Video Archive – The Conference by Media Evolution

Matt Jones – Planetary Energy System Changes at Street Level

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:16:56 GMT

”We don’t have an energy problem, we have a matter problem.”

Matt Jones (he/him) has been designing digital products and services since 1995. Most recently he was Head of Design at Lunar Energy, a company building the world’s best clean energy products to deliver home electrification at scale. From 2013-2021 he worked at Google as a Principal Designer, primarily in Google Research working on advanced AI concepts for hardware and software. Now he is focusing on helping the solar energy sector harness more of the power already available to us.

Have you heard of Nikolai Kardashev? Matt introduces the Kardashev Scale, measuring a civilisation’s technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is capable of harnessing. From the planetary to the stellar, even to the galactic scale – this might sound like the stuff of Star Trek, but it’s quite simple. Matt believes that with the existing wind, water and solar power available to us (plus storage capabilities) we can reach Type 1 living on the Kardashev scale – we’re currently only at 0.7.

By working with the 3Ds of energy: decarbonisation, digitisation and decentralisation – products like the solar batteries produced by Lunar can help us get all the electricity we need, while still leaving fossil fuels behind.

Q&A Planting the Seeds with Jemma Foster and John De La Parra

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

The Q&A from the session Planting the Seeds with Jemma Foster and John De La Parra

John De La Parra - Decoding the Magic and Mystery of our Food

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“As we eat food we are consuming things that we don’t even know what’s in there, because they are unknown and we don’t even know where to look for them.”

What really makes up the food we eat? Dr. John De La Parra (he/him) invites us to decode the magic and mystery of our food, challenging the conventional ways we understand its composition and impact. He argues there is a deep knowledge often overlooked when we rely solely on the scientific data provided by traditional nutrition labels and composition databases.

The reality is that our food contains thousands of complex chemical compounds, each with different properties and effects on our bodies. Plants, he explains, are constantly producing unique compounds as a defense mechanism, many of which have surprising benefits for human health. These secondary metabolites add layers of mystery and magic to what we consume daily.

By understanding the complex chemistry of our foods and the effects of agricultural practices, we can create a more just and informed global food system that benefits both health and the environment.

Jemma Foster – Listening to and Dreaming with Plants

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

”What future will we dream when we dream with plants?”

Jemma (she/her) is an artist, writer and curator working with plant intelligence and vibrational medicine. If you wonder what plants sound like – check out this talk. After a guided visualisation, where we imagine going back to a state of being before our human form – we see ourselves as plants. But what is your texture, your aroma – as a plant?

Jemma believes we can design futures beyond our perceived limitations if we engage with more-than-human life. Plants make up 87% of life on our planet, so why shouldn’t we listen to them? There is proof that plants have agency, not only intelligence – they are active. By not listening to them we risk abusing them, which will ultimately lead to us abusing ourselves.

Jemma encourages you to ask yourself what you're not hearing or seeing. There is so much to learn when we don’t even fully comprehend our own consciousness as humans. When we start to include all forms of life, we begin to see that we have been guilty of ”brain chauvinism” for much too long. It's time to change.

Gustavo Nogueira de Menezes from Time, Trust and Wisdom

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“We are the time travelers we’ve been waiting for”.

Gustavo Nogueira de Menezes – Gust for short – founder of Temporality Lab, takes us on a whirling tour of wisdom on the philosophy of time and temporality. Or should we say, temporalities. For every society has had distinct experiences of being, doing and existing in their relationship with time. Take the very calendars we use – 12 months of varying lengths for some, and lunar cycles for others.

“I don’t have time!” We’ve all heard – or said – the refrain. In response, Gust asks, “How can we think of the future if we are so exhausted consuming the present?”

Gust, who received appropriately timely birthday wishes from the crowd at The Conference, explains the concept of time was colonised and we were taught to evolve in a single narrative. A decolonial approach is possible in which we embrace the pluriversal nature of the concept, by recognising the ancestral and contemporary as equally important and intertwined. Instead of erasing what has been done before, our origins can teach us how to innovate and be ‘ancestors of the future’.

