On the occasion of the launch of the Design Academy in Venezuela, an initiative by UCAB and Prodiseño offering certificates in areas related to design.

This offers a panoramic view of industrial design from the perspective of the ecology of objects, exploring narratives around sustainable, ethical, and political practices in the creation, development, use, and circularity of products.

Prof. Enrique Ricalde, an industrial designer and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Industrial Design at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), extended an invitation to give a lecture. This event provided a platform to share insights and engage with students and faculty.

As a former student of the Master of Industrial Design at Pratt, Prof. Ricalde also initiated discussions about potential academic collaboration opportunities between UNAM and Pratt. These conversations aimed to strengthen ties and explore new avenues for academic collaboration opportunities in the field of industrial design.

This lecture explored the technological, natural, and human factors that have transformed design proposals and their impact on product development. Through various projects, the design processes in different contexts were analyzed, along with the role of designers in relation to narratives from other fields. Topics such as product ecology, the materiality and visuality of objects, hybrid technology, and new design narratives were addressed, reflecting on their impact on our relationship with objects and the future of design.

Guest at the DAE: Diseño Argentino Exponencial, intensive training and strategic financing, organized by the Fundación Bunge y Born and the British Council Argentina and given to 15 selected Argentine design companies in the areas of science and technology.

Curatorship and organization:
Florencia Lovera and Wustavo Quiroga (Argentina).
Trainers:
SteamHouse (United Kingdom).

I had the opportunity to conduct an academic technical visit to Santiago, Chile, where I delivered a presentation at the School of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. This activity facilitated an enriching dialogue about the methodology and perspectives of industrial design at Pratt Institute.

Additionally, I visited the School of Design at Universidad Diego Portales, where I explored opportunities for academic collaboration and shared insights on the impact of design in urban and cultural contexts. Both institutions provided an ideal space to exchange ideas and strengthen international connections in the field of industrial design.

Industrial design and architecture maintained a constant dialogue, sharing similar processes but with their own narratives, techniques, and approaches. This conversation explored the tensions and connections between both fields, addressing processes, differences, technique, and beauty. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the form and practice of industrial design, with an emphasis on the work developed in the Industrial Design Department at Pratt Institute in New York.

This reflection was presented in an online conference for the Certificate Architecture as a Profession_Today, organized by the STA School and the Architecture and Urbanism School – FAU of the Universidad Central de Venezuela. The event created a space to examine the evolving relationship between design and architecture in academic and professional contexts.

Design, as a field tied to the conceptualization, manufacturing, use, and disposal of objects, is rooted in the human relationship with technology and the dialogue with artifacts. Ideas about the future, linked to cybernetics and the artificial, advance slowly, preserving a central space for humans.

How will interaction with objects change when systems achieve autonomy?

What will be the role of design in the relationship between technique and culture in the evolution of the planet?

International Colloquium Pensando lo Posthumano / Thinking the Posthuman, organized by the Center for Philosophical Studies of the PUCP (PE) and the Center for Research and Humanistic Training of the UCAB (VE).

VIDEO

An open talk was held at the Andrés Bello Catholic University – UCAB to mark the launch of the Fashion Design Diploma program. The event brought together students, professionals, and design enthusiasts interested in exploring new perspectives within this discipline.

The talk also highlighted collaborative initiatives between UCAB and the Prodiseño Association, strengthening the ties between both institutions and fostering the development of joint projects in the field of design.

First chapter of the Design at the Hacienda series, conversations about design at the Hacienda la Trinidad Parque Cultural in Caracas.

The design of objects, products and artifacts, as well as teaching experiences at Pratt Institute in New York.

I was invited to participate in the activities of UG10 at UCL – The Bartlett School of Architecture in London. This event brought together a distinguished group of Venezuelan designers, architects, and artists, creating a space for the exchange of ideas and experiences.

The initiative focused on reflecting on various aspects of design in Venezuela, addressing its challenges, strengths, and opportunities from multiple professional perspectives.

Inaugural Videoconference of academic activities at Isthmus – School of Architecture and Design.

I had the privilege of delivering the inaugural video conference at the fourth edition of the Dominican Republic Design Biennial – dRD. This event, organized by the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo – INTEC, brought together designers and professionals interested in the trends and impact of design in the region.

The collaboration with the Cultural Center of Spain in Santo Domingo – CCESD enriched the biennial’s activities, establishing a space for cultural and academic exchange. My participation focused on highlighting the role of design as a tool for social transformation and sustainable development in Ibero–American contexts.

Connections with the form and reflections on the practice of design, in the work developed by the Department of Industrial Design of the Pratt Institute in New York. School of Visual Communication and Design.

School of Architecture and Urbanism – Unidad 9 of the Universidad Central de Venezuela – UCV / Hacienda la Trinidad Parque Cultural / Prodiseño.

