain releases which is commonly known as the ‘feel good’ hormone, but it actually ​increases desire and motivation more than just pleasure. It’s involved in the learning process, memory and decision ​making to name a few. Using our phone can release dopamine as we anticipate rewards such as messages, likes, followers ​etc. It causes us to constantly seek new stimulation and information. However, this causes sadness as the dopamine spike ​from everyday activities is dulled if we are too used to getting dopamine releases from our phones.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Healthy Sources of Dopamine

Optimal Living Dynamics (25th Feb 2024) Youtube- AsapSCIENCE (24th Aug 2023), Youtube- Tedx Talks (2nd Oct 2013), Body and Soul (Accessed: 12th March 2024)

Healthy Dopamine Sources:

• Sunlight and vitamin D
  
• Foods- protein, antioxidants, probiotics
• Music
• Sleep
  

• Acupuncture/ an acupuncture mat
• Exercise
  
• Meditation
• Cold water
• Standing up for more time
  

• Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)- a ​device that uses red and infrared ​light to stimulate the brain cells and ​support dopamine levels.
• Bright colours e.g. pink, orange, red

FMP- Research:

Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments/ Biomaterials

CUTE- Somerset House (visited 4th February 2024)- I made an instagram story to express biokawaii, Frontiers (18th March 2021), BYJUS (16th July 2020), Portland ​Press (28th May 2021), Wikipedia (17th February 2024), Green Coast (13th July 2021)

I’m researching ways to incorporate the kawaii aesthetic in a sustainable way as this aesthetic brings many people ​comfort, but often harms the planet due to associated products being made using plastic and synthetic dyes. Living ​organisms produce biological pigments (these absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others)- types are shown ​above. Biodegradable glitter is made using regenerated eucalyptus cellulose.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Bio pigments/ Biomaterials RDD Textiles

RDD Textiles (Accessed: 12th March 2024), RDD Textiles-Instagram (Accessed: 14th March 2024)

RDD Textiles’ dyes and finishes are shown above. Colorifix tech uses DNA databases to put genetic sequences (that ​produce pigments) into microorganisms to generate and fix the colour onto the textiles. Eco.black tech processes wood ​waste into a black pigment. Food textiles use pigments from food waste e.g. red turnip or blueberries. PPRMINT is anti-​stink tech that uses a plant extract that prevents the growth of odour- causing bacteria. This reduces the no. of washes ​needed. Recycrom uses pulverised textile scraps to make coloured powder (applied onto textiles via exhaustion dyeing, ​dipping, spray and screen printing.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Bio pigments/ Biomaterials: Vienna Textile Lab

Bacterial Pigment

Vienna Textile Lab (13th October 2022) Vienna Textile Lab- Instagram (Accessed: 14th March 2024), BeautyMatter (10th February 2023), MDPI (28/2/2023) ​SpringerLink (1/1/1970), Biology Discussion ( 30/8/2016) Bacterial Pigments (11/1/2017)

I’m inserting some research from another project here as it’s relevant. Jesse Adler’s work involves vibrant pigments being ​extracted sustainably (as usually, sustainable materials are earthy colours). She extracted pigments from fungi in her ​cosmetics project ‘Alchemical Mycology’. Pigments produced include ‘blood red, cyan blue, golden yellow, pastel lilac, and ​peachy pink’. The blue pigment, for example, is produced to stop other organisms from growing in that fungus’s food ​source. Vienna Textile Lab is an example of a company that uses bacteria to produce textile dyes.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments/ Biomaterials

Solanki S. Why materials matter: responsible design for a better world, Prestel, 2021

Leather offcuts were put through an industrial shredder, then combined with animal glue and placed in a mould to make a ​material out of recycled leather (by Jorge Penades). Another example of bacterial pigment use would be impregnating silk ​with a pigment producing bacteria called Streptomyces Coelicolor, after 34 days of incubation vivid pinks, blues, greens ​and yellows can be seen. This uses little water as the bacteria are alive. The random patterns show the life and death cycle ​of the Streptomyces and the imperfections in the dyeing are due to rogue fungus in the mixture (by Natsai Audrey Chieza).