Dan Shefet from Shifting Systems

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

What connects Leonardo DiCaprio with the Grateful Dead, a 16th century Dutch diplomat, and a tech CEO recently arrested in a French airport. To answer we have to zoom out and look back. Ten years after three days ago, the last decade of the old millennium, revolutionary 1789, and further back still. Where did we come from and where are we going?

Dan Shefet is a lawyer, specialising in European law and Human Rights as they apply to tech. Dan highlights the critical junctures where domestic law and fundamental rights intersect, points of conflicts catalysed by the explosive growth of tech and the international high seas of cyberspace.

Are social media sites responsible for the content they host? At which point does the right to be forgotten contravene the right to free speech? And what about Leo? Spanning centuries, Dan’s talk demonstrates the necessity of understanding our past in order to answer the questions that shape our future.

Q&A Shifting Systems

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

The Q&A session from Shifting Systems with Dan Shefet and Dr. Katlyn Turner

Dr. Katlyn Turner – Paradigms of Waste, Equity and Consumption

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

Katlyn’s talk digs deep into a critical question: "How did we get here?" She challenges us to confront a deeply embedded paradigm—the "Twin Transition" of sustainability and digitalization.

She covers three aspects. First, she critiques how we define environmental impact as caused by CO2, ignoring the other serious issues this oversimplified focus creates. It’s a convenient narrative that silences dissenting voices, labeling them "anti-climate."

Then she asks, "Who really benefits?" and exposes the power dynamics at play—who’s included, who’s excluded, and who’s left with the waste. And finally she ask, “If we shifted this system to its idealized end state - full “green” and digital transition - what is its vision?

She leaves us with a haunting thought: Even if we achieve a full "green" digital utopia, who decides what's acceptable? Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable, and maybe we need to sit with that discomfort, face the complexity, and—most importantly—be honest.

Monika Jiang from Time, Trust and Wisdom

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“Underneath the experience of loneliness is always a longing”.

It is not part of our human nature to isolate ourselves from others – yet this is increasingly the reality of modern-day societies. Our physical environments (such as car-centric cities and single-person homes), our technologies (such as social media), and our attitude towards work (i.e. careerism and the false promise of busyness) are no longer affording us the same opportunities to connect as before.

Monika Jiang warns us that “connection must not be consumed” and urges us to slow down to realise what it is that we need and long for – and to be able to give our undivided attention to the people around us. Through examples such as the Offline Club in the Netherlands and the Human Library in Denmark, we can perhaps start to shape new (and old) communities. Because when we return to ourselves, we can also return to the world – and the understanding that we are not separate from nature but rather a part of it.

Valeria Adani – Designing for Trust

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“Trust is an outcome – not something you can design for.”

For many years designers and users alike have been pushing for “seamless” technologies and services – but this approach has not always prioritised safety, privacy, and TRUST. We’ve been obsessed with making things easy to use, rather than making things that are transparent, accountable, and trustworthy.

This dilemma is at the core of Projects by IF and Valeria Adani’s work. According to Adani, every time you invent a new technology, you’re also designing a new set of risks and potential harms, whether you intend to or not, and this correlates with potentially diminishing trust on the part of organisations.

By promoting a human-centred perspective in data, Valeria and her colleagues showcase the importance of trust in technology. At the dawn of the rise of AI, the first technological innovation coming from commercial rather than public institutions, the role of trust will have an increasingly stronger impact in determining the success of a company.

