What do your possessions say about you? Which ones speak the loudest? On this episode of The Futures Archive Lee Moreau and Sarah Nagle Parker discuss Daruma dolls and the importance of objects to people and design research.
With additional insights from Hiroko Yoda, Dori Tunstall, and Daria Loi.
Lee asked Sarah to tell us about an in-depth project researching people where she tracked the relationship between the objects that people have around them: When I was with the innovation team we created the Advanced Mountain Kit for North Face. We spent a year with athletes at the top of their game—climbers that can climb the highest peaks in the world. These are the type of athletes that know exactly what their pack and everyting in their kit weighs. They were cutting toothbrushes down to an inch, that type of stuff. But there are always these things that they had with them that reminded them of home or the people that they love. These things weighed more than they needed it to weigh, but they had really significant stories. Lee Moreau is President of Other Tomorrows, a design and innovation consultancy based in Boston, and a Lecturer in MIT’s D Minor program.
Sarah Nagle Parker is a Design research leader and Senior Director of Insights and Design Thinking, Venture Foundry at VF Corporation.
Daria Loi is the Head of Innovation at Avast, was recognized as one of Italy's 50 most inspiring women in tech, and is the principal at Studio Loi.
Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall is Dean of Design at OCAD University. She is a design anthropologist and advocate who works at the intersections of critical theory, culture, and design.
Hiroko Yoda is co-founder of AltJapan Co., Ltd, a Tokyo based photographer, and author of Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide.