Umeå Institute of Design
Modus: Speculative System Design
What would a truly decentralized future economy look like?
UI
UX
Blender 3D
Product Design
Speculative Design
Figma
Design system
At a Glance
This project has been imagined in a speculative future in which decentralization is the norm. Drawing on the system of BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer digital sharing protocol designed in the early 00s Web 2.0 Era, “MODUS” functions much in the same way, but brought into the physical world. Following the exponentially rising trajectory of modern computing, we can track weak signals of social isolation, post-industrialization alienation from our work, and longing for community. Could a physical peer-to-peer sharing service address these issues? A return to artisan-craftsmanship through grassroots community sharing may see a rebirth in our near future.
Situation
An individual speculative branding project at Umeå Institute of Design. The purpose of this early project is to study a weak signal and let our imaginations run wild!
Action
Beginning with the design of a system built on existing torrenting protocols, I imagined a community-based physical torrenting system. Then I focused on the design of a physical artifact and GUI to facilitate this system.
Problem
Following the signal toward decentralized economies, what form might a truly decentralized physical economy take? Can such a phenomenon occur offline?
Result
A system for community crafting, sharing, and remixing, with a fun 3D rendered artifact to bring this world to life.
The clickable prototype.