During this summer experience in Mexico, students developed a multidisciplinary project involving design, biology, biomimicry, philosophy (through the lens of technological natures), mechanisms, electronics, digital fabrication, and digital design. Inspired by Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest, the goal was to create an ecology of futuristic electromechanical creatures, exploring the relationship between theory and practice. Concepts of techno–nature and biomimicry shaped the creatures’ development, bridging theoretical and practical insights.

The four–week workshop included an immersive experience in a Mazahua community, led by Professor John Takamura, where students created an installation inspired by regional culture and biodesign. Weeks three and four focused on advancing electromechanical prototypes as part of a future ecology project.

This course was a collaboration between TEC de Monterrey’s EAAD and Engineering School, multidisciplinary artist Víctor Pérez-Rul, and guest academics from Pratt Institute and Arizona State University.

An initiative to work with design teachers from the School of Design, invited by the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design of the TEC Monterrey Campus.

I had the honor of being invited to participate in the International Workshop organized by School of Architecture and Design Isthmus in Panama. This experience allowed me to collaborate with students and professionals in developing innovative solutions for the Guna Yala indigenous community, located in the San Blas Archipelago.

During the workshop, we worked on creating floating systems using recycled plastic materials, prioritizing sustainable practices and minimizing environmental impact. This approach combined creativity and social responsibility, highlighting the role of design in driving meaningful change for local communities.

Design Schools Workshop organized by Wanted Design to conduct this workshop with the Prof. Constantin Boym. An initiative that involved 5 students from 5 renowned design schools, including Pratt Institute, to develop in one–week innovative design proposals that could integrate pieces in 3D printing with wood or felt.

The workshop was developed at the Industry City facilities in Brooklyn under the NYCxDesign.

In the context of the Ibero–American Design Biennial BID16, I was invited to give a lecture in ESNE – University of Design, Innovation, and Technology, for faculty and students of the Industrial Design.

Design Attractors is an incomplete list of issues that move the field of industrial design in the academia, in the industry, and in the daily life. It was an opportunity to share with them our design vision at Pratt Institute.

Invited for the third time to the International Design Workshop at the Isthmus University in Panama, this time in an urban mobility project for the city with alternative routes for bicycles.

My work, during 10 days of work with 30 students and other 3 instructors, was to take the proposals of the urban plan to the design of systems of urban furniture.

This conference explored the impact of industrial design across various spaces, highlighting perspectives from professional designers, educators, and design students in Venezuela. It served as an opportunity to share knowledge and discuss the influence of design in shaping our environment.

The event was hosted by the Venezuelan Design Store Siete al Cubo and took place at the Los Galpones Art Center in Caracas. This venue provided an ideal setting to foster dialogue with local designers and strengthen connections within the design community.

I was invited by the School of Architecture and Design at Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala to participate in Design Days 2015. During this event, I had the opportunity to deliver a lecture exploring the fascinating connection between biomimicry and design, emphasizing how nature can serve as an endless source of inspiration.

In addition to the lecture, I conducted a hands-on workshop where participants applied biomimicry principles to design. This setting encouraged reflection on innovation and sustainability in creative processes, fostering a dynamic and enriching exchange of ideas within an energetic and enthusiastic academic environment.

Invited by TAMU / Texas A&M University in College Station to give a conference in the Lecture Series organized by the Master Program in the School of Architecture.

The objective of this conference was to sensitize students and teachers about the field of design and its connections to the field of architecture.

International experiences of the Industrial Design Program of the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano – UTADEO during the year 2014.

Interview.

Invited professor for two months to participate in various activities, including the discussion of the content of the Master’s Degree in Design of the school.

Workshop: Biological Analogies, Design in Nature. An exploration connecting design principles with structures and processes observed in the natural world to inspire innovative solutions. The workshop encouraged participants to reflect on how nature can influence contemporary and sustainable design practices.

I was invited by the Design School at the Catholic University of Asunción to lead this workshop as part of the Designio 2014 event. Sharing this vision in Paraguay provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and perspectives on integrating biological analogies into design practices.

Invited to give the lecture The Design of Spaces in Elisava, the prominent industrial design school in Barcelona.

An invitation from the Director Ramón Benedito, the founder of the firm Benedito Design and National Industrial Design Award 1992 in Spain.

Pratt Institute ID Department Two–day workshop with the participation of GE engineering and design team, school instructors and students.

More than 40 designers in 4 teams worked on new product concepts for GE.

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design – ICSID (currently World Design Organization WDO) partnered with the TEC de Monterrey to organize an Interdesign Workshop held in Monterrey.

I was invited as an International Leader to participate with designers that came from around the globe under the Design Avenue, A Path to Meaningful Innovation brief.