Our Perspective
Data is a point of contention. With data breaches, nefarious usage, unclear data collection practices, the digital data economy, and surveillance fears on the rise, we believe Big Data needs another V, Vulnerability. Vulnerable populations face greater potential for disenfranchisement with data-driven systems.
Memiro repositions user data to flow between two actors: data generators and data custodians. The flow is a piece of the data governance chain, which recognizes the way data might be misinterpreted, un-captured, altered, or ignored as it passes through filters. Data generators are people; we shed data about ourselves as long as we live in a digital world. It is the responsibility of data custodians to govern the flow of information, manage data processes, and protect the privacy of data generators.
The Memiro projects fabulate worlds where self-tracking empowers users to connect to wellbeing by engaging with their data. Each of the four projects applies this vision to a scenario for vulnerable individuals to develop trust in themselves in moments of hardship.
About
We are researchers from the IIT Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois. At the Institute of Design, we are learning human-centered design, system design, behavioral design, and sustainable design among many other forms of design to work towards re-creating paths to a more equitable, sustainable, responsible, and just future. We use design to tackle today’s complex and intersecting challenges to unlock opportunities for businesses to pivot and prosper, and for communities to thrive.
Check out our research blogs on Medium which focus on self-monitoring for the advancement of well-being, a broad topic with an enormous impact on the future of technology, design, and healthcare.
Our work was developed under the guidance of Institute of Design Assistant Professor Zach Pino.
MDes + MBA 2023
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
I studied mechatronics engineering and worked in manufacturing and textile recycling before coming to ID. I look forward to applying my experience in the service of design. I love the prospect of using technology closer to us to better understand ourselves, help our communities, and lead fuller lives.
Meet the Team
MDes + MBA 2022
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
My role as a Creative technologist focuses on the intersection of design and technology specifically for the inclusion of generative design techniques, design principles, and digital fabrication development. With my experience in manufacturing surgical devices and smartphones, I’m excited to apply my skills and ambition toward reimagining quantified self-technology. My research address the socio-technical connection between digital technology and rituals of memory, aging, and legacy.
MDes 2023
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUITY DESIGNER
I have a background in computer science engineering, UI/UX design and possess some know-how of product management, cloud and ML. I look forward to applying my skills in imagining the future of holistic wellbeing through quantification of self.
MDes 2021
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGNER & DATA VISUALIZER
I’m a recent graduate of the IIT Institute of Design. My background is data analysis and user research in the automotive industry and my role in this team is Computational Designer and Data Visualizer. I'm looking forward to applying my skills to empower individuals or communities through computation and data. I’m also excited to explore and speculate on new types of data visualization and how it improves user experience in different timeframes.