1D. Documentation of Prototype – Morgan Tallack – 12932176
Design usually ignores dark and complex emotions and therefore creates a restriction onto itself in what it can or can’t convey. With my prototype, I wanted to challenge our ideas of ones digital self and their physical embodiment. As technology continues to eclipse us, we adopt online behaviours and social interactions which create a set of attributes (Kayne and Lee, 2017). This notion is further challenge by the fact that the creators of computers will soon be exceeded by their own intelligence. “Human intelligence—a product of evolution—has transcended it. So, too, the intelligence that we are now creating in computers will soon exceed the intelligence of its creators” (Hughes, 2001). So if we are becoming more entwined in this digital reality, and that digital reality is surpassing us, what will become of our physical existence?
My prototype pushes these ideas in a dark manner, as I wanted to express the dire situation that I forecast if we don’t make changes today. Dunne and Raby (2013), speak a lot about critical design and how we can use this tool to create action. “Critical design can often be dark or deal with dark themes but not just for the sake of it. Dark, complex emotions are usually ignored in design” (Dunne and Raby, 2013). I wanted to create an action from my design, whether it was a repulsive thought or a disgust at my industrialisation of the human body.
A simple human fertiliser to sell at all garden stores was the product which I constructed. I wanted to remove the personal connection with the lost loved one and antagonise this idea of who we actually are(Moss, 2018). Moving towards our futures, do we want to become reliant on our online self or should we work on enhancing our physical identities?
Funerals and ceremonies have changed throughout time from issues associated with land, money and technology (Sherwood, 2018). As these issues are only increasing when forecasting for the future, increase in virtual cemeteries will mean a lack of physical existence of a personal memorial (Broviak, 2009).
In order to arouse disgust, I decided to create a machine to accompany my human fertiliser which shows the process of disposing a human body (Calderone, 2018). This machine is said to be installed in all hospitals by 2040, where one can simply place the body through the shoot, and after a quick 4 hour process the body is turned in to liquid and bone (Casey, 2011). The design decisions about the colour, texture and smell or this project was used to unease the responder into an change moving forward.
My prototype works to create a cautionary narrative that can be a possible future if we don’t make changes today. I hope from my speculative design, I was able to trigger a call for action. I hope that we are able to remain connected to our physical being, while we venture into the technologically unknown. I hope my proposal for our future, challenged our assumptions and preconceptions of what will be, and possibly made you rethink who you are. Online AND offline.
Broviak, P. (2009). Virtual Cemeteries. [online] GovLoop. Available at: https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/virtual-cemeteries/ [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Calderone, J. (2018). Burying dead bodies takes a surprising toll on the environment. [online] Business Insider Australia. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/burying-dead-bodies-environment-funeral-conservation-2015-10#/#the-embalming-process-is-toxic-1 [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Casey, T. (2011). Weird Biodegradable Plastic Made from Cow Bones | CleanTechnica. [online] CleanTechnica. Available at: https://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/31/weird-biodegradable-plastic-made-from-cow-bones/ [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Dunne, A. and Raby, F. (2013). Speculative everything : design, fiction, and social dreaming. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, pp.33-45.
Hughes, J. (2001). The Future of Death: Cryonics and the Telos of Liberal Individualism. Journal of Evolution and Technology, [online] 6, pp.1-24. Available at: https://www.jetpress.org/volume6/death.htm [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Kayne, A. and Lee, B. (2017). Online Self and Discrepancy:Who We Are Online, Offline, and Hoping To Be. In: Konferensi Nasional Peneliti Muda Indonesia UHAMKA. [online] Jakarta, Indonesia: Research Gate, pp.1-2. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321212621_Online_Self_and_DiscrepancyWho_We_Are_Online_Offline_and_Hoping_To_Be [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Moss, L. (2018). Going green when it’s your time to go. [online] MNN – Mother Nature Network. Available at: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/going-green-when-its-your-time-to-go [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
Sherwood, H. (2018). The changing face of funerals: why we did it our own way…. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/22/why-families-are-rejecting-traditional-funerals-taking-control [Accessed 29 Sep. 2018].
MDCM Futuring Love 