Office Hours Side Projects Edition

This summary was composed by an artificial intelligence and may be full of issues and miscomprehensions. But, I’m just one guy here so every little thing helps.

This transcript is from an informal design-focused virtual “office hours” session, where a group of creatives—including Julian Bleecker and others—discussed speculative design, prototyping, and creative community building.

Summary:

1. Open Mic for Ideas:

The conversation begins with reflections on the format of these sessions—described as an “open mic for ideas”—where participants can casually share side projects and receive thoughtful feedback. Despite drop-offs in attendance, the value of the space is affirmed.

2. Anushka’s Presentation – Design Science Lab:

Anushka Shinde, a product design student from India, presents a community project called Design Science Lab at the National Institute of Design. Their team collects secondhand toys from a Sunday market and repurposes them with new packaging and narratives. These become satirical, political, or emotional commentaries (e.g., “emotional support toys,” “gift for your asshole boss,” or a satirical McDonald’s penguin plushie). The project blends humor, critique, and regional specificity.

Key features:

Creative reuse of discarded objects.
Commentary on social, political, and cultural themes.
Community-based, student-led creativity.
Expansion into workshops and speculative future objects (e.g., Bluetooth devices to avoid marriage pressure, devices for nutrient transfer from cows to humans).
Packaging and presentation mimic consumer goods, parodying marketing aesthetics.

3. Praise and Reflections:

The group is highly enthusiastic about Anushka’s work. Comments highlight:

The project’s design fiction qualities.
Its resonance with older satirical toys and publications like Wacky Packages and MAD Magazine.
Its tactile, analog, and humorous contrast to more clinical speculative design aesthetics.
Potential for real-world markets or exhibitions.
Possibility of adapting it to participatory workshops or broader publics.

4. Dre’s Presentation – Artifact Scanner:

Dre presents a project called the Artifact Scanner, a tool for prompting creative thinking using red/cyan filter techniques (“red reveal”). It resembles a speculative design lens: users insert cards with hidden prompts that are revealed only through a red lens. Originally inspired by the Oblique Scope, it evolved into a participatory workshop tool.

Key aspects:

Analog design with laser-cut acrylic and red gel filters.
Prompt cards for speculative thought and ideation.
Open-source and adaptable for different contexts (e.g., future of work workshops).
Potential to be upgraded with LEDs or digital components.

5. Collaborative Ideation and Analog-Digital Tension:

The group reflects on:

The power of analog tools in fostering focused, imaginative thinking.
The tension and interplay between digital and physical media.
Ideas for QR-code integrations, physical prompts, and speculative contexts.
The educational and expressive value of framing devices—both literal (viewfinders) and metaphorical.
Applications in participatory design, narrative play, and critical thinking.

6. Themes and Takeaways:

Community: Both projects reflect grassroots, open creative communities.
Speculative Play: Humor and absurdity are used to interrogate social norms and future scenarios.
Materiality: A strong preference for hands-on, tangible, analog creative expression.
Design Fiction: Reframing the present by fictionalizing the everyday.

This session serves as both a showcase of ongoing design work and a meta-discussion on how to foster imagination, critique, and creativity in shared spaces.

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Chat Transcript

09:05:13   From Dré Labre : Hi, I’m transcribing this call with my Tactiq AI Extension: https://tactiq.io/r/transcribing
09:09:46   From Labubu Wrangler : Does this say what I think it says?
09:09:58   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "Does this say what I..." with 🤣
09:10:04   From Shreya Thakkar : Replying to "Does this say what I..."

Yes!
09:10:36   From Labubu Wrangler : Please bring this market to Brooklyn
09:11:39   From Labubu Wrangler : Gold
09:13:31   From Labubu Wrangler : Take my money
09:17:42   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "Please bring this ma..." with ❤️
09:18:18   From Julian Bleecker : Reacted to "Take my money" with 🤟🏽
09:19:24   From Becky Cooperman : So many conversation starters here!! So good.
09:19:26   From Pawel Halicki : The discarded toys as source material reminds me of - https://extrapolationfactory.com/Operator-s-Manual
09:19:59   From Becky Cooperman : Yes to garbage pail kids, so great!
09:20:19   From Becky Cooperman : Is there a link to this? I think I missed it in the chat as I had to join late….
09:21:01   From Andrew Korf : https://carpentersworkshopgallery.com/artists/campana-brothers/
09:21:03   From John A : https://estudiocampana.com.br/en/
09:21:32   From Anushka Shinde : https://www.instagram.com/designsciencelab/?hl=en
09:26:03   From Andrew Korf : Is brandel “augmented” ?
09:26:16   From Dré Labre : yes, he's in his Vision Pro headset
09:30:28   From Labubu Wrangler : https://obviousplant.com/
09:32:05   From Labubu Wrangler : “I had one of those” — everybody
09:34:27   From Labubu Wrangler : This is based. No cap.
09:34:40   From Andrew Korf : Reacted to "yes, he's in his Vis..." with 😂
09:35:07   From Andrew Korf : Replying to "https://estudiocampa..."

