Skunkworks: an educational framework for the mediation of reactions

In the context of today's ubiquitous digital revolution, the mundane product, ranging from toys to watches to entire architectures, is slowly ceasing to exist. They are being replaced by networked and environmentally-reactive objects that, though trying to become de-materialised, require more knowledge of smart materials than ever before. These new products that blur the boundary between object and service integrate a variety of conductive and semi-smart materials to become innovative and intelligent. However, knowledge of these materials is traditionally reserved to the engineering sector and as a result, the products are augmented by technology, rather than being integrally designed from the start with an understanding of material behavior and its potential. By adapting concepts to achieve maximum impact in research and true innovation from the example set by the Lockheed group in their revolutionary working environment Skunkworks, we introduced digital tools and work flows into the classroom to create a competitive and inspiring design environment. In the context of the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, the project allowed a pedagogical re-structuring of large classes to work on a project based on a hands-on approach in the prototypical confluence of digital 3D printing and smart materials. Ultimately, this approach allowed students to reverse the development process: instead of asking "How do I make this?" they had to ask "What can I make from this?" Finding this inherent potential in materials and developing it was organizationally framed by a series of digital tooling workshops, and a course outline that traversed through understanding natural forces, analyzing the unique properties of the reaction as a time-based media, and explorations into capture technologies and tools beyond normal cameras. This allowed mediating the reaction through either image or form. In this paper, we will describe the set-up and organizational structure of the course, the variety of teaching materials, assignments, dissemination and finally the exhibition of the students work in the context of the 22nd International Symposium on Electronic Arts in Hong Kong 2016.