LookingOutwards08-jooheek

Events in Space Time – Jesse Louis-Rosenburg & Jessica Rosenkrantz (Eyeo 2015)

Talk: https://vimeo.com/channels/eyeo2015/133709845

Jesse Louis-Rosenburg and Jessica Rosenkrantz are part of Nervous System,  a generative design studio that works at the intersection of science, art, and technology. Jesse has a background in math and computer science, while Jessica in biology and architecture. In their projects, they are interested in focusing on three main areas of research: science and nature, digital fabrication, and co-creation. They start all of their projects by studying natural phenomena, and translate them into one of a kind products by using design tools, algorithms, and technological systems (essentially digital fabrication) that they create to represent those natural phenomena.

Floraform from Nervous System on Vimeo.

It’s interesting how they are using digital fabrication to find new ways of translating nature and biology into different kinds of products. One project that interested me the most is Floraform. In this project,they delve into how biological systems create form by varying growth rates through space and time, hence the title of their talk. They then created algorithms and mechanisms that created a simulation of differentially growing elastic surfaces that represented these differential growths. These experiments were then used to create 3D sculptures and wearable products. What interested me about this project was how they took a natural phenomenon and created their own algorithms to translate them into physical objects.

Throughout the talk, they used pictures, videos, simulations, and other different types of visualization to present their works in their presentations. I believe this is the most effective way to show their work, which are mostly composed of computer generated products. This makes me realize that there are many different ways of showing not just your end product but also your process of designing that product as well.