Branching Out
This installation introduces Robert Putnam's theory of social capital to stimulate participants' thinking about how they might generate positive change.
At DIS’ end-of-semester symposium, students plotted the types of connections they made this semester with a 3D-printed tree trunk, evaluated how much social capital they had created, and then stacked acrylic leaves on their trees by thinking ahead to the specific actions they will take to cultivate closer social connections in their communities after returning home.
It was such a joy to staff this table at the event and observe how participants delighted in the tactile experience and the intentionality behind every detail. It reminded me of EDUC 237: Learning, Making, Crafting, & Creating with Victor Lee and sharing projects with my peers after familiarizing myself with a new technique in the makerspace: trying, failing, recovering, and then finally succeeding was especially worth it when I could build for other people.
The following works inspired me in creating this project:
• The tangible tabletop "Cairn," by Pauline Gourlet and Thierry Dassé, which I learned about in the book "Making with Data," edited by Samuel Huron, Till Nagel, Lora Oehlberg, and Wesley Willett
• The exhibit "Design Your Best Life" at Mindworks: The Science of Thinking
