STORYTELLING¶

Mindmap – Storytelling „Ocean Breath“¶

CENTER: OCEAN BREATH — A Living Interface¶

Biofabricated Wearable / Sargassum / Body–Ocean Interface

1. THE TOUCH (Opening / Emotion)¶

Unexpected contact¶

beeing in water
something touches your skin
unknown / alive / organic
instinctive body reaction

Vulnerability¶

naked body in water
exposed skin
no protection
fragility of the human body

Awareness¶

discomfort → attention
moment of awakening
the ocean is not distant
the ocean touches you

Intention¶

recreate this moment
design as wake-up call
provoke awareness
make environmental crisis tangible

2. THE BODY¶

Intimacy¶

the body as sensing interface
skin as sensory boundary
personal / intimate experience

Breathing¶

lungs expanding & contracting
breath as internal rhythm
breathing as life system

Shared rhythm¶

breath in / breath out
ocean tides
biological rhythm vs environmental rhythm

Vulnerability¶

breath = fragile system
dependency on environment
fragility of life systems

3. THE PROBLEM (Context)¶

Sargassum crisis¶

massive seaweed blooms
Caribbean coast / Mexico
ecological disruption
tourism impact
local communities affected

Environmental imbalance¶

climate change
nutrient pollution
shifting ocean systems

Duality¶

pollutant
resource
excess
opportunity

4. MATERIAL¶

Sargassum¶

marine organism
floating seaweed
invasive accumulation
renewable biological material

Biofabrication¶

growing materials
casting / molding
experimental material processes

Material qualities¶

thin
fragile
translucent
organic texture
living aesthetics

5. THE PROJECT¶

Ocean Breath¶

Interactive biofabricated wearable¶

Placement
chest
on lungs
vital organs

Interface¶

body ↔ ocean
biology ↔ technology
material ↔ sensing

6. TECHNOLOGY¶

Sensors¶

breath
soft movement

Interaction¶

motion

Philosophy¶

Technology acts as a mediator between body & material.
Technology enables dialogue between body and biomaterial.
The digital layer amplifies the material’s presence.
The system respects the autonomy of the biomaterial.
Technology becomes a tool for ecological awareness.
Sensors reveal the rhythms shared by body & biomaterial.
Technology becomes an interface for embodied awareness.
Technology as mediator

7. THE EXPERIENCE¶

Wearing¶

body hosts marine material
intimate contact with biomaterial

Sensory experience¶

touch
movement
breathing awareness

Embodied awareness¶

environmental systems become physical
crisis becomes personal

8. DESIGN INTENTION¶

Wake-up moment¶

discomfort as awareness
design as reflection

Reframing waste¶

excess → resource
pollution → material narrative

Speculative design¶

body as ecological interface
human ↔ ocean relationship

9. FINAL MESSAGE¶

Human & Ocean Connection¶

shared rhythms
shared vulnerability

Ecological awareness¶

environmental systems affect our bodies

Closing thought¶

we need to be touched
to understand our fragility

VIDEO STRUCTURE¶

VIDEO 1: CONTEXT + VIDEO 2: EXPERIENCE¶

VIDEO 1 – CONTEXT (3 min)¶

The Touch
The Breath
The Problem
Material
Biofabrication
The Project
Message

VIDEO 1 — CONTEXT (3 min)¶

Ocean Breath — A Living Interface¶

THE TOUCH¶

Body & Vulnerability¶

"Imagine swimming in the ocean. Bare skin in open water. No protection. Just skin, water, and breath. And then — suddenly — something touches your skin. Instantly your body reacts. You become aware. Aware of time. Aware of your surroundings. You feel vulnerable. Not because it hurts — but because it reminds you how exposed your body is. Our breathing slows. Our body listens. In that moment, you realize: you are not alone in this environment."

