Designing across the scale, imagining a transformative future

The Critical Matter group envisions a future for design that goes beyond the mere application of technology. Instead, it seeks to use technology in more critical and transformative ways—sparking the imagination, provoking conversation, enhancing perception, augmenting social interaction, and empowering voices that have not been heard.

From fashion and art through to architecture and the public realm, the group will develop projects, ranging in scale. These projects will be inspired by the materiality, morphology, and intelligent behavior of natural systems, but will also deploy various advanced technologies, such as computer vision, AI, robotics, digital fabrication and novel material systems. The overall aim is to address pressing social, cultural, and environmental issues of our time.

The term ‘Critical Matter’ has two meanings: firstly, and most obviously, it signifies an issue of great importance - a ‘critical matter’. Secondly, it evokes not only the strong tradition of ‘critical thinking’ within philosophy and social sciences,  but also advanced research into ‘matter’ within the fields of science and technology. The divide between philosophy and social sciences on the one hand and science and technology on the other is vast, but the Critical Matter group seeks to bridge this divide.

Research Areas:

1. Critical Design
2. New Materials 
3. Machine Perception
4. Robotics & Novel Fabrication 
5. Interactive Design