Wind is defined as air in motion. But it’s also a vital metaphor for any force in life, typically invisible, which appears to come and go, yet affects real change on its inhabitants and their environments. When wind is present, there is no way to avoid it. You either work with it or work against it. Ideally you work with it, but in your own intentional way. A wise bird once said this more elegantly: “You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” It’s good to remember there are different types of winds: gentle breezes, strong gales, and violent windstorms that blow us over and demand all of our attention to survive within. Today, one might consider the internet full of modern winds: it’s easy to get swept. The internet's winds are invisible to most, yet their effects are immediately palpable and increasingly visible in our world. Indeed, computers with the internet have become ubiquitous in the present day, as we’re surrounded by smartphones and more and more domestic objects with networked capabilities, all calling for our attention. “Calm Technology” (originally coined by Mark Weiser and John Seeley Brown) declares calmness the fundamental challenge for all technological design of this era, or how to strike the balance of being informed without losing our current focus. Of course, not all technology needs to be calm; but currently too much design focuses on the thing itself while forgetting the opportunity of involving its surrounding context, environment, and the periphery. In this six-meeting course of mostly one-on-one sessions, each student will define and explore some winds specific to their lived experience. They’ll then develop a technology-based project or proposal that addresses these winds in a concrete way, using the methods of calm technology as footholds to create bespoke sails or methods of sailing amidst the winds of life.
Paul Bille
Andrew Connors
Paloma Izquierdo
Mengjie Liu
Churong Mao
Kyle Richardson
Lester Rosso
Hannah Tjaden
Mike Tully
Betty Wang
Yifan Wang
Cat Wentworth
Avery Youngblood
Laurel Schwulst