Date of Award

Spring 6-3-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Industrial Design

Department

Industrial Design

First Advisor

Paolo Cardini

Second Advisor

Benjamin Jurgensen

Third Advisor

Charlotte McCurdy

Abstract

There is no such thing as an undisrupted ecosystem. Every inch of the planet is impacted by industrial development and its chemical legacy has mutated the soil and water. As a response, this thesis is designed to promote abundant over extractive resources and visualize a post-industrial reality. It consists of a series of objects, writing and design research on the relationship of industry and ecosystem.

In many ways it is a playbook++, laying out possible strategies or “plays’’ for making do with what exists around us amid collapse.

Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)(ي'ڑ*), a plant that grows in the most degraded landscapes, is the central case study for this project. By making knotweed objects at three different scales, (silverware, table and raft), and discussing the xenophobic language around invasive species, this project investigates resilience and local resourcefulness within a post-industrial future.

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