Skip to content

13. Implications and applications

Intro

In this project, I aim to explore a wide range of possibilities while building a deeper and more intentional connection with the objects I create. Through this process, I seek to question the way we produce and relate to material things, moving away from disposability and immediacy. Once these objects have completed their life cycle, my intention is for them to safely and responsibly return to the earth, embracing a circular approach that values care, time, and regeneration rather than constant replacement.

By Virgine Sueres

I am an Industrial Design undergraduate student at Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, in Mexico. Ever since I was young, I have loved experimenting with my appearance, wearing accessories, dressing up, and owning things in general. I have always been fascinated by objects and their aesthetics, which I believe was one of the main reasons I decided to study industrial design. However, as I have grown, matured, and developed my own criteria, my perspective has shifted. I have begun to question my own consumerism, especially now that I have the ability to produce and bring tangible ideas into the world. With that ability comes a sense of responsibility that I have not yet been able to fully put into practice through my projects.

Via Pinterest

According to Zygmunt Bauman, in his book Consuming Life, consumerism operates as an economy based on excess and waste (Bauman, 2007). Within this system, objects are designed to have short life cycles, encouraging constant replacement rather than long-term use or emotional attachment. Gilles Lipovetsky, in turn, argues that we live in a society of hyperconsumption, characterized by an ever-increasing desire for more and faster forms of consumption (Lipovetsky, 2013). In this context, consumption is driven not by necessity but by immediacy, where speed, urgency, and constant renewal dominate everyday life.

Question

This led me to a question: How can rethinking my relationship with objects help me define a more responsible way of creating at this stage of my life as a designer?

I believe one response to this is to engage in a small act of rebellion against the fast-paced world we have created.
This project emerges from a personal need rather than a universal solution. Being at an early stage of my design education, i see this work as an introspective exercise and one of my first moments of presenting myself creatively to the world. It functions as a personal manifesto, an exploration of what i believe in, how i position myself as a designer, and how i relate to objects at this point in my life. While i have always been drawn to accessories and jewelry, i have begun to question the culture of irresponsible consumption that shaped my relationship with objects. This project allows me to hold that contradiction: loving objects while critically pointing how they are produced, used, and discarded. Through jewelry and accessories made from biomaterials, I explore alternative ways of creating ones that respect the earth, acknowledge material cycles, and allow objects to return safely to the land once they have fulfilled their purpose.

What

My project will consist of the development of a collection of jewelry and accessories made from biomaterials.

I want to experiment with a variety of biomaterials such as bioplastics, bio-resins, food waste, mycelium, and natural dyes, using established techniques and recipes. Below, I will include sources that I can consult. I plan to carry out these experiments and create a material sample library. Throughout the process, I will maintain a reflective journal that will serve as evidence of my experiments, decisions, and personal reflections. For the design process, I will draw on computational and parametric design knowledge developed during the course to create molds that allow the materials to adapt to the desired forms. I will also explore and research ways to return the product to the earth.

These are the resorces i will use to research further:

References & Inspo

I will experiment with the form of the pieces, which will exist at the intersection of computational design aesthetics, inspired by nature, my culture, and everyday life.

Timeline

Why

Reducing our level of consumption is important because the world needs it. Many of the topics that interest me intersect in this project, and I believe that engaging the subject with what they create beyond a purely productive goal generates value. Having a direct connection with the making of materials and their transformation already becomes a small act of rebellion against the culture of immediacy in which we live. I am only halfway through my degree, and I feel that I have not had much time to develop personal projects. The intention of this project is precisely that: to develop my vision as a designer and create what I want to bring into the world. I want this to be an introspective journey, a way to explore my own voice while applying my philosophy and the knowledge I have acquired.

Stakeholder map

Slideshow

Samantha sánchez de SANCHEZ MORALES SAMANTHA