A co-creation workshop that explored possible applications for biomaterials for building ecological and sensorial futures.
• Workshop design & facilitation
• Participatory design
• Curriculum design
• Materials science
• Branding
Challenge
Biodesign is an emerging field that calls for practitioners outside of the scientific fields to consider biology as a framework, process, and tool for imagining and creating ecologically sustainable futures. At the same time, however, there is a lack of access to knowledge by the public about the worlds of biomaterials and synthetic biology beyond eye-catching headlines, compostable cups, and 23andMe. How might we create spaces that allow for the democratization of scientific knowledge-making and the active inclusion of a multiplicity of voices around biomaterials innovation? Who are we designing for? How might we include these stakeholders in the design process?
Opportunity
Inspired by my time volunteering and taking workshops at Genspace, a community bio-lab based in Brooklyn, I decided to host a co-creation workshop that showcased the biomaterials I had been exploring and making. I wanted to collectively sense and experience these materials and think about what kind of futures we might want to create with these resources and tools at our disposal.
Workshop Format
Twelve people participated in a three-part workshop where they familiarized themselves with biomaterials through the senses and worked together on design prompts that asked them to really consider the relationship between materials and their ecosystems:
Familiarizing themselves with the contents on the materials table and filling out sensing worksheet
Paper-making exercise with recycled paper and foraged leaves from New York City Streets
Break out into groups to work on design prompts
Workshop Video
Worksheets: Individual & Group Explorations
Insights & Outcomes
Utilizing the senses as a tool for exploration and communication:
Getting the participants to interact with the materials physically—touch, smell, and hear—was a very powerful way to introduce them. Some participants would throw the material on the table to listen for differences in sound quality as a comparison for bounciness. Other participants were fascinated at how the materials felt on their skin compared to other surfaces.
Making is key to the design process:
The paper-making exercise was many of the participants’ favorite activity—it connected the the material exploration portion with actual fabrication, which allowed people to sense and interact with materials on a deeper level
Designers, makers, and artists are hungry for alternative modes of production and creation:
It was very eye-opening during the workshop to witness that the participants were interested in taking what they learned during the workshop and think about ways of applying this new knowledge to their practice. The follow-up has been amazing—several participants have continued working with biomaterials, even at a professional level. This workshop proves that the dissemination and democratization of knowledge is essential for innovation, and we can only design for more inclusive, equitable, and safer worlds through the multiplicity of voices.
