Mary Lempres developed Reef Rocket, an oyster reef structure cultivated from biocement. Its purpose is to facilitate citizen science monitoring and contribute to the restoration of marine ecosystems.

Zihao Wang introduced MOVY, a project focused on assisting individuals who frequently relocate in urban areas to establish their ideal rented homes.

Luo Shengbai created Flex Light Nesting Tables, a collection of tables and lights tailored for compact home spaces. The design aims to enhance intimacy and comfort in limited environments, encouraging social interaction and improving the overall interactive experience.

Artifacts for Tourism Puerto Rico was a collaborative project between the School of Art and Design of Puerto Rico–EAPD and Pratt Institute’s Industrial Design Department to generate design ideas within this wide–ranging industry. This course explored the design of portable products, small scale objects for diverse emerging or nontraditional scenarios, such as the ‘sharing economy’ of Airbnb and Uber, or the post–pandemic tourism boom phenomenon.

Projects focused on context, with the exchange of local experiences between the groups from both schools, and the students practiced their competencies in research, documentation, ideation, testing, modeling, prototyping and presentation. The final works can be seen in Milanote.

Interaction with objects and experiences involving artifacts are largely mediated by the senses of sight and touch. The acoustic space is a territory of perception full of opportunities for design.

This Studio explores the design of products where sound plays a functional role, like in design for the blind or safety products.

In addition to an investigation regarding the geometry of sound and the different sources of production and reproduction of acoustic stimuli, the studio explores relevant contexts (public and private) and unique experiences connected with the perception of sound.

Sound as a material in design.

In this other edition of the workshop, dedicated to the study of design and nature with applications in the area of health and safety, 12 students explored topics such as floods, inclusive design or plant pests. A face–to–face workshop with the use of collaborative and remote work platforms.

These workshops seek to explore natural systems for their application in products, with an exhaustive process of synthesis and construction of three–dimensional models. The Tackl Board: Adaptive Cooking project, tools for people with restricted mobility, by designer Selin Miskavi won one of the Research Open House 2022 awards.

Design for Emergency–Special Project Puerto Rico is a collaborative project between Pratt Institute (NYC), EAPD (Puerto Rico), ESNE (Spain), and the international organization Socentlabo.

A project to explore design opportunities in the emergency area with an emphasis on objects, devices, systems of assessment, measurement or visualization of some variable of emergency situations for technicians or communities. The final works can be seen in Milanote.

Fourth edition of the Design Studio dedicated to the Elderly, in different contexts of daily life.

The final works and the description of the projects can be seen in Milanote.

Thesis Advisor of 5 students and thesis work and presentations in a remote experience due to the pandemic. Naixin Kang, Remote Mourning & Online Funeral. Asad Jawed Ahmed, Pause and Reflect: a line of furniture to explore the intersection between Religion and Sustainability.

Nan Zhou, Story “Characters”: a set to help Chinese children to learn Chinese outside China. Yiming Ding, Desk Organizer System and Sophia Yimeng Sun, Watchya, Home Office motivation Tool.

In our recent Senior Design Studio session, we explored the fusion of Design and Nature, focusing on health and well–being. This Studio took place online during quarantine and involved 12 students from 6 different countries. Our approach involved exercises using natural references and exploring potential applications, considering how these solutions could be applied in different situations.

We were honored to host guest designers like Juliana Serna Mesa, Luis Angarita, and Yen Chieh Chiu, among others. You can view the completed projects on Milanote board.

Advisor of 6 students and Thesis presentations online due the quarantine: Alex Thompson, You Are Here: Navigating a City’s Narrative. Angie Weixue Zhang, Embarrassment in Gynecology: Redesigning Orientation Kit. Jane Wei Chen Shih, Fresh Food Favor.

Logan Good, Sustainable Way, Cigarette Receptacles Supporting Sustainable Behavior. Martin Sombathy, CMC* Machinery: Creative Construction for Kids. Tina Haiqi Yu, Phone–lift.

