RUBY LENNOX - ALGORITHMIC OPEN DESIGN

ALGORITHMIC
OPEN
DESIGN

REDRAW - REDESIGN - RECONSTRUCT

OVERVIEWTHIS PROJECT EXPLORES ALGORITHMIC DESIGN IN AN OPEN, USER-LED CAPACITY. A SERIES OF ALGORITHMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT REDESIGN AND RECONSTRUCT TRADITIONAL GARMENT ARCHETYPES BASED ON A SPECIFIC MOVEMENT OF THE STARTING ITEM. THESE PROCESSES BREAK DOWN AND OPEN UP THE LOGICS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS IN A WAY THAT REQUIRES REPEATED COLLABORATION BETWEEN DESIGN, MAKER AND CUSTOMER AND QUESTIONS THE CURRENT INTENSELY SEGMENTED AND LINEAR FASHION SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, BY PRESENTING DESIGN IN A RIGID, TECHNICAL WAY THAT IS OPEN FOR INTERACTION AT ALL LEVELS AND TAKES THE FORM OF PROCESS NOT PRODUCT, I HAVE BEEN EXPLORING NEW WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH THE CLOTHES WE OWN AND THE CREATIVITY AND LABOUR BEHIND THEM; AS WELL AS WHO CAN CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF BOTH DESIGN AND FINAL PRODUCT.

ALGORITHM - WHILE THE TERM ALGORITHM IS NEAR SYNONYMOUS WITH COMPUTER CODING NOWADAYS, HERE IT IS USED IN ITS SIMPLEST FOR TO MEAN A ‘FINITE AND DEFINED SET OF INSTRUCTIONS’. THESE ALGORITHMS ARE DESIGNED TO REMOVE SOME OF THE CONTROL FROM THE DESIGNER AND DISTILL THE MAIN BODY OF THE DESIGN TO DATA AND LOGIC. THIS PROCESS CREATES AN OUTCOME OVER WHICH ALL ACTORS HAVE VERY VERY LITTLE CONTROL AS WHILE THERE ARE POINTS OF PERSONAL DECISION MAKING, THE EFFECT OF THESE DECISIONS IS HARD TO PREDICT. THIS ENCOURGAGES MORE FOCUS AND REFLECTION ON THE ACTUAL PROCESSES OF DESIGN AND HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THEM, PARTICULARLY IN AN INCREASINGLY AUTOMATED WORLD.

OPEN DESIGN AND COLLABORATION – THROUGHOUT THE PROCESSES OF DESIGN AND CREATION THESE ALGORITHMS REPRESENT, THE NORMALLY DISTINCT ROLES OF DESIGNER, MAKER AND CONSUMER ARE BROKEN APART AND INTERWOVEN IN WAYS THAT ENCOURAGE (AND IN SOME CASES, REQUIRE) COLLABORATION. IN THIS WAY THE PASSIVE NATURE OF THE CONSUMER ROLE IS REMOVED ALONG WITH THE CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL DISTINCTIONS OF DESIGNER AND MAKER. THE GOAL OF OPEN DESIGN HERE IS TO QUESTION THE CURRENT BLACK-BOX SYSTEMS OF DESIGN AND PRODUCTION IN FASHION IN WHICH THE CONSUMER - AND ACTORS AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE SUPPLY CHAINS - ARE COMPLETELY CUT OFF FROM THE PROCESSES BEHIND THEIR GARMENTS. THIS CURRENT SYSTEM IN SUITED ONLY FOR MASS GENERALIZED PRODUCTION AND OFFERS LITTLE AGENCY TO THE USER TO AFFECT OR ALTER THEIR PRODUCTS OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE WAYS THEY ARE PRODUCED.

HOW IT WORKS:
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REDESIGN AND UPCYCLING - ALL OF THE ALGORITHMS PRESENTED HERE ARE BASED AROUND REDESIGNING EXISTING GARMENTS THROUGH UPCYCLING OR LESS LITERALLY AS DESIGN BASES. THIS WORKS AS AN EXTENSION OF OPEN DESIGN AND FORCES THE USER TO WORK WITHIN THE CONDITIONS PREDEFINED BY THE DESIGNER OF THE BASE GARMENT. THIS ALSO ENCOURAGES FURTHER REFLECTION ON THE OWNERSHIP OF THE DESIGN AND HOW WE DEFINE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PHYSICAL GARMENTS AND THE MATERIALS THEY ARE MADE FROM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE CYCLES.

COLLABORATION
TIMELINES
EXAMPLES

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