γ°οΈDesign Context
In Distributed Design, understanding and mapping existing systems is an essential phase.
π― Invitation
This section has three activities. A guided field trip, a self mapping exercise and a workshop inspired by manufacturer mapping organisation Make Works. Getting out of the studio and into the world is essential for building critical consciousness of complex issues that need addressing by expanding your network, working with and visiting factories and facilities in the city.
β Activity 1: network mapping
This activity invites you to map, issues/drivers, other designers practice, technologies, tools and skills relevant to your context and helps you find who are the stakeholders that make up your chosen context? Miro is good tool for doing this as is Graph Commons:
[Graph Commons mapping site] (https://graphcommons.com)
β Activity 2: Field Trips
Visiting the municipal services that are behind the scenes in a city help to join the dots from products to trash - by seeing PITO (product in trash out) in action we can consciously design better. At a material recovery facility we can see the importance of the waste hierarchy in design.
Recyclable cannot be shorthand to mean βsustainableβ. We need to design for the whole system including a material's origin and products end of life. There is not really such a thing as recycling, only downcycling: for instance, the reprocessing of plastics degrades the material, produces harmful emissions and ultimately creates end of life products like park benches.
β Activity 3: Make Works
Make Works is a global library for local manufacturing, where you can search by material, process or by factory name to find someone to help you bring your ideas to life. They host and verify manufacturers, fabricators and factories of all shapes and sizes through recommendations.
You can search or browse for manufacturing processes, materials, machinery or equipment you need. This might be for a design brief, new artwork, a hardware product, outfitting a shop, props or set for a show, or just something for your home - anything physical you need to make or repair. Once you have found a factory that suits you, get directly in touch to start making.
Local manufacturing is better for the environment, sustains local economies and supports communities. Make Works is open and accessible, connecting people directly to making and repairing things, democratising access to production and investing in local economies, skills and community.
This workshop from Make Works will help you be able to learn about and navigate your local manufacturers. The example here is for mapping the Brighton manufacturing ecosystem.
π References
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