Can we adapt to a zero-waste future? The technology industry relies on a business model of constant innovation and planned obsolescence, a model that depends upon both a global supply chain of parts and scarce materials and a global infrastructure of waste management, which moves toxic high tech trash to areas where it can be isolated, treated, and downcycled. Both of these systems are ecologically devastating and unsustainable. Additionally, these systems are precarious, dependent on geopolitics, legal frameworks, and a variety of complicated logistics infrastructures. In this workshop, we will look at several contemporary technologies and work collaboratively to reimagine their design for a future in which these global systems can no longer be relied upon. Participants will work in small teams to develop their speculative designs, with each team given the opportunity to showcase their new products to the group.
I would ideally want at most 6 groups in order to make sure each group has four minutes or so to present something at the end of the session. If 30 people attended that would be 5 people per group, which is a good group size. With fewer participants the group sizes would get smaller, if three people came I would instead of having them group together they could do the workshop individually. If 5 came, I would ask whether they wanted to work individually or pair up in 2 groups of 2 and 3, if 10 came I would split them into 5 groups of 2. I would keep it at 5 groups until 20, and then add a sixth group.
We're hoping that many efforts and discussions will continue after Mozfest. Share any ideas you already have for how to continue the work from your session.:Something I regret from the first time I ran this workshop is that I did not collect the designs the participants came up with, because they were all really marvelous. This time I would like to collect participants' designs and descriptions (if they are willing) into a Medium post detailing what each group designed.
Alden Rivendale Jones is a New York City based artist, researcher, and programmer. Recent work themes include human to algorithm interactions, utopic infrastructures, and imagined alternative futures.