The Soyuz Chair
in collaboration with the astronaut
Jean-Pierre Haigneré who lifted off twice
from earth in the Soyuz rocket.
The Soyuz Chair accurately reproduces
the three stages of the Soyuz rocket launch.
Reclining into launch position, you face
the sky, put on your headset and use the
control panel to select your mode; just a
single stage, or the full lift-off experience.
www.nellyben.com
benhayounnelly@yahoo.fr
photo: Nick Ballon
in collaboration with the astronaut
Jean-Pierre Haigneré who lifted off twice
from earth in the Soyuz rocket.
The Soyuz Chair accurately reproduces
the three stages of the Soyuz rocket launch.
Reclining into launch position, you face
the sky, put on your headset and use the
control panel to select your mode; just a
single stage, or the full lift-off experience.
www.nellyben.com
benhayounnelly@yahoo.fr
photo: Nick Ballon
Gifted
Would it be morally acceptable to
genetically alter or influence our unborn
children if we knew it would improve
their quality of life?
Gifted seeks ways of shaping such a
future by engaging with the generation
who will be faced with such scenarios
and decisions, exploring the reactions
and opinions of children themselves.
www.willcarey.co.uk
info@willcarey.co.uk
Would it be morally acceptable to
genetically alter or influence our unborn
children if we knew it would improve
their quality of life?
Gifted seeks ways of shaping such a
future by engaging with the generation
who will be faced with such scenarios
and decisions, exploring the reactions
and opinions of children themselves.
www.willcarey.co.uk
info@willcarey.co.uk
The Subversive Gardener
This project explores various methods
of disguising gardening paraphernalia
in everyday attire and accessories,
drawing on influences from militaria and
spy gadgetry. Secretly dropping seed
bombs on their way to work or planting
flowers on their way home, these designs
allow guerrilla gardeners to integrate
their assaults into their everyday routine.
www.vanessaharden.com
contact@vanessaharden.com
This project explores various methods
of disguising gardening paraphernalia
in everyday attire and accessories,
drawing on influences from militaria and
spy gadgetry. Secretly dropping seed
bombs on their way to work or planting
flowers on their way home, these designs
allow guerrilla gardeners to integrate
their assaults into their everyday routine.
www.vanessaharden.com
contact@vanessaharden.com
Surviving with 'Englishness'
In most imagined dystopian futures, basic survival is the main objective humans face – but is it ever enough to simply survive?
This project explores how an Englishman can retain a small part of his dignity during extreme circumstances by imagining novel ways to brew a humble cup of tea.
www.austinhouldsworth.co.uk
aushouldsworth@hotmail.com
In most imagined dystopian futures, basic survival is the main objective humans face – but is it ever enough to simply survive?
This project explores how an Englishman can retain a small part of his dignity during extreme circumstances by imagining novel ways to brew a humble cup of tea.
www.austinhouldsworth.co.uk
aushouldsworth@hotmail.com
Toys
The inner life of a corporation described
through the listings of a bankruptcy
auction. A pair of women’s shoes featuring
a retractable electronic key in the heel,
a self-sanitising narcotics vaporiser,
power-shredding system, and other items,
each providing a detailed insight into
the inner workings of one of the world’s
largest corporations.
www.tommasolanza.com
t@tommasolanza.com
The inner life of a corporation described
through the listings of a bankruptcy
auction. A pair of women’s shoes featuring
a retractable electronic key in the heel,
a self-sanitising narcotics vaporiser,
power-shredding system, and other items,
each providing a detailed insight into
the inner workings of one of the world’s
largest corporations.
www.tommasolanza.com
t@tommasolanza.com
Transgenic Bestiary
From glowing rabbits to hypoallergenic cats,
transgenic animals are already part of
our environment. These new creatures,
engineered for medical purposes,
research, or pure amusement, are blurring
conventional classifications. This project
envisages the use of animal DNA in the
context of a game allowing non-specialists
to create new hybrids and grasp the
bewildering possibilities of biodiversity.
www.myers.fr
myers.nicolas@gmail.com
From glowing rabbits to hypoallergenic cats,
transgenic animals are already part of
our environment. These new creatures,
engineered for medical purposes,
research, or pure amusement, are blurring
conventional classifications. This project
envisages the use of animal DNA in the
context of a game allowing non-specialists
to create new hybrids and grasp the
bewildering possibilities of biodiversity.
www.myers.fr
myers.nicolas@gmail.com
(Automated Tree-Rental
for Emission Encaging Machine)
Carbon trading brings the convenience
back to the ‘inconvenient truth’. If capitalism
could really solve global warming, we might
have to rent trees in order to cleanse our
environmental sins.