Love this - thank you for sharing. Ill be in Sao paulo next week, will try to look them up
09:35:11   From Becky Cooperman : Reacted to "yes, he's in his Vis..." with 😂
09:35:20   From Shreya Thakkar : Love it!
09:35:21   From Heather Sparks : Wish the shusher was available now lol
09:36:00   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "Wish the shusher was..." with 🤣
09:39:14   From Brandel Zachernuk : On the cataloging - It’s also kind of a fictional take on Jenny Odell’s work at the refuse center in SF: https://www.suspended-objects.org
09:39:29   From John A : Reacted to "On the cataloging - ..." with 👍
09:39:36   From Andrew Korf : jUgaad  - https://x.com/zenrainman/status/656719608699731968
09:40:31   From Labubu Wrangler : AKA “The Gorilla Store"
09:41:08   From John A : Replying to "https://estudiocampa..."

They are really nice and generous guys. If you do meet them, say hi. (I wrote a feature magazine piece about them about 15 years ago.)
09:42:58   From Labubu Wrangler : X-species nutrient transfer is going to be a thing. Certain.
09:43:13   From Heather Sparks : They remind me of objects you’d see in a Terry Gilliam sci-fi.
09:43:26   From Labubu Wrangler : Reacted to "They remind me of ob..." with 👍
09:43:50   From Dré Labre : similar to SparkFun ... I love adafruit's new product showcase every friday https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL028933C9CA644CFB
09:44:18   From Andrew Korf : Reacted to "They are really nice..." with 👍
09:44:36   From Dré Labre : Reacted to "AKA “The Gorilla ..." with 👍
09:47:23   From Scott Paterson : Replying to "https://estudiocampa..."

@Andrew Korf recommend visiting MASP, IMS Instituto Moreira Salles, MCA in a park, nice view from rooftop.
09:47:37   From Brandel Zachernuk : Reacted to "On the cataloging - …" with 👍
09:47:38   From Brandel Zachernuk : Removed a 👍 reaction from "On the cataloging - …"
09:47:56   From Scott Paterson : Replying to "https://estudiocampa..."

IMS had a great video history of the growth of São Paulo exhibit…not sure if there still
09:48:48   From Scott Paterson : Replying to "https://estudiocampa..."

IMS https://maps.app.goo.gl/28fW58dhXDpd8oUz5
09:50:36   From Anushka Shinde : https://www.instagram.com/obviousplant/?hl=en
our sunday market toys were very much inspired by obviousplant’s work. Its crazy how they’ve managed to come up with so many! We had just as a lovely conversation as this one with them regarding artefacts like these :))
09:51:57   From Labubu Wrangler : I was huge into these cards as a kid as well, Wacky Packages: https://www.ebay.com/itm/144671780270
09:52:11   From John A : Reacted to "I was huge into thes..." with ❤️
09:52:17   From Anushka Shinde : Replying to "I was huge into thes..."

instantly in love with it
09:53:12   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Does this say what I..." with 🤣
09:53:15   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Please bring this ma..." with ❤️
09:53:20   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Please bring this ma..." with 🫡
09:53:42   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "So many conversation..." with ❤️
09:53:45   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Take my money" with 😂
09:53:57   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "The discarded toys a..." with ❤️
09:54:25   From Julian Bleecker : Replying to "I was huge into thes..."

I had a big stack of Wacky Packages when I was a kid. Now I just have these two books cataloging all (or most?) of the stickers.
09:54:41   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Love it!" with ❤️
09:54:49   From Labubu Wrangler : Reacted to "instantly in love wi..." with ⚡
09:55:28   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "I was huge into thes..." with ❤️
09:58:36   From Labubu Wrangler : Reacted to "I had a big stack of..." with ✊
10:06:37   From Anushka Shinde : Replying to "I was huge into thes..."

