After spending time in product design studios across London researching the inefficiencies in the designer-client process, recent Central Saint Martins graduate Julius Ingemann Breitenstein created a robot that uses algorithms to create multiple iterations of a design during the ideation stage.
Called the Unpaid Intern, the device can perform the type of activities an intern would do in a design office, created with the intention of helping design studios produce ideas faster. It is also aimed at combatting the challenge of short turnaround times.
Right now, Unpaid Intern is just a concept but Ingemann Breitenstein has built out a prototype of the collaborative controller which looks a bit like a synthesizer. The controller connects to CAD software and allows teams to interact with the program directly. The device was designed with an open interface, so more than one person can use it at a time and teams don’t have to hover over a single computer. The dials on the device allow designers to create multiple variations of the design which can be as simple or complex as needed, changing everything from the texture of the surface to the angles of the final design.
This tool would be particularly useful in presentations, as it allows creatives and clients to iterate and collaborate on a design in real-time. This would get everyone on the same page and cut the back and forth that makes the design process longer than it should be.
“The output shapes can inspire the designer to a multitude of shapes and design directions that they might never have thought of, opening their eyes to new paths and opportunities,” Ingemann Breitenstein told Dezeen. Regarding the implications of this device and how it could affect the workplace, Ingemann Breitenstein says, “I think the point of this project is not to take over the roles of people at all, it is there to enable people to make more and better designs.” Ingemann Breitenstein is currently working on a new title for this project that focuses more on how it could empower designers with creative opportunities.
This article was written by Marielle Castillo from PSFK and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.