Q&A Time, Trust and Wisdom

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

The Q&A from session Time, Trust and Wisdom with Monika Jiang, Gustavo Noguiera de Menezes and Valeria Adani

Georgina Voss – How To See What's Not There

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

Are we in control of technological megasystems, or are they in fact controlling us? By taking on a critical approach to modern technology, Georgina Voss emphasizes the need to collectively challenge the systems that underpin our world. Humans suffer from hubris in terms of using technology to exert control. Voss draws a parallel to the film Jurassic Park, highlighting the role of technological systems in our everyday life. She explains how these systems affect us both emotionally and physically although they are invisible to the human eye. As were the imaginary dinosaurs to the actors in the movie. But, “how to see what isn’t there?” Through digital screens we can have new experiences in virtual worlds, which might evoke unsettling emotions. But just like in Jurassic Park, the systems that are there to protect us can in fact also become a threat. The theme of control connected to systems becomes more relevant with complex and demanding technologies evolving rapidly. Voss urges us to take a critical perspective on the systems surrounding us, “because after all, if velociraptors can systematically test electrified fences for weakness, so can we”.

Tony Olsson – Beyond the Threshold

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“When we know who enters what, we can also adapt the situation accordingly”

As a part of the session ”Entangled and Enmeshed”, Tony Olsson shares with us his experience of working on UX design for access control management products. Tony (he/him) has been in the tech industry for many years, including at companies like Assa Abloy who, through their manufacturing, work literally with doors and locks.

From physical objects to their virtual counterparts, doors have existed as long as civilisation itself, marking the boundary between the public and private, between the known and unknown. They reflect the complexity of their time and hold deep cultural significance.

Tony warns of potential danger as our virtual doors become more and more invisible. The structure of metaphorical doors, such as login pages, have implications for how we think about digital spaces and places. Tony urges us to think critically about which doors we use and which we remove.

Emily Best & Sara Watson – A People’s History of Tech Includes You

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“Almost everyone has a story connected to their mobile phone. They are deeply personal and interconnected with our daily lives.”

But what if technology isn't just what we do, but how we feel? Emily and Sarah knew this truth. Their experiences with tech left deep imprints, revealing that while Silicon Valley excels at innovation, it often overlooks the origin stories. Determined to change that, they embarked on a journey to build a timeline of technology, one that didn’t just highlight its triumphs but also its scars.

Faced with a challenge—"How do we get people to share their stories?"—they turned to the art of prompt engineering. By using tech as a tool to connect and create meaning, they tapped into something powerful. The timelines resonated deeply, making people feel seen, heard, and represented.

The result? Our people’s history that’s raw, nostalgic, and deeply expansive.

It invites the questions: What is innovation if not done responsibly? Without soul, stories, and impact, is it worth celebrating?

Györgi Gálik – Structuring Structures: Infrastructures of Social Scale

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

This century will be defined by society’s capacity to respond to climate breakdown. It’s not going to be like the movies, a CGI spectacle of eschatological earthquakes and meteorites. Climate breakdown is a slow and terrifying disaster. Györgi Gálik, City Transitions Co-Lead at Dark Matter Labs, emphasises our need to have an honest understanding of the challenge we face in order to make informed decisions to address it.

To take the temperature of society, Györgi points to everyday political talk as a primary site for people’s ‘world-making.’ Current conversation on climate veers from hedonism to nihilism, technological optimism and denialism. To those who seek to sequester themselves on a farm in the Nordic archipelago, “we are way beyond planting cucumbers.”

How do we ready ourselves for resilience? Györgi advocates we update frameworks of governance to pledge greater diversity, develop versatile skill sets, and adapt our language use to encompass mutual codependency and co-security. She highlights already existing examples – cornerstone indicators that measure satisfaction with vehicle-free life and key project objectives that explicitly include poverty alleviation.

What type of citizenry do we wish to practise? We can expand our collective imagination to embody a diverse, participatory, and resilient citizenship. Györgi concludes with a guiding principle – faced with an obvious answer to a complex question, be suspicious.

Q&A Entangled and Enmeshed

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

Q&A from the session Entangled and Enmeshed with Andie Nordgren, Tony Olsson and Matt Jones

Andie Nordgren – Agency in Code Landscapes - The Case for Maintenance

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“Software is an interesting medium. At least in theory, once you make something and it doesn’t become successful, it doesn’t cost anything to change your mind. You can just stop running it.”

