Week 12 : Open Studios: Sharing Work-In-Progress

This week, I focused on preparing for Open Studio which involve producing a publication, setting up A Friendly Hand interface, as well as the overall presentation of the table.

Part ①: Conceptualising, designing and printing the Publication of Dreaming of an Interspecies Sensor

Over the weekend, I began reflecting on how this project started. How could the publication add value beyond documenting the process? And more importantly—who am I writing for, beyond my own desire to express?

Looking back to Week 0 of Semester One, the book What Design Can’t Do was a pivotal moment. It nudged me toward exploring computation and critical making—not just as tools, but as ways to reimagine what design could mean beyond commercial or service outcomes. Partly existential, partly driven by a search for meaning outside the typical role of a graphic designer in society.

The truth is, I still find deep comfort in arranging text and images, forming visual systems, and printing them out. So this publication is both a method and a message: a personal record of how a graphic designer attempted to connect with non-human life through speculative design. And oddly enough, through making a paper hand move—tenderly, clumsily, but with care. A book not just about outcomes—but about sensing, imagining, and relating differently.

Part ②: Setting Up Everything

It was one day before Open Studios. I reminded myself that it’s a showcase of our “work-in-progress,” took a deep breath, and continued as planned. Some small improvements included sourcing tiny pins, screws, and magnets to mount posters and images on the wall.

Another important part was designing title cards to orient each of the deliverables on the table, as well as instructional cards for the interactive artefacts.

The rest came down to personal aesthetics and instinct—trying to make the overall presentation feel organised, inviting, and a little bit pretty.

Part ③: BADC Open Studios 2025

One of the major parts of this project was being present to share my story. Over the course of three days, I had the chance to speak with my former lecturer Bryan from Temasek Polytechnic, Provost Dr. Venka of LASALLE, and guests who teach at SIM and RMIT.

It was quite a fulfilling experience that reminded me why I started dreaming of an interspecies sensor in the first place.

Having the opportunity to talk about my work helped build my confidence, and slowly, I began to refine a script that made the project easier to understand.