This modular wearable moves technology out of our bags and pockets and onto our bodies. Like jewelry, Links reflect personal style and wear like clothing. They are a step toward a future where hardware seamlessly integrates with our bodies and our clothing.
The half-necklace link (blue) combines seamless communications and biometrics in a jewelry-like chain designed to compliment the lightness and freedom of movement that comes with a dress. In this example each “link” serves a dedicated function, be it communications, sensing, or battery power.
Links attach magnetically to any clothing and are flexible enough in shape and color that they can be built to match any style. Their chain structure allows them to flex with the natural movement of the body, making them equally useful when dressing up or hitting the gym. They are jewelry, hardware, and wearable infrastructure for the body in an increasingly connected world.
BetterBack is a product I helped redesign and film for a Kickstarter campaign that ended up becoming one of the most successful Kickstarters of all time.
BetterBack makes every chair ergonomic. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on one chair, you can make every chair fit and support your body. It is lightweight and portable, so you can throw BetterBack in your purse or backpack.
To spark a conversation around the big questions that come with the fast-approaching world of autonomous vehicles, we set about to create a tangible artifact from the near future: a manual for the self-driving car.
In this collaboration with the design consultancy Near Future Laboratory, we ran a workshop at IxDA 2015 to speculate on how interaction design will meet the new challenges posed by this burgeoning technology. We wanted to dig into the details, discussing the known topics and discovering new questions about the unknown.
Our design brief:
“Represent the features, attributes, characteristics, and behaviors of the self-driving car and its requisite ‘ecosystems’ through the vehicle's Quick Start Guide.”
Minnow is a smart water meter that was designed as a collaboration among graduate students at California College of the Arts (CCA). It was awarded first prize in the CCA Business of Design startup competition in 2014.
Our vision for Minnow was to change people’s relationships to water by giving them access to information about how and where they use it.
Minnow is a simple kit that attaches to the water sources in your home and shows you how much water you are using, as you are using it. Not only does Minnow provide real-time water usage, it also alerts you to leaks, monitors your water quality, and provides you with tools to analyze your water usage over time. Minnow also allows you to compare your household usage with others in your region.
The Audi Innovation Research Fellowship was a rigorous, interdisciplinary collaboration geared towards exploring the car as a key node in a broader network of interconnected devices. It was aimed at reimagining new features, forms, interactions, and services that Audi might incorporate into their auto designs circa 2022.
Our team envisioned the car as a sanctuary within the high-density, high-intensity cities of the near future. We identified a specific demographic and created filters based on three spectrums (communications, environmental, and automotive) in order to speculate on how the car could provide connectivity and comfort that adapts to the situational needs of its owners.
These low-profile hydration systems combine the aesthetics of stylish activewear with the functionality of technical outdoor gear. They are designed for the urban runner who cares about style and needs the performance of a hydration system.
The jewelry-like links of the bite valve and hydration tube attach magnetically to the collar, won't jostle at high speed, and reattach themselves when the runner is done drinking.
V1- (top/black) is a running vest with integrated hydration that blurs the line between technical equipment and activewear, making it more versatile and stylish than other hydration systems.
V2- (bottom/blue) is a hydration system designed to attach to any running vest or jacket (pictured here on a lightweight running jacket by Nike).
This tube steel and slung leather lounge chair was inspired by the curves of desert landscapes and the structure of the tents that nomads use to cross them.
This work vest speculates on a future where water scarcity leads to a reevaluation of what is essential to a good product. The vest's exterior, liner, and insulation are all made from undyed cotton to avoid the wastewater created during the dyeing process. The lack of color does not compromise the aesthetic or functionality of the vest, instead the cloth takes on a patina that reflects how it’s used, making it more personalized the more it’s worn.
The Human-Centered Design Project was a sixteen-week group design research project that I developed and led alongside CCA graduate students.
We chose motorcycle safety gear as our topic because of the rapidly growing market for motorcycles and scooters in Asia and the United States. We developed the project from initial research, through development within our clients aesthetic, to a final presentation of market and prototype.
This is a simple laptop case that holds just the essentials. It slips inside your bag or carries like a briefcase.
This tiny block set was designed for adults. Great to set out on the coffee table during parties or meetings, these facilitate natural breaks of eye contact and give the hands a tactile outlet that is as relaxing as it is engaging. Consider them a tiny pressure-release that stimulates conversation and creativity by tapping into our desire to fidget while talking.
Narrow Road to the Deep North is a collaboration between graduate students from the American Film Institute and Harvard University. The trailer is currently being used to create a TV pilot. I assisted with production and lighting.
The Gregor Costume is an elaborate insect costume designed and constructed for a California Academy of Sciences exhibition that took metamorphosis as its theme. The costume rolls up like a roly-poly bug and has a built-in speaker that plays a recording of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis.
The Shades Collection is unified by the incorporation of dividing lines. Each piece is designed to leverage the qualities of the industrial materials it is made from.
Economies of scale make oak flooring slats and steel tubing both affordable and pre-squared for easy construction. Rough saw marks create surfaces that need no protection; instead, they encourage the patina that comes with the scrapes and dings of everyday use.
The De Haro end tables were designed for a private home in San Francisco. They incorporate a shelf to store bedtime reading material, and a magnetic charger cable handler to keep the black walnut top clean and uncluttered.
