Expanding Practices of Design: BioArt and BioDesign

Biodesign works by Devon Ward and his students at Auburn University.

Bidoesign is a broad field with a diverse set of creative practices ranging from utilitarian designs to speculative scenarios. Ward's talk Introduction to Biodesign provides a survey of the field and showcases some of his work from the past decade. The talk also presents a value-neutral way to categorize biodesign projects based on their design aims (Utilitarian / Discursive) and the design outcomes (Material / Conceptual). Ward presents to SFSU’s 2024 Spring ’24 Product Design 2 class a case study from a biodesign class he taught in 2023 that utilized brewer's yeast to create photographic images using a bio-printing technique called mycography.

Biodesign Matrix by Devon Ward.

Devon Ward

Devon Ward is a designer, artist, and educator who works across multiple creative disciplines including print design, interactive media, biodesign, and experimental art. He is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Auburn University where he teaches introduction to graphic design, biodesign, and advanced interactive media. His research focuses on design as an expanding field that blends new materials, technologies, and theories to adapt to changing environments. Ward's work has been written about in DesignBoom, Designs for Different Futures, WeMakeMoneyNotArt, and Nature. He has exhibited nationally (Walker Art Center and Philadelphia Museum of Art) and internationally (Chronus Art Center, Zhi Gallery, Hyundai Motor Studio, Science Gallery Dublin, John Curtin Gallery).