THE BREATH¶

Intimacy / Lungs / Breathing¶

"Breathing is one of the most intimate things our body does. It happens quietly, constantly, without us noticing. With every inhale, air enters our body and spreads through the lungs, reaching thousands of tiny air sacs deep inside us. A process so essential that we cannot stop it for long. Something from the outside world becomes part of our inner system — without us even being aware of it. A silent movement between outside and inside. A fragile exchange that keeps us alive."

Rhythm¶

"Our bodies live through rhythm. Breath in. Breath out. The ocean moves in rhythms too. Currents. Tides. Waves. When we enter the water, these rhythms begin to meet. Our breathing slows. Our lungs expand. Our body floats. For a moment, the rhythm of the body & the rhythm of the ocean become closely connected."

THE PROBLEM¶

"Along the Caribbean coast of Mexico, this relationship is changing. Massive amounts of Sargassum seaweed wash ashore every year. These blooms disrupt marine ecosystems, affect tourism, & impact local communities. Sargassum exists in a contradiction. It is often perceived as pollution. But it is also a biological resource. An excess material with untapped potential.

THE MATERIAL¶

My project begins with the material itself. Sargassum is a floating marine organism — a renewable biological material. Through material research, I explore how this seaweed can be transformed into biofabricated structures. Thin surfaces. Fragile textures. Translucent layers. Materials that still carry the organic aesthetics of the ocean.

THE BIOFABRICATION¶

Through biofabrication, living materials become part of the design process. Instead of extracting resources, we work with biological systems & their natural properties. Through casting, molding, & experimental processes, Sargassum becomes a new design medium. The material remains soft, fragile, & irregular — reminding us that biological materials behave differently than industrial ones.

THE PROJECT — OCEAN BREATH¶

Ocean Breath translates this moment of contact into a wearable experience. The object is placed on the human chest, close to the lungs & vital organs. It becomes an interface between the human body & the ocean. Sensors detect the rhythm of breathing. Gentle movements translate these internal rhythms into subtle physical motion. Technology does not control the material. Instead, it acts as a mediator between body & biomaterial. The digital layer amplifies the presence of the living material & reveals the rhythms shared by body & ocean.

THE EXPERIENCE¶

When wearing the object, the body becomes a temporary host for a marine material. Environmental systems become physical. The crisis is no longer distant — it is felt on the body.

THE MESSAGE¶

Ocean Breath proposes a different relationship between body, material, & environment. One where technology listens & design creates dialogue with living systems. Because sometimes we need to be touched to understand how fragile our systems are.

03:50 min¶

Old Narrative¶

My project was framed as a living interface between the human body & the ocean. Technology translated bodily data — breathing — into responsive outputs, creating a dialogue between human & material. The focus was on: - connection - translation - interaction between systems

New Narrative¶

Now my project shifts toward attunement & adaptation. The object defines a rhythm, & the body begins to respond — slowly adapting & aligning with it. The focus is now on: - vulnerability - shared rhythms - learning to listen & adapt

Why the Shift¶

I changed the narrative to move away from a technology-centered perspective towards a more embodied & ecological understanding. Instead of designing a system that responds to us, the project explores what it means for the human body to adapt. This shift emphasizes: - listening instead of controlling - relationship instead of interface - coexistence instead of interaction

TITLES¶

Ocean Breath — A Shared Rhythm
Ocean Breath — When Rhythms Align
Ocean Breath — In Attunement
Ocean Breath — Attuning to the Ocean
Ocean Breath — Attuning to Rhythm
Ocean Breath — Learning to Attune
Ocean Breath — Learning to Adapt
Ocean Breath — Relearning Adaptation

SUPTITLES¶

A Biofabricated Exploration of Alignment Between Body & Ocean Systems
A Biofabricated Exploration of Learning to Attune to Oceanic Rhythms
A Biofabricated Exploration of Relearning Adaptation Through Body and Material
A Wearable Exploration of Rhythmic Attunement Between Body and Material
A Biofabricated Wearable Exploring Shared Rhythms
A Biofabricated Wearable Exploring Adaptation Between Body and Ocean Systems
A Wearable System Investigating Embodied Adaptation to Environmental Rhythms
A body adjusting to a shifting environment
Rethinking how we respond to the world around us
A return to listening & adjusting

