Identity & Vision
Identity
As a designer, I am mainly a computational designer. When I started my bachelor of Industrial Design, I knew some basic Python. During the first year, I learned about Processing and Java programming through the course Creative Programming. During that course, I was also introduced to Arduino, which sparked an interest in circuit design and embedded development using C and C++. I also developed a computer game in Unity for the first course of Design for Games and Play I; game design, which used the C# programming language. The various software and hardware projects throughout my bachelor’s required different kinds of computation. Applying the knowledge from Calculus and Physics, I realized multiple aspects of other projects, ranging from circuitry for electronics to physics simulations inside a video game.
Deepening: Programming
I followed multiple courses which involved the use of large data sets. Mainly the course Data Analytics, where I deepened my knowledge of Python to manipulate data sets and perform rudimentary statistical analysis on said data and essential machine learning. This came in handy during the course Intelligent Interactive Products, where I developed software that intelligently and interactively guides someone through a yoga session. I also followed courses from the Computer Science faculty. The course Programming to deepen my knowledge of Java. Following that, I completed Computer Graphics, where I learned to use OpenGL through a Java API to create a program which renders live 3D images (e.g. video games).
3D Printing
In my first year, I was also introduced to Computer Aided Design (or CAD for short) through the course Creative Mechanical Engineering. It serves as a bridge between digital design and bringing that to the physical world. It was around the same time I got introduced to 3d printing. Not long after, I bought myself my first FFF 3D printer. This became one of the main prototyping and manufacturing methods during the later years of my bachelor’s. My deepening interest caused me to buy yet another 3D printer which had to be built from scratch. This deepened my knowledge of the limitations of 3D printing to better inform my design choices.
With all these skills in my repertoire, the question arises. Who needs me as a designer? I am capable of rapid prototyping, where the design is optimized for 3D printing. This means the designs I create do not only have to be for prototypes but can also be used for small-scale production. This means companies or people who use 3D printing as their primary production method. I am also very much a programmer and computational designer. I can create design decisions informed by the technology driving most of the products we use and produce. I also think that programs and the math driving them can bring forth a particular aesthetic or interaction in design, which I like.
Vision
We live in a day and age where we are continually pushed into using products and services prescribed to us by big corporations. These products and services are designed with a standard definition of the user in mind. However, this definition does not provide a good solution for all users. A demand for better-fitting products can be seen in the various hacker and maker communities evolving around existing product ecosystems to make the products provided by the big corporations better suit their induvial needs.
The maker movement is a relatively recent trend, with a broad audience able to access toolsets and machines that are getting cheaper and more accessible than ever. (S. Nascimento & A. Polvora, 2016) The relationship between a maker and their media and materials is quite complex. Beyond simply expressing their creativity, their drive is often connected to diverse social, economic, cultural, political and ethical factors.
I think that through personal adaptation, these makers can better express their individuality. It allows them to better adapt their technologies to the uniqueness of their daily encounters and whereabouts. Over time this has created a diverse array of ongoing projects which have emerged from the open-source community.
While many consumers are happy to use the products and services provided by manufacturers, a response to the growing hacker and maker communities should be formulated to make adapting products easier. Existing solutions can already be found in APIs and open-source hardware & software. These resources require active maintenance and good documentation (which must also be updated and maintained). This doesn’t mean that an open-source project will necessarily be adopted widely. Instead, if there isn’t any (reasonable) documentation, then it will likely not be adopted or adapted by others.
Due to the rapid innovation of technology during the last decades, it tends to become obsolete relatively quickly. This can be seen as a reason not to reverse engineer or hack into contemporary devices, as they will be obsolete in the near future. If source materials, plans and documentation are published, it will provide a foundation for many makers and their applications. Not only tools and machines should be more accessible, but also the knowledge and documentation about existing products and their making processes. This will bring innovation out of the lab and closer to people’s everyday lives, making innovation more democratic.