ABSTRACT
The first part of this chapter presents a research-creation project that took the form of an interactive exhibition named ‘DNA-The Future Life of Objects’. Based on the metaphor of a scientific research lab, the exposition presents a manifesto linking the world of objects to the world of life forms, hence the reference to DNA. While establishing a parallel between the system of objects and the world of living organisms, this manifesto poses a critical perspective concerning our relation with objects and raises fundamental questions about the notions of durability, environmental degradation, overconsumption and emotional attachment; it also anticipates the potential repercussion of connected objects and artificial intelligence on our private lives. In the second part of the chapter, the author looks at the impacts and challenges of applying the principles of the DNA manifesto to design education. If nature becomes the prevailing model to follow, design education needs to integrate with a much more acute perspective the fundamental principles of biology – the ‘science of life’ – and to focus the foundation of the design thinking process toward biomimicry. Recent explorations show that such a shift causes major impacts and ethical challenges at many levels for design curricula.