Software is built upon software, forming a complex and often invisible dependency tree. This is the world Andie Nordgren (she/her) navigates, where large and aging codebases are like dynamic landscapes—constantly evolving, with each shift potentially introducing unexpected obstacles.

Andie shares her reflections and learnings from working in organizations that live or die by their ability to navigate and operate with really large code bases. Tools like Wardley mapping can help uncover hidden dependencies and elevate maintenance from a mere afterthought to an organizational priority.

Andie highlights the crucial yet often overlooked role of maintenance, challenging us to ask: Are we truly maintaining agency over our code? In the rush to deliver new features and products, the long-term sustainability of our codebases often falls by the wayside. She argues that organizations, in their quest for rapid delivery, neglect the importance of maintaining agency within these vast code landscapes.

Jenny L Beijar & Marco Guadarrama – What made you feel safe at home?

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

Think about your childhood – what made you feel safe at home?

For many of us, our childhoods were unplugged. Now, times have changed. We’re wired into tech at every turn. Parents have turned into safety officers—some offering trust and guidance, others building walls of protection. But for kids, the question is "What’s lurking in the dark?"

IKEA, in collaboration with Our Normal Association, dives deep into this dynamic, exploring life from the perspective of kids. For adults, a digital security system is a shield, a sense of control. But for a child, it’s a looming threat, “Will this thing eat my toys?” Today’s smart technology prioritizes adult fears and comforts, leaving kids out in the cold.

The future of design is inclusion. It’s the union of mental peace and physical safety. It’s about the creation of spaces where everyone feels secure. Technology must evolve to serve every member of the family, not just the grown-ups. The role of the designer is to find the edge cases. When we design for empathy, we shape a future where everyone belongs.

Q&A Structuring Structures

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

Q&A from the session Structuring Structures with Jenny L Beijar, Marco Guadarrama, Emily Best, Sarah Watson and Györgi Gálik

Joshua Idehen – Mom Does The Washing

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“We are living in a world where we do not agree.” The spoken word artist Joshua Idehen kicks off the session by delivering a humorous performance about the flaws of various ideologies, the world according to your mom, doing the washing. Aiming to unite the audience through music, he showcases the power of humor, language and love when speaking across differences.

Seán Ronayne – Now What?

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:05 GMT

“How do we protect something we do not love and do not understand?” Seán Ronayne is the ornithologist who came up with the idea to sound-record every bird in Ireland, to show the world what beautiful and unique creatures they are. He is also the main character in the documentary Birdsong. With his extraordinary projects capturing soundscapes and imagery from nature’s most precious wildlife, he urges people to come together and protect the nation’s birds, as 63% of them are at risk of extinction. His collections are representations of the physical loss that are a consequence of the exploitation of Irish nature. He uses music and sound as a way of connecting with people and making them feel and understand the importance of preserving biodiversity. Birds’ mimicry of each other and other species is a symbol of the worlds’ interconnectedness. As Seán points out, extinction is not just happening in the Amazons but “here on our doorstep”, and “the actions that we take in Sweden and Ireland have a ripple effect on the world.”

Johanna Koljonen - Opening Remarks from The Conference 2024

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:21:10 GMT

Beloved The Conference moderator Johanna Koljonen opens the 2024 edition with restating the question Joshua Idehen asked in his performance: How did you get here? The theme of the first day is a wake-up call – a kind of “oh shit” moment that forces us to turn to that scary corner in the room, but to light it up with rationality, with community, with poetry.

Joshua Idehen – How Did I Get Here?

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:20:18 GMT

British artist Joshua Idehen (he/him) opens The Conference 2024 with a spoken word performance in which he asks the audience “how did you get here”. The electrifying performance is an homage to David Byrne’s 1980 track "Once in a Lifetime", originally performed by Talking Heads.