The politics of post-its is a speculative object that provokes and raises questions about the ethical and political aspects of design's inbuilt optimism and designer's implicit biases.

Brief

Objective

Create a physical object that could live in that world, which provokes or raises questions about the ethical and political aspects of the issue, topic, or domain and allows us to discuss complex questions that are difficult to discuss using other means (i.e., text, 2-D diagrams, sound).

Create an abstract, physical representation of the Victor Morgenstern Pitch in Illinois Institute of Technology's Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship (pictured below) to critique hypocrisies and blind spots in the design sectors, spaces, and studios.

The Process

Explore the Past to Understand the Present and Shape the Future

The realities we experience today and the futures we imagine for tomorrow are closely intertwined with our historical, cultural, and societal perspectives. This work delves into the intricacies of academic institutions, which can serve as places of education, innovation, and equity, but also contributes to and perpetuates issues such as gentrification and displacement. Specifically, I explore the history of the relationship between Bronzeville, a formerly thriving center of Black culture with notable residents like W.E.B. Du Bois and Gwendolyn Brooks, and IIT, a university whose iconic campus design by Mies van Der Rohie, while reflecting a "less is more" philosophy, has displaced long-time residents and disrupted the neighborhood's social fabric, despite resistance from tenants.

Speculation of a Scene 

Upon entering the Kaplan Institute, where the building's second floor is I.D.'s current home, visitors are greeted by its central area: the Victor Morgenstern Pitch, a stairwell seating arrangement that "...encourages people to generate ideas as they co-design the future with human-centered design..." featuring colorful foam cushions which were inspired by Post-It notes. Contradictorily, the white walls and floors that make up the Kaplan Institute and the urban green spaces surrounding the building sit on the land of a once-dense neighborhood originally home to hundreds of black, middle-class families. This work speculates on the spaces and scenes in which design is done, which is most often at the Apex of societal structures, and the exclusionary nature of their activities.

Opening up possibilities of other social methods and models.

In designing for societal issues we have little experience with, it is crucial for us to approach our work with sensitivity and empathy, seek out diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and create inclusive and effective designs that reflect the complexity of the issues. This is especially important as designers risk oversimplifying and causing harm rather than producing "human-centered" breakthroughs. 

The politics of post-its

The Politics of Post-its offers a departure from traditional design tools that limit consideration of real-world complexity and risks and lead to oversimplification and unintentional harm. By using laser-cut acrylic circles on a limited space board, designers are forced to be more deliberate in their choices, promoting deeper reflection and a more thoughtful approach to design.

Balancing constraints and restraints

Designers commonly use endless amounts of sticky notes to capture ideas during the design process, but their disposability can limit consideration of real-world complexity and risks. Using laser-cut acrylic circles for individuals to write and note things on, as a substitute for sticky notes, they are forced to be more deliberate in their choices, promoting deeper reflection and a more thoughtful approach to design.

Integrating and designing trade-offs

Once ideas are captured onto sticky notes, they'll typically be organized on walls, desks, windows, or digital whiteboards. However, the abundance of space these physical surfaces and virtual platforms provide for clustering and sorting stick notes can lead to individuals overlooking interconnections and instrumental details, potentially affecting the final product. Using a single transparent acrylic board forces designers to be more thoughtful and intentional in their selection process, promoting a more deliberate approach to design.

Understanding the implication of decisions

In designing for societal issues we have little experience with, it is crucial for us to approach our work with sensitivity and empathy, seek out diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and create inclusive and effective designs that reflect the complexity of the issues. This is especially important as designers risk oversimplifying and causing harm rather than producing "human-centered" breakthroughs. The object challenges designers, facing them with only the limited amount of space on the board, which may force them to replace circles if they run out of space, thus requiring them to carefully consider what to include and exclude and the implications of their decisions.