The Grid:
Digital Metabolism Test
Our increasingly connected world has undoubtedly unlocked more of humanity's potential, enabling new forms of communication and making it easier than ever to imagine and create the future. However, this technological evolution has also cloaked itself in a veil of convenience, obscuring the environmental and systemic impacts of ubiquitous technology. Many people remain unaware of how deeply these systems affect the earth’s ecosystems, perpetuating misconceptions about the sustainability of our digital future.
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The Grid: Digital Metabolism Test aims to uncover these hidden connections, offering individuals a clearer understanding of their role within the complex structures underpinning modern technology through a question-based web experience. By exploring the concept of digital environmental metabolism, coined by Amanda Starling Gould, the project highlights the relationship between digital systems—cyberspace, social networks—and their material counterparts: "wires, workers, warehouses, and waste."
This project is designed for digital natives who may not fully understand the environmental implications of the technologies they rely on daily. Through engaging, reflective interaction, the Digital Metabolism Test invites participants to critically examine their digital habits and consider the invisible systems shaping their online and offline worlds.
Documentation
The development of this project started with envisioning its structure and functionality as a website through stakeholder research. Then, I created a site map to outline the blueprint, defining the purpose of each page, the key features it would need, and how elements would connect to maintain a cohesive experience.
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Next, I designed a wireframe to plan the layout of each page. This included determining the placement of headings, paragraphs, buttons, and images, ensuring a logical and visually engaging design.
Soli (2021), was an artistic exploration into the ways media and digital art facilitate experiences that transcend traditional notions of reality, replacing practices grounded in history and culture.
Interdependence with Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst
"The Permaweird with Venkatesh Rao"
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​This episode discusses the pervasive sense of strangeness in the world, the rush to declare crises, and how advancements in AI are amplifying this ambient weirdness. Together, they navigate how these cultural and technological shifts are reshaping creativity and society.​
Research
My research explored the intersection of digital media studies and artistic expression, uncovering compelling examples of work that bridge digital technologies and sustainability. These findings helped shape the conceptual foundation of the project, demonstrating how creativity and critical thinking can illuminate the environmental impact of our digital world. Here are some selected works that helped give shape to my project.
Process & Iteration
The images below showcase key steps in the development process behind the final project.
Design mockup using Adobe Photoshop
Prototype iteration & hosting using GitHub
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HTML / CSS code using Visual Studio Code
