NoMATERIA 2020 | Balance

HappyShield.
Diseño de código abierto para un protector
facial simple y plegable, para el control de
infecciones desarrollado en respuesta a
la pandemia de COVID-19. Universidad de
Cambridge. Reino Unido.
Open-source design for a simple, foldable
face shield for infection control developed
in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
University of Cambridge, UK.
Personal protective equipment such as masks, face shields, and gloves have been used
as one of the most important safety measures in the fight against the transmission of the
virus. Finally, dividers and/or partitions used in indoor spaces are artifacts, now part of
the public landscape, are conceived to reduce contact between people. These partitions
can grow large and use huge amounts of material in commercial offices, educational
centers, or restaurants.
In critical moments, reflection about the future gains momentum. This was how those
fictional scenarios first appeared in the 1950s: bubbles and capsules. We have seen physical
distancing devices inspired by Victorian dresses, and gadgets born out of allegory
and horror. These are, again, uncertain times: a blend of individual survival, nostalgia
for long-time cherished plans, activism, and misinformation. On top of that, humor and
satire often turn the dramatic conditions millions of people are victims of, into a circus.
Critical Design (Speculative Design) projects proliferate too. In them, processes of product
development use possible or parallel futures as context for proposals. In contrast,
the fragility of health systems is highlighted, and social inequalities intensify. About
half of the planet’s population do not have access to Internet, and not all everyone will
be able to acquire the needed skills for working remotely. Access to safe green spaces
went from being just difficult, to becoming a privilege.
Today, we know that certain technologies —for instance, artificial intelligence or autonomous
transport— are not completely ready for mass implementation. Most of the tools
needed for work in digital environments already existed, but have now been optimized
and used with great efficiency in teaching, in communication, and mainly in remote
design work. The use of 3D printers and laser cutters in digital manufacturing, in tandem