CUTIS ANSERINA



METHODOLOGY: Secondary Research, Speculative Design, Design Fiction

SKILLS: Rapid Prototyping, Fabrication, Exhibition Design

ROLES: 

ME - Designer, Researcher, Lead Fabricator
Farzad Kargaran - Lead Technical Designer
Gabriel Tan - Designer, Researcher

Project done in collaboration with Google and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
THE STORY 

Are our digital and physical lives becoming intertwined? Or are our lives just becoming more digital over time? 

Through deep secondary research our team determined and investigated these questions, imagining a future where physical feeling and in person emotion was looked at as something to harness, building on mental health and wellness trends we see today.

Together we imagined a transition space that humans would use to revitalize their instincts to sharpen their ability to connect. 

Using Cutis Anserina, more commonly known as goosebumps, as a measuring stick for instinctual awakening we began exploring the aesthetic, experiential, and architectrual design for the installation.

How could sound, sight, and touch combine to give someone goosebumps?

After lengthy material exploration we decided to build a space using rattan and worbla to create a natural, womb like physical space. We also experimented with sound and vibration, using tactile transducers and speakers  throughout the bed to vibrate the body and engage the ears. Finally, we experimented with visuals and projection mapping to round out the experience.

The project was exhibited at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2023, and was created in collaboration with Google as part of an exploration of the Future of Music.

Cutis Anserina investigates what is inherent human instinct, what are our new digital instincts, and if these two intertwine or are asymptotical.