FMP- Secondary

Research: Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments/ Biomaterials

Solanki S. Why materials matter: responsible design for a better world, Prestel, 2021

The ceramic tile table’s colours came about by using different clay types, glazes and firing temperatures (by Hella Jongerius). ​The milk plastic protein material (by Tessa Silva- Dawson) uses extracted casein (a natural protein found in cow’s milk). ​Heating the milk separates the curds from the whey, the curds are then dried and combined with natural plasticisers to form ​pellets. These can be melted and formed similarly to regular plastic and a waterproof wax finish is applied. This makes use of ​milk that farms often discard in the production processes of dairy products. I could colour this as it’s white.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Dopamine- Bright Colours- Bio pigments/ Biomaterials

Eleanor Williams (12th March 2024), Eleanor Williams-Instagram (Accessed: 12th March 2024)

EA Williams is a fashion brand that dyes the textiles used sustainably, using natural dyes as well as using the ‘Hapa- zome’ ​flower printing technique to sustainably print flowers and leaves onto the textiles. Plants used include: coreopsis, ​chamomile flowers and tree bark. I’d like to experiment with these techniques during the prototyping stage of my project ​to show my product in sustainably produced bright, dopamine releasing colours inspired by the kawaii aesthetic.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24)

MicroByre (25/07/21)

American Society for Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link ​(16/03/23) Microbewiki (19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

My FMP proposal says ‘meeting with Ece Gözen (CEO of biotech company GÖZEN) this academic year encouraged me to ​research a variety of biodesign areas to find my position in this field. I'll focus on one’. The specific topic I’ll focus on is the ​bacterium ‘Streptomyces coelicolor’ because it was used to dye fabric in bright colours, so I wanted to find out more about it. ​They’re found in soil, help to break down organic matter and contribute to soil’s earthy smell (could link this again to ‘grounding’).

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24)

American Society for Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link ​(16/03/23) Microbewiki (19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

pH conditions cause S. Coelicolor to secrete certain pigments (blue/ green pigments in alkaline conditions and reddish ​tones in acidic conditions). In Natsai Audrey Chieza’s project (described in a previous slide), S. Coelicolor interacts with ​certain protein fibres to produce a colorfast finish (no chemicals used and very little water) that adheres to textiles.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24)

MicroByre (25/07/21)

American Society for Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link ​(16/03/23) Microbewiki (19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

I wanted to find out how S. Coelicolor communicates as this could also tie into my project as it promotes connection. They ​are structurally similar to fungi as they form aerial mycelium in colonies (Read text photo on left for further info). What I ​found most interesting about the text photographed is the point about biological and technical networking systems ​having similar priorities (e.g. time, computing power and energy) which I’ll take inspiration from for my design.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

The decentralised approach could also relate to the ‘democracy’ part of my cohort’s theme- ‘democracy, protest and ​empowerment. Apart from forming mycelia (branches of one cell’s thickness), S. Coelicolor release chemicals (small organic ​compounds aka natural products) to trigger responses from other microorganisms to communicate. They communicate to ​acquire resources and regenerate. The info encoded in their DNA and physical constraints determine how they communicate.

FMP- Secondary

Research: Bacteria study: Streptomyces Coelicolor: Growth, Communication and Networks

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: Soil is a patchy environment to find energy resources in, but S. Coelicolor have adapted to this by using their ​mycelia to cover greater areas with a relatively small amount of cells per square meter. This means they can go further to ​increase their likelihood of finding resources to have enough energy to generate more networks i.e. branches and spores ​(instead of wasting a lot of energy to create many cells in a small space where there may not be enough resources available).

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: Soil is a patchy environment- therefore unpredictable, so I could link this (in my design) to how humans also ​grow in unpredictable conditions (e.g. unforeseen life circumstances, pandemic, recession etc.) to give them courage. The ​bacterium is an example of how growth in unpredictable conditions is possible (links to my mental health theme). It is also ​not stereotypically beautiful (as seen above), but it’s characteristics have their own value which can inspire humans, too.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: To stay competitive, it produces many cells, so there’s more aerial mycelium, hence more spores so the gene ​pool is more likely to survive and spread. I could link this strategy to my design e.g. launching the product in different countries ​with contrasting cultures and seeing what sticks, perhaps there is an unexpected outcome. In the human world, people (like ​bacteria) also network to optimise themselves e.g. via communication tech in wireless networks between mobile devices.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: Like biological systems, mechanical systems also have their limitations and strive for efficiency of energy, ​cost and time. Wireless transmissions are more effective over short distances. If the distance is too great, too much ​energy is needed (for both biological and mechanical systems), so many small hops are made between individuals ​(mechanical or biological). The link isn’t direct, but it can still be long.

A lot of information/

nutrients (especially when it ​needs to be

sent over a greater distance)

Requires

A high ​density of ​nodes/ ​bifurcation

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18), Slide Share (11th March 2013)

Networking: The link isn’t direct, but it can still be long. An example of this would be a high node density in an ad-hoc ​system. There’s a temporary spontaneous network created when two devices connect/ communicate with each other. ​Similarly, S. Coelicolor (as well as fungi and other bacteria) show a high density of bifurcation (split branches for networks) ​in high nutrient areas (perhaps the biological equivalent of information packets in a computing context).