A cooperation course between Pratt Institute and the School of Art and Design of Puerto Rico–EAPD. 19 students participated in this experience where everything was prepared for a dive on the island and was canceled by the pandemic.

Work continued remotely with teams of mixed students from the two institutions. A project, developed together with Prof. Vladimir García B., Armada designer and EAPD Director, to explore disaster scenarios with a focus on Hurricane María in 2017.

In this third edition of the work that we have developed in the area of design and older people, together with 12 senior students we took a course in the Capstone Studio format. During a semester we are not primarily dedicated to exploring product design opportunities for active seniors with chronic illnesses and living at home.

Some of the projects are specific but highly relevant as objects for people with Parkinson’s disease or insulin doses for people with diabetes with symptoms of arthritis. Other projects were devoted to more general topics such as difficulties in reading, controlling the expiration dates of food, assisting the senses of sight and smell in everyday objects, autonomy within the home of people with memory deficiencies, or sleeping problems.

Another edition of this course dedicated to the study of Design & Nature in the areas of health and well–being for people.

We implemented a methodology to find the final solutions by doing exercises of natural references and potential applications, in contrast to the contexts for their application.

Because “old age is definitely not a disease,” this third edition of the design course dedicated to older adults focused on exploring the specific needs and challenges of this stage of life. The primary premise was to recognize the importance of designing products that not only address limitations but also promote well-being and independence.

This edition of the course centered on developing products for daily life, addressing aspects related to the health of fully active older adults. The initiative aimed to integrate functionality and accessibility with an inclusive design perspective, improving the quality of life for this social group.

A collaborative project between EAFIT University and Pratt Institute to develop educational-related projects in a rural elementary school near Medellín.

Students from both institutions participated in a 10-day immersion activity in Medellín, where they generated product and system concepts to be further developed remotely throughout the semester.

Alejandro Moyano, Products for Undocumented Latin Communities; Xinwei Tang, Redesigning the Rape Kit; Josh Bird, Public Showers for Cities.

Brandon Terrien, a Reviewed Process for Fish Treatment in Food Chain.

This Senior Studio explores design opportunities in the area of emergency while trying to learn the functional efficiency in this type of products that can be used in other fields, for other purposes.

Projects with a strong research foundation, engaging with people, institutions, and specialists. Additionally, an extensive design process, including ideation, prototyping, testing, presentation, and documentation.

Faculty in the Global Innovation Design GID program, a collaboration between Pratt Institute, RCA in London and Keio University in Tokyo. A workshop focused on the three-dimensional aspects of design with local themes, conducted in an international seminar format for British and Japanese students.

This course has been taught since 2012 alongside other faculty members of the department.

We had the opportunity to conduct a Studio dedicated ‘Objects for Wellbeing’ for the Kikkerland Design Challenges, in a collaborative project between Kikkerland, UncommonGoods and Pratt Institute.

Some of the products created by our students during this workshop remain in production and continue to generate royalties.

An innovative design that combines a pill case with a hand exercise tool, offering functionality and therapy in a single object. Alongside this, a cane was developed to transmit ground textures to the hand, enhancing sensory perception and providing greater confidence to the user with every step.

This project was developed in direct collaboration with individuals living with this condition, allowing for a deeper understanding of their needs. The work was carried out at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where design served as a tool to improve quality of life and promote autonomy.

This Junior Studio was dedicated to exploring design solutions on Biomimicry. An exercise to rescue biological systems to apply in products.

A collaborative project with the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.

Powerful experience teaching for the first time in the lower levels of the curriculum. Running a few design exercise to explore form language, time, production methods and storytelling.

Students: Abby Klein, Siguang Ma, Ava Chun and Jonathan Notine.

This course in collaboration with Prof. Karol Murlak sought to explore some everyday situations with older people and their interaction with household products.

Special guests: Sonia Gil from Fluenz and Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism.