TITLE + SUBTITLES¶

•⁠ ⁠Ocean Breath — A Shared Rhythm •⁠ Ocean Breath — When Rhythms Align •⁠ ⁠Ocean Breath — Relearning Adaptation

SUPTITLES¶

•⁠ ⁠A Wearable Exploration of Rhythmic Alignment •⁠ ⁠A body adjusting to a shifting environment •⁠ ⁠Rethinking how we respond to the world around us

NEW VIDEO TEXT: Shorten + new Narrativ¶

OCEAN BREATH — A Shared Rhythm¶

⁠ ⁠A Wearable Exploration of Alignment

"Imagine swimming in the ocean. Bare skin in open water. & suddenly — something touches your skin. your body reacts. You become aware. Aware of time. Aware of your surroundings. You feel vulnerable. Not because it hurts — but because it reminds you how exposed your body is. & you realize: you are not alone in this environment.

Breathing is one of the most intimate things our body does. It happens quietly, constantly, without us noticing. With every inhale Something from the outside world becomes part of our inner system A process so essential A fragile exchange that keeps us alive.

Our bodies live through rhythm. Breath in - Breath out. The ocean moves in rhythms too. Currents. Tides. Waves. When we enter the water Our breathing slows. Our body floats. For a moment, the rhythm of our body & the rhythm of the ocean begin to align.

Along the Caribbean coast of Mexico, this balance is being disturbed. Massive amounts of Sargassum seaweed wash ashore every year. These blooms disrupt marine ecosystems, affecting tourism and local communities. Sargassum exists in a contradiction. It is often perceived as pollution. But it is also a biological resource. An excess material with untapped potential.

My project begins with the material itself. Sargassum is a floating marine organism — a renewable biological material.

biomaterials are not only defined visually. They can be perceived through multiple senses —

Through material research, I explore how this seaweed can be transformed into structures that carry the aesthetics of the ocean.

Through biofabrication, living materials become part of the design process. Instead of extracting resources, we collaborate with biological systems & their natural properties. Through casting, molding, & experimental processes, Sargassum becomes a new design medium not only used as a material, but also as a source of inspiration for form.

Ocean Breath translates the moment of contact into a wearable experience. It becomes an interface between the human body, technique & the ocean. A motor sets a system in motion. A gentle, repetitive movement emerges. instead of controlling the system, we begin to respond to it. Slowly adapting. Attuning to the rhythm of the object. A quiet negotiation between body, material, & machine. Through proximity, a shared rhythm begins to form.

When wearing the object, the body becomes a temporary host for a marine material. Breathing becomes more present. More conscious. Environmental systems become physical.

Suddenly, the Ocean is no longer a distant place, a travel destination. it is a system that has fallen out of balance, one that we can experience firsthand & empathize with. the crisis is no longer distant — it feels literally & becomes personally.

Ocean Breath proposes a different relationship between body, material, & environment. One where we do not expect the world to adapt to us — we need to relearn how to listen. To attune. To move with the natural rhythms.

Sometimes it only takes a light touch to remind us how fragile our systems are.

SOUNDTRACK¶

generated the track @ suno.com prompt: "cinematic ambient soundscape, subtle tension, organic textures, slow pulsing rhythm, not relaxing, slightly unsettling atmosphere, minimal, deep tones, airy but textured, evokes awareness and sensitivity, no vocals, no drums"

VIDEO 2 – EXPERIENCE (30 sec)¶

Body
Breath
Wearable
Movement / interaction
Shared rhythm body–ocean

"slow ambient cinematic soundscape, golden hour light, warm glowing tones, soft champagne breeze feeling, organic textures, breathing-like rhythm, minimal, fluid, elegant luxury mood, airy and spacious, no vocals, no drums"

. . . . . . .

All project & material experiment images are my own & were photographed by me.

Other images are credited to the respective artists below.