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: Nodes in S. Coelicolor looking to form connections are like computers. Both can process information. It’s ​good to share overall processing between the nodes (as a pose to having a central processor, i.e. a centralised approach) ​as networks need to be formed quickly and efficiently- this increases the overall system’s performance and capacity for ​processing complex information.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: By scanning the environment roughly first, enough nutrients can be gathered (as more ground is covered) to ​bifurcate further by producing aerial mycelium to spread spores. S. Coelicolor uses a lot of one-dimensional branching ​which is good for patchy environments as it can spread far (covering a large surface area) without generating much mass ​due to the low initial bifurcation density.

University of Warwick, England Rossello, M.R (Systems Biology), Griffiths, N , Kalvala, S, Wellington, E.M, Gaze, W.H (Accessed: 19/03/24), American Society for ​Microbiology (Accessed: 19/03/24), ASM Journals (Accessed: 19/03/24), Phys.org (27/06/23), JIC (Accessed: 19/03/24), Springer Link (16/03/23) Microbewiki ​(19/03/24), Tutorialspoint (19/03/24), Faber Futures (26/10/20), Material Driven (17/10/18)

Networking: Using chemical signals to communicate between cells in a network is easier if there’s more transport along the ​network. In S. Coelicolor’s case, there’s less transport as it’s unicellular, but (given the networking explained in the past slide) ​chemical communication may not be that important to S. Coelicolor. An additional point about the bacterium’s networks- the ​active cells need the right materials to divide plus a carbon source for energy, whereas the mycelium can divide indefinitely.

• I could include the brightly coloured pigments secreted in different pH conditions. I could add this to ​textiles (by getting it to interact with the protein fibre that Natsai Audrey Chieza mentioned in her ​project. I could also stain glass with it (speculative design- don’t think I have the time or resources to ​get streptomyces bacteria to dye anything). I could create a design inspired by a foldscope image (e.g. ​of a textile) on different stained glass windows with dyes secreted at different pHs (to produce ​different colours).

• I could include cards in the phone booth that have science- themed fun facts/ optimistic messages on ​them to improve people’s mood, get them to learn something new in an approachable way, distract ​them by getting them to think of something outside of their personal experiences and immediate ​problems, change their perspective on the world, maybe even counter extreme individualism etc.
  

Examples of these include:

-Highlighting that S. Coelicolor contributes to the soil’s earthy smell and therefore also the

grounding process (both grounding when it comes to the method where people physically

connect to the earth and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method that’s based on the senses.

-Explaining how S. Coelicolor grows in unpredictable conditions (may encourage some people

by reminding them that other species, like them, are also able to flourish in imperfect

conditions).

-Explaining how S. Coelicolor doesn’t need to be stereotypically pretty (see the pictures, it’s

structurally similar to fungi so it looks like mould) but its beauty comes from its characteristics

e.g. it secretes brightly coloured pigments, it makes soil smell interesting, it has been used in

healthcare and its networking strategies are fascinating and effective. This may be

encouraging for some people as our human beauty standards can be detrimental to people’s

mental health.

-Comparing biological and mechanical systems (e.g. bifurcation density, small hops between

nodes to transfer information, decentralised processing etc.) may be something interesting to

learn about because it isn’t usually taught in most schools (apart from universities).

• I could make sure the design (like most biological systems) is efficient in terms of time, computing ​power and energy.
  

• The decentralised information processing approach could be reflected in making a design that is ​present in many spaces e.g. multiple phone booths/ communication points.

• Conceptually, the phone booth I could design may be shown as being like a node that is in a specific ​area because there are resources (the equivalent of the nutrients in the case of S. Coelicolor) available ​there. These resources could be both the people that enter and exit the booth (are ‘useful to the booth’ ​as they fulfil its purpose), but also the resources are the mental health benefits to people inside the ​phone booth.
  

• The human in the phone booth could represent a plant growing in a greenhouse e.g. there could be ​stretching exercises shown on one of the walls for the person using the booth to follow- helping the ​person to stand tall, like a growing plant. A physiotherapist told me that stretches and improving ​posture improves people’s mental health. Using sunlight (as natural lighting or an energy source as a ​solar panel or even using solar pressure like a solar sail) and glass windows would also contribute to this ​image.
  

• If the pod becomes moving it could release seeds or spores e.g. using wind like old dandelions.
  