A.T.R.E.E.M. is a renting meter which allows
the tree to be used to offset clients’
footprints: the tree and this meter are
provided by a carbon trader.
www.dotmancando.info
dotmancando@gmail.com
for Emission Encaging Machine)
Carbon trading brings the convenience
back to the ‘inconvenient truth’. If capitalism
could really solve global warming, we might
have to rent trees in order to cleanse our
environmental sins.
A.T.R.E.E.M. is a renting meter which allows
the tree to be used to offset clients’
footprints: the tree and this meter are
provided by a carbon trader.
www.dotmancando.info
dotmancando@gmail.com
The Toaster project
Beginning with the digging up of raw
materials, and ending with a product that
can be purchased for less than £5.00,
The Toaster project documents an attempt
to make a simple electric toaster by hand,
starting from scratch. This absurd quest
serves as a vehicle to interrogate
environmentalism, economics and our
understanding of the objects that
populate our lives.
www.thomasthwaites.com
hello@thomasthwaites.com
Beginning with the digging up of raw
materials, and ending with a product that
can be purchased for less than £5.00,
The Toaster project documents an attempt
to make a simple electric toaster by hand,
starting from scratch. This absurd quest
serves as a vehicle to interrogate
environmentalism, economics and our
understanding of the objects that
populate our lives.
www.thomasthwaites.com
hello@thomasthwaites.com
The Green Book
Design Interactions 2009 (The Green Book)
presents projects by the graduating
MA students of Design Interactions at the
Royal College of Art. The theme of the
book picks up on the idea of the green
screen used in film and television – an
isolated object can be projected into any
possible environment.
Published on the occasion of the
Royal College of Art Summer Show,
26 June — 5 July, 2009.
www.kellenberger-white.com
hoi@kellenberger-white.com
Design Interactions 2009 (The Green Book)
presents projects by the graduating
MA students of Design Interactions at the
Royal College of Art. The theme of the
book picks up on the idea of the green
screen used in film and television – an
isolated object can be projected into any
possible environment.
Published on the occasion of the
Royal College of Art Summer Show,
26 June — 5 July, 2009.
www.kellenberger-white.com
hoi@kellenberger-white.com
Network Dilemma
The Compass Phone is a non-verbal mobile
communication device that creates an
alternative communication experience.
The Reputation-Check Instruments are devices
for those obsessed with their reputations
on social networking sites. These projects
address ethical and social issues related
to the behaviour of current information
technology, and explore poetic and tangible
interface design. Two instruments also
explore alternative sensory experience
design, allowing the user to interact with
data and information.
www.hayeonyoo.com
hayeon.yoo@gmail.com
The Compass Phone is a non-verbal mobile
communication device that creates an
alternative communication experience.
The Reputation-Check Instruments are devices
for those obsessed with their reputations
on social networking sites. These projects
address ethical and social issues related
to the behaviour of current information
technology, and explore poetic and tangible
interface design. Two instruments also
explore alternative sensory experience
design, allowing the user to interact with
data and information.
www.hayeonyoo.com
hayeon.yoo@gmail.com
David Crowley (Humanities, Royal College of Art)
Design usually tries to insinuate itself seamlessly into the world. Cutlery attempts to mould itself into your hands. A mobile phone seems so vital that life cannot be imagined without it. But what would design be like if our possessions disordered us? Would we feel differently about the grip that things seem to have over our lives if they were ‘unnatural’ or behaved in unsettling ways? These are the premises on which the designs - exhibited here and conceived by their designers as Disruptive Thinking - are based.
Design usually tries to insinuate itself seamlessly into the world. Cutlery attempts to mould itself into your hands. A mobile phone seems so vital that life cannot be imagined without it. But what would design be like if our possessions disordered us? Would we feel differently about the grip that things seem to have over our lives if they were ‘unnatural’ or behaved in unsettling ways? These are the premises on which the designs - exhibited here and conceived by their designers as Disruptive Thinking - are based.
