BRIEF
Posthuman design for an asparagus fern.
TEAM MEMBERS
Tracie / Alexandra Li / Ann Chen / LEE
LITERATURE REVIEW ABOUT POSTHUMAN DESIGN
The Prehension of Using a Phone
To understand the meaning of the word prehension, our tutor let us make a physical model have a better understanding of the prehension of using a phone. We choose to show the function of step measuring. We made a model to show the prehension of step measuring sensor in a phone.
When people walk with there phones, sensors in the phone measuring people`s step by the movement of each step. When the back of the model is hit once, a sponge will fall from the front, recording the number of steps.
POSTHUMAN DESIGN FOR A FERN
After understanding the meaning of prehension, we were asked to understand the prehension of a fern and try to make a posthuman design for it.
Show the experience as a fern
To start with, we need to figure out where does the fern come from. Why it is here? How does the fern come to human`s living space? Why in this form?
We did some online research about the introduction of the fern and found that fern can be used in many different ways for human beings. The plant itself can be used as a decoration of inner space and also can be used as a symbol of fortune. The leaves of the fern can be used as a kind of medicine.
We want to show the difference between a nature fern and an artificial fern. We show the life of an artificial breeding fern and a wild fern by bodystorming.
For nature fern, they were born in a natural environment. There could be rains and winds. It grows better if the sunshine and rain are enough. And their position couldn't change during their whole life.
For artificial fern, they are born in the plants-breeding factory and would be cared for by factory workers. They are fertilized and cut shape in the greenhouse. And then they will be packaged and transported to the shop. Finally, they will be sold and will be taken to a customer's home and be placed next to the window. The position of an artificial fern changed a lot during its life.
Posthuman design for a fern
To design for a fern from a fern's perspective, we focus on something that an artificial fern would need comparing to a wild fern. An artificial fern may need good material to fertilize. It may want to connect to other plants like wild fern in nature. It may want to live longer on the earth etc.
So we have several plans for the plants.
1) Use human as the fertilizing of the fern
In this idea, we want to design a house for a fern to bring more fertilize for the fern. Maybe in the future, a human could be the fertilizer for the plants.
2) Let fern to connect each other as they are in nature
Build an environment for the artificial fern to let them feel the connection in the ecosystem. In wild nature, plants have a network system for them to contact each other. For example, when some plants being bite by bugs, these plants will release chemical materials to remind other plants to protect themselves. This plan is to simulate an ecosystem for indoor ferns.
3) Give fern identity when fern coming into the human`s world
Human has different kinds of identities, such as jobs, date of birth, sex etc. For fern, when they come into human society, they are separated into different kinds of usage. So we can give fern identities based on their usage. Our tutorial suggests that we should not think from the human`s perspective, the user for this workshop is the fern. So we abandoned this plan.
Make a Prototype
We chose the plan No.2 as our future direction to build a network for the fern indoor.
Then, we analyse the shape of the future plant. The plant in the future would have their roots grow without limitation so that plants could be hanging in the air. In this way, the soil could be around the root and be held by some flexible materials.
Based on this we build a mock-up prototype. The plant was hanging on the ceiling and there was a tube to combine the tube with the building. According to these insights, we thought of a solution that allows indoor artificial ferns to connect with outdoor plants through underground the urban pipeline structure.
FINAL OUTCOME
We record a video of an outdoor tree to show the perspective from outdoor.
For storytelling, we take wind as an example to show the message transportation. When there is wind outside, the plant inside can also feel the wind.
REFERENCE
Brandt, E., 2007. How tangible mock-ups support design collaboration. Knowledge, Technology & Policy, 20(3), pp.179-192.
IDEO Method Cards: 51 Ways to Inspire Design (2003). Palo Alto: William Stout Architectural Books.
Kerrigan, C.E., 2015. The art of collaboration OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2015. “Collaboration, n.” OED Online. Available at: http://www.oed.com.rp.nla.gov.au/ view/Entry/36197?redirectedFrom=collaboration& [Accessed April 4, 2015].
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Everitt, K.M., Klemmer, S.R., Lee, R. and Landay, J.A., 2003, April. Two worlds apart: bridging the gap between physical and virtual media for distributed design collaboration. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems (pp. 553-560).
Schrage, M., 1995. No more teams: mastering the dynamics of creative collaboration.
Shields, M.K. and Spillane, S. eds., 2019. Creative Collaboration in Art Practice, Research, and Pedagogy. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
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