• To stay competitive, S. Coelicolor produces many cells, so there’s more aerial mycelium, hence more ​spores so the gene pool is more likely to survive and spread. I could link this strategy to my design e.g. ​launching the product in different countries with contrasting cultures and seeing what sticks, perhaps there ​is an unexpected outcome.

• People’s messages to be sent along growing bacteria/ roots e.g. as electrical impulses or chemical signals.
  

• There could be a way to communicate messages between plants (perhaps CRISPR engineered- although ​that could be a morally grey area as one could argue it doesn’t respect the organism) via their roots or other ​networking systems that are similar to the ones that S. Coelicolor use. This could be between one plant in ​the phone booth (e.g. one that stores data- as seen in the ‘Future of Houseplants’ episode) and another ​plant in someone’s garden. Perhaps someone in the phone booth would feed the plant in the phone booth ​something/ change a stimulus for the plant and this would correspond to a colour change in a plant in the ​garden of the person they want to communicate with (e.g. pink means ‘I’m thinking of you’) via a signal ​transmitted between the plants underground. Of course, this is complicated and would have to be carefully ​engineered. It’s a speculative design for the future, but perhaps there are elements of this we can use now ​to communicate and reduce loneliness and phone addiction with the power of plants.
  

FMP- Research:

Biomaterials- Bananatex

Photos taken here are author’s own, some images are sourced from QWSTIONS’ booklet

I’m inserting some research from another project here as it’s relevant. During my visit to Vienna, I found a brand called ​‘QWSTION’ which specialises in a biomaterial called Bananatex. As the name suggests, it’s made using banana skins. ​Their shop even sells the material by the metre which was very exciting as often biomaterials can be difficult to access ​and are only seen in museums or labs. I’ve bought one metre of it and look forward to experimenting on it. It has a ​protective layer of chitin on its surface, which the shop assistant explained to me comes from mollusc shells.

FMP: Time

Management

Expectation

Reality

• I didn’t make a constraints of size and location page because I only really knew the end product’s form in the week of ​the 15/4/24, so there was no point attempting this before then, by that time the anthropometrics and dimensions of ​existing products were enough to influence the design.
  
• I only made the mood boards in the week of the 1/4/24 as the research took a while.
• Client context page got done earlier (2nd week of this project)
• Because research took a while, idea generation techniques and material manipulation got done in the week of the ​8/4/24 and 4 initial ideas were sketched in the week of the 1/4/24 and 8/4/24, not 5. There wasn’t enough time to ​refine these to 3 designs.
  

FMP-

Experimentation from a past project: dyeing fabric with spirulina

Photos above are author’s own, (taken in 2023), script photographed came with copper sulphate ordered from the shop ‘BlotzCraftsBySue’ on Etsy

I’m inserting some research from another project here as it’s relevant. I dyed some cotton fabric with spirulina (process is ​outlined above and on the next 2 pages) to experiment with naturally produced fabric dyes. I still have some fabric from ​this past project that I could use for this project as it’s a coloured biomaterial, so it suits the theme. That said, I had the ​following problems: the dyeing process took about 2 hours plus another 24 hours drying time, (plus prep time and pre-​ordering the appropriate supplies such as the spirulina and mordant to chemically bind the dye to the fabric).

FMP-

Experimentation from a past project: dyeing fabric with spirulina

Photos above are author’s own, (taken in 2023)

Problems continued: the dyeing process is energy intensive, so it’d only make sense to do on a larger scale, otherwise, ​it’s wasteful. I also now don’t go to the same school I did, so I don’t have access to a chemistry technician that is able to ​safely dispose of the copper sulphate I used as a mordant. Lastly, the fabric colour, although visibly green, isn’t very ​bright. My theme for this project focusses on bright, dopamine releasing colours, so I think my best bet is to outsource ​some plant dyed fabric, this also saves me time as I can focus on other parts of this project, such as design variations.

FMP-

Experimentation from a past project: dyeing fabric with spirulina

Photos above are author’s own, (taken in 2023)

These are the last photos and descriptions of the spirulina dyed fabric process.

FMP- Research,

Experimentation and Problem Solving: Plant dyed fabrics

Photo of light green fabric (far left) is author’s own (taken in 2024), Etsy- The Joyful Studio Co (Accessed: 17th March 2024), Etsy- The Zan House (Accessed: 17th ​March 2024), Etsy- Stuart Moores Textiles (Accessed: 17th March 2024)

Spirulina fabric I dyed- far left. The colour isn’t as bright as I’d like it, and in the interest of time, I’m researching plant dyed fabric I ​can outsource. The ribbons above are hand dyed polyester chiffon, at first glance, I thought it was suitable, but polyester is ​unsustainable and no plant dyes are mentioned, the fabrics below the ribbon image, however, does seem sustainable (see ​description photos on right)- later found out these came from India and the US, so I looked for UK-based alternatives (next slide).

