21 Sep 2011

V2_Institute for the Unstable Media presents Blowup: The Era of Objects

We are rapidly entering (and perhaps even have already entered) an era where we are able to print 3D objects at our desks, make and share laser-cut gifts for friends, and use off-the-shelf tools to plug these creations into the web and have them send status updates on our behalf. We have some commonly-held visions of the future, but what could our very wildest dreams (and nightmares) look like, beyond the cliché of the flying car? What answers can we find in speculative design? Our expert guests will explore these questions in collaboration with the audience in a hands-on, 'open think-tank' format.

Addressing this contemporary issue will be Julian Bleecker: designer, researcher at the Design Strategic Projects studio at Nokia Design and co-founder of Near Future Laboratory; Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino: product designer, entrepreneur, and partner at Really Interesting Group (London); and Anab Jain: interaction designer, founder of Superflux, and recent TED Fellow.

Following a brief talk show with Julian, Alexandra, and Anab, the audience will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with our invited experts in an 'open think-tank': a guided speculative design session wherein we'll address the product design challenges of the near and not-so-near future.

Bio's:

Julian Bleecker is a designer, technologist and researcher at the Design Strategic Projects studio at Nokia Design in Los Angeles and co-founder with Nicolas Nova of the Near Future Laboratory, their design-to-think studio.

Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, born in Montreal, grew up in Paris and the Middle East. She completed a B.A. in Industrial Design at the Université de Montréal and a Master's degree at the Interaction Design at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea (IDII). She worked on digital & innovation strategy for clients like Blast Radius and startups like Blyk, Jaiku & ThingLink.

Anab Jain, born and educated in India (NID), with an MA in Interaction Design from the Royal College of Art, London, Anab is the Founder of Superflux. She has a proven track record and experience in design, strategy and foresight for businesses, think-tanks and research organisations. Honoured as a TED Fellow, she is the recipient of several awards including the Award of Excellence ICSID and UNESCO Digital Arts Award.