The speakers of Design Beyond Technology, Visions of Future

Visions of Future is the first edition of Design Beyond Technology sessions, which are organized by ADI-FAD and were born of the need to deepen the relations already being established between design and technology and of how they can be developed in the future.

Design Beyond Technology is structured into four key concepts: design, technology, future and society. The main goal is to make designers and attendees reflect on their future role within their discipline in regards to technology. Participants will discover the mapping of possible futures, many of them speculative and others tangible.

One of the strengths of the sessions is to bring internationally renowned speakers from the sector of new technologies to Barcelona whilst being a platform for advancing local professionals who are already working in this field.

Moon Ribas – Cyborg Fundation
Paper: «The Heartbeat of the Earth»

A leading-edge artist and a cyborg activist, better known for having developed the “Seismic Sense”, an online sensor implanted in her feet that allows her to perceive earthquakes anywhere on the planet and the moon through vibrations in real time.

Steven Goldfarb – ATLAS Experiment, CERN
Paper: «Hidden Pieces: The LHC and our Dark Universe»

ATLAS is one of the four most important experiments of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN, using precision measurements to push back the frontiers of knowledge, seeking answers to fundamental questions such as: Which are the basic elements of matter? Which are the fundamental forces of nature?

Aldo Sollazzo – Noumena
Paper: «Cognify design embracing transversal technology»

Noumena develops innovative solutions in fields such as architecture, robotics, advanced construction and usable technology. Based in Barcelona, with nodes in Austria, India and Italy, it looks for projects that combine computational design, digital fabrication, robotics, virtual reality and hardware development.

Elina Nilsson i Roger Pujol – B-Reel
Paper: «Case Study B-Reel + Panel discussion on digital future for visual communication»

B-Reel is a creative agency connecting modern brands and audiences through innovation in narration and technology. The B-Reel creative process mixes culture and the agency’s passion for making the most of technology to create new digital products and services. They will present the app they made for Gorillaz. The talk will then be followed by a debate in which Cris Busquets and Marina Aísa will take part.

Francesca Sangalli – SEAT
Paper: «Strategy and innovation in Colours, Materials Design»

Francesca Sangalli directs the Color & Trim Concept & Strategy department and is responsible for creating the new colours and materials of vehicles. She embodies SEAT’s commitment to design as a key element for the future of mobility.

Petter Neby – Punkt.
Paper: «Technology: master or servant»

Based in Switzerland, Punkt. was created by Petter Neby in 2008 with the idea of bringing fresh air into the consumer electronics market with exceptional and timeless products. Right from the start, the British industrial designer Jasper Morrison became involved in the project as artistic director. The company has always developed stylish electronic products aimed at people who understand the importance of subtle beauty.

Xavier Majoral – Stimulo
Paper: «Design, the last frontier»

Stimulo is a product design and innovation agency. It helps companies to grow by conceiving, creating and developing captivating product experiences. They believe in digital tools and agile methodologies to change the designer’s role, design as a process of innovation that transforms ideas and solutions into profitable products and services.

Marc Real – Perspectiva
Paper: «On industrial design in technological design»

Perspectiva is a design studio on a quest for well-made design by responding to the link between product design and the markets, consumer habits and buying decisions. Its starting point is the user, transforming their dreams into reality and pre-empting their needs. The conference will deal with the incorporation of technological design into Perspectiva to enhance the user experience.

Toni Juan – Metempsy
Paper: «The machine that makes the machine»

Metempsy is a company founded in 2014 which provides contract and consultancy services in the context of computational architecture, optimization of applications and Silicon Design.

Tej Chauhan – Tej Chauhan Ltd
Paper: “Soft Power – Emotive Industrial Design»

Tej Chauhan is an industrial designer known for his emotive visual language and his advanced consumer technology and household items. Tej joined Nokia as a senior designer in 2000 and directed the design of the Nokia 7600 and 7280. “Form, colour and texture have a profound effect on the way we feel. The use of this understanding for making everyday interactions and experiences joyful is a powerful tool in today’s market, which is flooded in technological innovation”.