FMP- Planning

Experimentation and Problem Solving

How I could experiment with this material:

• Dye some embroidery thread with ​natural dyes (see below)
  
• Dye the fabric with the same natural ​dyes
• Try out the Hapa-zome plant printing ​technique- try different arrangements ​for a kawaii design.
  

Results Pt 1- Sourcing Materials

‘It is all dyed at our small outside dye house in ​Oxfordshire, using well water and plant or ​insect dyes, many of which are grown or ​gathered by us in a sustainable way from the ​organic Estate on which we are based. When ​we do use imported dyes we source these ​directly, or from a company with a strong ​ethical sourcing policy.’- The Outside Dyers

DIY Natural (08/12/22), JD Institute of Fashion Technology (29/07/21), FelinFach (29/12/22), Sustainability for Schools (Accessed: 14/03/24) Etsy- The Outside Dyers ​(Accessed: 23/03/24), Etsy- Victoria Louise Lovett (Accessed: 23/03/24), Etsy- Mont Bleu Studio (Accessed: 23/03/24)

It took me a bit longer to find the right materials as the ones I originally wanted to buy came from the US (which isn’t ​sustainable or cost- effective), but I found some colourfully plant-dyed UK-sourced textiles. I bought threads and one ​fabric as this was more cost effective (I can weave the threads). I screenshotted the colours and put them together to ​see if they’d work well together and match the moodboards (shown later slides) as well as align with Mayah’s taste. ​Relevant Etsy shops are sourced above.

FMP- Primary

Research- My Client’s Reaction to a Nature and AI installation at the Serpentine Gallery

Photos above are author’s own (taken in 2024), Serpentine Galleries (5th March 2024)

Artist Refik Anadol created this installation (Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive) that was showcased in the Serpentine ​Gallery. ‘The installation wraps the gallery walls in AI generated images inspired by data of flora, fungi and fauna from ​over 16 rainforest locations globally, which was collected using technologies such as LiDAR and photogrammetry.’- ​Serpentine Galleries (5th March 2024). Mayah, my client, said the installation was very relaxing, she enjoyed sitting on a ​bean bag and staring up at the moving images. Personally, I found it overwhelming as the screen size was too large.

FMP- Primary

Research- Visiting a phone booth

Photos above are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Problems with the phone booth:

• Bad smell
• Dirty/ vandalised
• I tried using it by following the instructions (remove the phone ​from the holder, insert a coin based on the prices shown, press a ​button for a call/ email/ sms) but pressing the button didn’t work.
  

Problems with the phone booth continued:

• Some people may get claustrophobic
  
• My tutor told me that in the past there would ​often be adverts left here for ‘adult services’ ​and that was another reason that phone booths ​were seen as unpleasant.
  

FMP- Primary

Research- My client’s reaction to using a phone booth (as well as my observations)

Photos above are author’s own (taken in 2024)

Problems with the phone booth:

• The instructions page wasn’t very well laid out, I ​ignored it initially because it looked like an ​advertisement.
  
• The door didn’t open well (see ‘pull’ and no handle)
  

FMP- Secondary

Research- How do phone booths work?

Youtube- National Communications Museum (9th Dec 2020), Youtube- LoudMouthTim (28th Aug 2019), US Electric (7th Jun 2021), How Stuff Works (9th May 2002), A ​Butterfly House (24th Jul 2023), George Brazil Plumbing & Electrical (28th Jun 2022), House Digest (14th Aug 2022), Wikipedia (24th Jul 2023), The Spruce (2nd Nov 2022)

Outside the phone booth: There’s a weatherhead (this stops the rainwater running down the wires and into the circuit ​breaker) with the phone line connected to it (to connect it to the power). There’s a breaker box that houses circuit ​breakers (switches that protect the appliance from surplus current. The grounding wire goes down into the cement to ​safely discharge surplus current into the ground to prevent fires/ electric shocks. A phone book was included inside.

FMP- Secondary

Research- How do phone booths work?

Youtube- National Communications Museum (9th Dec 2020), Youtube- LoudMouthTim (28th Aug 2019), US Electric (7th Jun 2021), How Stuff Works (9th May 2002), A ​Butterfly House (24th Jul 2023), George Brazil Plumbing & Electrical (28th Jun 2022), House Digest (14th Aug 2022), Wikipedia (24th Jul 2023), The Spruce (2nd Nov 2022)