This reminded me of this one business card for a photographer that was going around a few years ago
https://www.behance.net/gallery/23613139/Transparent-Photographer-Business-Card
10:07:02   From Heather Sparks : Reacted to "This reminded me of ..." with 👍
10:07:58   From John A : Reacted to "This reminded me of ..." with 👍
10:08:04   From John A : Reacted to "I had a big stack of..." with 👍
10:09:55   From Brandel Zachernuk : Oooh with red/cyan with adversarial prompts for groups!
10:11:00   From Labubu Wrangler : Lucidity Scrambling Device
10:11:55   From Labubu Wrangler : I’ll have one with everything
10:23:33   From Dré Labre : https://fstoppers.com/architecture/how-lens-compression-and-perspective-distortion-work-251737
10:24:43   From Dré Labre : https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/overview/
10:25:14   From Brandel Zachernuk : DSM 26
10:26:13   From Labubu Wrangler : They need to learn what to do instead of Ganja
10:26:21   From Heather Sparks : Reacted to "They need to learn w..." with 😆
10:26:28   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "They need to learn w..." with 😂
10:26:34   From Anushka Shinde : Replying to "They need to learn w..."

indeed
10:30:16   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "They need to learn w..." with 😂
10:30:18   From Scott Paterson : Thx for all the sharing and nuggets. Gotta go. Have a great weekend everyone.
10:30:30   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "Thx for all the shar..." with ❤️
10:32:19   From Labubu Wrangler : It’s an ok lake. Great, I dunno...
10:33:40   From John A : The natural world as media: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo20069392.html
10:33:49   From Heather Sparks : Reacted to "The natural world as..." with ❤️
10:33:49   From Labubu Wrangler : A wayward beaver disrupts tree-based wayfaring
10:36:09   From Heather Sparks : I have to jump. Thanks everyone! This was a wonderful convo!
10:38:44   From Labubu Wrangler : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Enough!
10:38:47   From John A : Gotta jump. Thanks everyone!
10:41:16   From Firm Kongthong : These are really cool projects guys! Thank you for sharing! My friend and I are starting something, so hopefully once we have a more clear idea, we would love to get feedback and start conversations with you all!
10:41:22   From Labubu Wrangler : “You see, but you do not observe” Sherlock Holmes
10:41:34   From Dré Labre : Reacted to "“You see, but you..." with 👍
10:41:43   From Dré Labre : Reacted to "These are really c..." with 👍
10:41:56   From Dré Labre : Replying to "These are really c..."

come share when ready
10:43:46   From Anushka Shinde : been keeping a track of interesting phrases Dre says, here are my favourites:
open mic for ideas
Yammering and hammering
History rhymes
noodling (not doodling)
10:44:45   From Julian Bleecker : Replying to "been keeping a track..."

https://walkerart.org/magazine/julian-bleecker-design-fiction-the-future-never-gets-old/
10:45:19   From Julian Bleecker : Replying to "been keeping a track..."

https://blog.nearfuturelaboratory.com/2011/01/27/youd-be-right-to-wonder/
10:45:59   From Labubu Wrangler : Reacted to "https://walkerart.or..." with 🌈
10:46:51   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "https://blog.nearfut..." with ❤️
10:46:56   From Anushka Shinde : Reacted to "https://walkerart.or..." with ❤️
10:56:18   From Labubu Wrangler : Actually a serious treatment of “hallucinations”: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/327588/1/327588.pdf
10:57:44   From Brandel Zachernuk : The “temperature” is part of the metaphor around “simulated annealing”, which means it makes fewer random jumps - but if it doesn’t have the data it will still interpolate between what it does:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_annealing
11:02:49   From Anushka Shinde : quote of the day
11:02:57   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "quote of the day" with 🤣
11:03:01   From Shreya Thakkar : Reacted to "The “temperature” is..." with 😱
11:03:15   From Shreya Thakkar : Thanks Brandel
11:05:01   From Labubu Wrangler : Karpathy has updated his thoughts on vibe coding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEmiRjPEtQ
11:10:52   From Labubu Wrangler : Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life
Hang the blessed DJ
11:11:21   From Labubu Wrangler : Morrissey/Marr
11:13:06   From Giula Passarelli : Need to drop, always interesting to listen to all of you! See you at the next one 🙂
11:13:39   From Anushka Shinde : FORCED OPTIMISM
11:14:27   From Brad Stewart : Gotta run.  Thanks for the inspirational conversation!