Lulu He

I am Lulu He, a visual worker. I am interested in speculative design, conceptual design, and interaction design. I studied environment design when I was an undergraduate. I used to think about design in an anthropomorphic way, and I create a series of conceptual furniture designs that satirizes consumerism and explored the hidden problems of emerging technologies. I use illustration and humour to convey that we are being monitored.

In addition to anthropomorphism, I also explore narrative in other ways, including a personal approach, starting from myself. I have a long history of digital addiction, like many people in contemporary society. It causes anxiety for people. Anxiety happens when we turn to our phones as a form of distraction or it can be an escape from anxious feelings in other areas of our lives.

I am a digital addict, and I want my work to enable people to reflect on their relationship with digital technology. At the same time, I am interested in speculative design, and how it has been applied in the TV drama Black Mirror or the movie Prometheus. I am inspired by the work of artists and designers such as Anthony Dunne, Fiona Raby, and Sputniko.

I hope my future work can develop in two directions. Firstly, I think about how interaction design can bring more benefits to people and serve users. Second, I want to think critically and build speculative design models. Through such speculation, we can explore ethical and social issues in the context of daily life. My current work explores the impact of emerging high-tech on society, asking the audience questions of ‘What if…?’

In the IBubble project, I combine anthropometric methods, speculative design and my personal experience of digital addiction. I explored the theory of surveillance capitalism.

The logo of the Super Ellipse corporation and iBubble is an abstract eye that symbolizes ubiquitous surveillance. In this scenario, digital addiction is a manifestation of a healthy lifestyle. If people do not use digital devices, they will be very uncomfortable, like a digital addict.

I conceived of IBubble, the latest product of a high-tech corporation, Super Ellipse. iBubble exists within a fictional world, shaped by surveillance capitalism, where people have suffered from digital addiction since kindergarten.

IBubble is a helmet with cutting-edge technology (photonic computing, artificial intelligence, nanofilm…) IBubble collect user information, it helps users filter out spam and accurately collect and process the information they need. At the same time, it can personalize the user experience and provide users with the best immersive interactive experience. IBubble is also a tool for corporations to collect user information and continue to make profits through big data. The iBubble not only protects people from "digital addiction", but also allows people to enjoy the wonderful experience brought by technology. This is also the motivation for users to buy iBubble.

When the future technology continues to develop, what will happen to me as a digital addict?

I explore blind trust in the vision of the digital future promised by corporate giants. At the same time, this project also considers critical thinking in the digital era and passive acceptance of the benefits of big data.