Watch the stream here!

How is context for design established in a world that can change overnight?

The Digital Age has bridged the gap between humans and virtually anything, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our reliance on digital communication and digital consumption has never been more apparent. But what happens when our sense of product, person and place departs from physical experiences? How do we conceptualize and design materialities of care in a world that is increasingly immaterial? What shapes do our designs take when we expand our scope from the singular user to networks of users? What are the socio-economic implications of a design in a socially-distanced, work-from-home context? How can we learn from challenges and experiences of “the now” to extend our designs into an unpredictable future?

Developed during OCAD U's first remote delivery of the Design for Health studio, Micro/Macro provides a window into the perspectives and passions of the third-year students channeled through the course's prompts. Featured in DesignTO 2021 festival, the exhibition includes self-directed term projects with recontextualizations of healthcare prompted by the challenges faced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and informed by the nuances of the human experience at the individual level and the collective level.

We invite you to join use for our online panel discussion on January 23, following the online exhibition's launch. Participating students will expand upon their process leading to the exhibited solutions, followed by reflections addressing concepts of flexibility, agility, inclusivity and design within the ever-changing “new normal.” Following discussions, we will field questions from the present audience.

Although the panel discussion will be an open invitation livestream, we encourage registration to keep to date on the Micro/Macro website launch and discussion panel.

As well, follow us on Instagram @micromacro.ocad for a behind-the-scenes look into the exhibition's design and planning!

See you there!