David Tonge (Founder of The Division, London)
It’s my belief that the designer’s role is to embrace social change and to visualise future lifestyles. The Modernists were an example of designers who confronted by change, felt compelled to explore how we might live. We are still living by these ideas many years later. Sadly, much of today’s design is produced to serve large organisations and the media in their goal to predict and control the choice and buying patterns of consumers. It’s business driving need, not the user. Disruptive Thinking is exploring responses to our current turbulent social conditions, enabling us to visualise and understand what the future may hold. The results are provocative, thoughtful and what designers should be doing - don’t be frightened by it, it’s the future.
It’s my belief that the designer’s role is to embrace social change and to visualise future lifestyles. The Modernists were an example of designers who confronted by change, felt compelled to explore how we might live. We are still living by these ideas many years later. Sadly, much of today’s design is produced to serve large organisations and the media in their goal to predict and control the choice and buying patterns of consumers. It’s business driving need, not the user. Disruptive Thinking is exploring responses to our current turbulent social conditions, enabling us to visualise and understand what the future may hold. The results are provocative, thoughtful and what designers should be doing - don’t be frightened by it, it’s the future.
Masamichi Udagawa (Founder of Antenna Design, New York)
The collection of work coming from the RCA Design Interactions department demonstrates a new usage of design. It applies design (methods, thinking, crafts, aesthetics, etc.) in unconventional ways to fields such as social research, commentary and performance. It expands the utility of design - both culturally and commercially. In the process, this approach invigorates and redefines the field of design itself.
The collection of work coming from the RCA Design Interactions department demonstrates a new usage of design. It applies design (methods, thinking, crafts, aesthetics, etc.) in unconventional ways to fields such as social research, commentary and performance. It expands the utility of design - both culturally and commercially. In the process, this approach invigorates and redefines the field of design itself.
Guerilla Gardening Workshops
Staying with the theme of guerilla gardening,there will be an event held from 15:00 to 16:00 each day.
Joined by a resident guerrilla gardener, the hour will consist
of one or more of the following: identifying potential gardening
sites; seed bomb fabrication; and some gardening. Individuals of
all ages are welcome to join in and get their hands dirty.
In discussion with Thomas Thwaites – Toaster Project
Thomas Thwaites will give a presentation about hisToaster Project at the following times:
7pm Thursday, 6pm Friday, 5pm Saturday and 4pm Sunday.
Genome Mapping Design Workshop
Nicolas Myers and Will Carey lead a discussion with a groupof students from St Pauls school to envision what the future
might be like if we thought differently about genome mapping
technologies. From transgenic animals to genetic enhancement
technologies, participate in a design workshop that raises
questions about how we might want to develop such
technologies in the future.
3pm on friday
The Soyuz Chair Performance
"Feel the thrill of a rocket lift-off. Come to to see the Milky Wayand to admire Mars. Just turn up on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
at 10 am, 12am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm or sunday at 11am, 12am, 3pm,
4pm, and be part of a unique voyage – a one-way trip to the moon.
Places are restricted so arrive at least 10 minutes before launch
time.The winning participant will get to experience the lift-off
of the Soyuz rocket and will be nominated as Astro Assistant for
future flights."
This was a message from Captain Nelly.
24 – 27 September 2009
Thursday 24 September 10.00 — 21.00
Friday 25 September 10.00 — 19.00
Saturday 26 September 10.00 — 18.00
Sunday 27 September 11.00 — 17.00
Designersblock takes place during the London Design Festival
over 5000 square metres of space alongside 100% Design
in Earls Court One, Warwick Road, Kensington, London, SW5, UK
www.disruptivethinking.org
enquiries@disruptivethinking.org
Website design by Kellenberger-White with Nicolas Myers
Image by Tommaso Lanza
Exhibition Curator: Will Carey
All content © 2009 The authors and designers
Thursday 24 September 10.00 — 21.00
Friday 25 September 10.00 — 19.00
Saturday 26 September 10.00 — 18.00
Sunday 27 September 11.00 — 17.00
Designersblock takes place during the London Design Festival
over 5000 square metres of space alongside 100% Design
in Earls Court One, Warwick Road, Kensington, London, SW5, UK
www.disruptivethinking.org
enquiries@disruptivethinking.org
Website design by Kellenberger-White with Nicolas Myers
Image by Tommaso Lanza
Exhibition Curator: Will Carey
All content © 2009 The authors and designers