Designing with Limited Resources was a course/workshop held in 2017 and 2018 as part of a collaboration between the Instituto Superior de Diseño (ISDI) in Havana and Pratt Institute. The workshop explored design strategies emerging from the tension between scarcity and abundance, promoting creative approaches using available resources. Over 15 weeks, students worked remotely from both cities, researching upcycling, low-tech objects, and solutions born from everyday ingenuity. Midway through the course, a group of students and professors from both schools participated in a 12-day immersion in Havana to identify opportunities and develop initial design concepts in context.

In the first edition, projects focused on urban dynamics such as fruit vending and clothes drying. The second edition incorporated technologies like solar cells and lighting systems into new objects. The third edition centered on designing public connection spaces in Havana, fostering social interaction and adaptation to the urban environment. Each experience allowed participants to explore the impact of design in resource-limited settings, generating innovative and context-driven solutions.

This research delves into the structural patterns of formal language and their role as cognitive tools in the design process. By examining how patterns can serve as frameworks for creativity and problem-solving, it provides insights into how designers conceptualize and develop ideas through structured methodologies in a parametric environment.

The study draws inspiration from the groundbreaking pattern language methodology developed by Christopher Alexander in the 1970s. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of design elements, offering a systematic way to address complexity while fostering intuitive and human-centered solutions.

Calming Distractions is a designer’s approach to anxiety.

A Thesis that explores scenarios of anxiety in people from a simple and daily ‘tics’ to disorder.

The connection between design and science allowed students to explore how industrial design could use objects to communicate concepts. Many of the challenges in the relationship between people and science were linked to communication difficulties. Throughout the workshop, participants analyzed various materials and approaches to develop products based on scientific principles. The challenge for industrial designers was to go beyond mere invention or solutions without a clear design approach, aiming to create meaningful and innovative responses within the discipline.

As a result, objects and artifacts emerged that incorporated principles such as buoyancy, hydrophobic materials, and physics-based concepts related to balance and statics. These explorations helped transform abstract scientific ideas into tangible solutions, demonstrating how design can bridge the gap between complex concepts and everyday understanding. By materializing these principles, the workshop highlighted the potential of industrial design to enhance scientific communication through functional and engaging objects.

In a culture dominated by efficiency, we overlook how slow and more experiential qualities physical world.

This glass kettle is part of a series of products designed to provide an opportunity to participate in a rich and layered experience based on gestures.

This thesis offers an in-depth analysis of storage and work surfaces in the home kitchen, a critical area where function meets daily routine. It examines how the design of these elements impacts the overall experience and performance of home cooks.

A key focus of the research is the reevaluation of 20th-century efficiency studies. By questioning their validity in contemporary kitchen practices, the thesis highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to efficiency that considers not only practicality but also the changing dynamics of modern cooking habits.

The study suggests that by addressing constraints in both structure and media, the home cooking experience can be significantly enhanced. Improvements in commodity, efficiency, and delight are proposed as essential components for creating a more enjoyable and effective kitchen environment.

Design as a tool to address safety challenges was the central theme of this Design Studio, explored through two standout projects. Ladder Lizards by Jacob Turetsky proposes accessories to improve safety when using ladders. These solutions cater to the needs of both hobbyists and professionals in various contexts.

On the other hand, Advance Syringe by Masamune Kaji introduces pre-filled syringes that can be capped with one hand, reducing the risk of needle-related accidents. A meticulous analysis of hand gestures demonstrates how design can transform everyday practices into safer and more efficient experiences.

Our classes and Design Studios in Venezuela, particularly at Prodiseño–School of Visual Communication and Design, centered on three primary areas of focus. The first was product design and the development of objects, where students explored the creation of functional and meaningful products. The second emphasized understanding nature as a foundation for designing systems, fostering an ecological and holistic approach to design.

The third area delved into designing interfaces, leveraging knowledge from the physical world and human gestures to create intuitive digital environments. This multidisciplinary approach aimed to bridge the gap between the tangible and digital realms, preparing students for the evolving demands of design. Caracas, Venezuela, served as the vibrant backdrop for these educational endeavors.