LUMA.
by Jack Pogson.
Future forecasting through design.
Global jellyfish populations are proliferating in the ocean ecosystems in a problematic way due to human activity. Now being classified as a destructive species, with a population that needs controlling by human intervention, they could be considered a rapidly replenishing natural resource. This project is an exercise in Speculative Critical Design (SCD) practice. Commercial jellyfish have been used for the development of an experimental biomaterial, with a final product application intended to highlight the materials unique aesthetics. Whilst the development of this material represents a design intervention to combat the results of the climate crisis, the project is attempting to forecast the trajectory of domestic product design based on our current context, and seeks to question what we believe product design should embody in the current and predicted global contexts, synthesizing our post climate futures into reality.
Material Development.
The material was developed using the Materials Driven Design (MDD) method, which guides the designer in developing experimental materials by desired user experience outcomes. Opportunities for unique aesthetics are to be identified throughout the development process, then refined by the designer to determine the final product application. In the case of this project, material translucence and texture was recognised as a key point of interest, and influenced the decision to use the material in a lighting sculpture.
Final Prototype.
