Plastic: Villain or Hero. Getting to know Daniel Ávila!
Project: Single Use Wear
Daniel Ávila
Andrea: Which was your motivation for the concept of your project?
Daniel Ávila: I was really interested in imagining this fictional world where plastic was a hero in society. Plastic is used in so many different areas, but it’s impact on the environment has stopped it from being used in many different fields. That’s what got me interested and motivated me through this challenge.
Andrea: Why did you decide to have this approach?
Daniel Ávila: I didn’t know much about speculative design before this challenge, so the possibility of thinking and designing for an hypothetical world really got me really interested. I attended the Speculative Jam and I founded the predictor generator as a really interesting tool to be able to design the impossible in a regulated and methodical way.
Andrea: Which were your main inspirations?
Daniel Ávila: My main inspiration was disposable items. Most disposable items are made out of plastic, and they are almost always single use products. In recent years more and more people are becoming aware of how polluting these products are, so I want to believe that sooner or later some of them will stop being produced. However, in a society where people didn’t care about the pollution of single use plastics I wanted to explore what new products would become single use?
Andrea: What would you want the audience to reflect because of your project?
Daniel Ávila: I know that my project might not have been the craziest, but it was a speculative project nevertheless. And I think what I wanted was for people to think and wonder if disposable clothing could be real in our society, and if it would be something they would buy despite knowing how polluting plastic is.
It might be a fictional product, but it would have so many features and benefits that it makes me wonder if people would want it to be produced.
Andrea: Do you think something like this could become true in the future? Or does it already exist something similar?
Daniel Ávila: I think that disposable daily clothing will happen one day. Diapers already exist and they are so convenient because they are disposable. I think if they didn’t have the plastic and polluting factor they would be an ideal product.
Andrea: How do you think speculative design helps to tackle environmental and social issues?
Daniel Ávila: I believe it is really important as it predicts and can help prevent some issues before they become big. As designers we have to be responsible for what we put in the market and be aware of the impact we have in our society and in how people react and interact with design.
Andrea: What do you think is your role as a designer of the future?
Daniel Ávila: I think designers in Mexico need to be more vocal about environmental issues to help raise awareness in our society. Designers have a really important role in shaping what people see as acceptable and what is not.
Andrea: Which are gonna be your next steps for your project or for you as a designer?
Daniel Ávila: I graduated last year, so I am still trying to grow as a designer. Learning more and more skills and trying to shape who I am as a designer and as a person.
If you want to know more about his work you can follow him at @adonaydaniel.