MEDIAted Membranes
by Ana Herruzo
title
MEDIAted Membranes
agency
MEDIAtedX
client
Leonardo
Submission by
Ana Herruzo
Project Lead
Ana Herruzo / Founder/Director of MEDIAtedX
Contributors
MEDIAted Membranes Team: ● MIX Faculty: Ana Herruzo (Creative Director), Biayna Bogosian, Tejaswi Gowda ● MIX MediatedX lab RAs: Henry Beach, Faith Popov, Alba Olive, Steven Hernandez, Akshit Nassa ● MIX Staff: Johanna Richards, Ari Huerta-Crummey, Paul Amendola, Ryan Pottle, Michael Armstrong ● Mesa Community: Augie Gastelum, MIX Community Advisory board ● Produced by MediatedX and Funded by Leonardo ISAST MiX: Media and Immersive Experience Center at ASU
MEDIAted Membranes revolutionizes environmental graphics by transforming Arizona State University's MiX Center in Mesa into a living, breathing canvas. Funded by Leonardo/ISAST, this cutting-edge project marries graphic design with architecture, artificial intelligence, and data visualization to create a dynamic urban interface that responds to and visualizes real-time environmental data.
At its heart, MEDIAted Membranes aims to redefine how immersive design can foster community engagement and environmental awareness. The project leverages the MiX Center's advanced media facade, turning it into an interactive platform that visualizes local environmental data through compelling, ever-changing graphic displays.
Using specialized environmental sensors, including those in a community-tended rooftop garden, the project captures real-time data, which is then transformed into striking visual narratives on the building's exterior. This innovative approach bridges the gap between scientific data and public understanding, making complex environmental information accessible and engaging to the community.
The real-time generated LED patterns and graphics evolve continuously based on incoming data and AI-driven analysis. This creates a living infographic that reflects the urban environment's pulse, from temperature fluctuations to air quality changes, all rendered in visually captivating ways that push the boundaries of environmental graphic design.
MEDIAted Membranes stands out by its scale, interactivity, and real-time responsiveness. It serves as a gift to the Mesa community, offering a platform for local engagement through workshops, events, and participatory art installations. The project also functions as an educational tool, providing opportunities for local students and residents to learn about environmental data visualization and sustainable urban living.
By merging motion graphics with technology and environmental science, MEDIAted Membranes sets a new standard for community-centered environmental graphics. It showcases the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing urban challenges and highlights the pivotal role of environmental and experience design in fostering community bonds and environmental consciousness.
Ana Herruzo
Relocating to Arizona as an immersive experience design professor at ASU's MiX Center - a visionary facility funded by Mesa - I felt compelled to weave my design ethos into this special community's fabric. On May 1st, 2024, we unveiled MEDIAted Membranes, transforming the MiX Center into a responsive, living infographic. The building's façade, with its intricate LED tapestry and monumental screen, now serves as a dynamic canvas - a visual dialogue with our environment and neighbors. This project embodies experiential design's essence. It's not just data visualization; it's fostering emotional connections, making the invisible visible. Every pixel, every color shift is a brushstroke in our ongoing community portrait. MEDIAted Membranes is my heartfelt 'thank you' to Mesa - a testament to design's power in nurturing community bonds and environmental consciousness.