MIGRANT EMOTIONS (CCM)

PROFESSORS: JOSÉ DE LA O, PIER PAOLO PERUCCIO, OSCAR MIRANDA

COLLECTION EXHIBITED AT SAN DIEGO DESIGN WEEK 2024
& WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL TIJUANA 2024

This experimental project developed seeks to explore the power of design beyond its traditional role as a problem-solving tool. Through this initiative, the students aim to understand and give voice to the emotional needs of migrants living in a state of perpetual transit in Tijuana.

Students employed critical design methodologies and physical computing to create interactive artifacts that convey the complex emotional experiences of migrants from diverse groups, including trans individuals, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, those integrated into Mexican society, foreigners in Mexico, and those fleeing domestic violence.

We deeply appreciate the support of Centro32 for facilitating contact with migrants and for their essential collaboration in conducting interviews with a sensitive and respectful approach.

ENTRELÍNEAS

Alejandra Arano, Daniela Spíndola, Daniela Rodríguez, Samantha Alejandre

This project shares the story of Ermitte, a Haitian migrant in Tijuana, Mexico, whose primary challenge is communication due to her native Creole, complicating daily interactions.

Entrelíneas is an interactive banner featuring a visual effect and rotating mechanism that invites users to decipher a hidden message—a poem by Haitian migrant author Marlene Nouais from She tests her language, her silence is gently broken.

This project promotes empathy for migrants facing language barriers. Deciphering the hidden poem mirrors the challenges migrants experience in learning a new language, highlighting language’s deep impact on identity.

entropía

Sebastián Arroyo, Ana Karen Hernández, Brenda Lee, Paola Zárate

This project centers on Angie, a Colombian migrant in Mexico, whose biggest challenge has been adapting to daily routines. Her journey has shown her that everyday life resists control; change is inevitable.

Entropía (Entropy) is a machine generating patterns through human interaction, symbolizing the chaos in migrant life. It operates in three stages: a constant pattern (order), human interaction (trigger), and the resulting chaos (loss of routine).

The aim is to foster empathy for migrants who’ve lost a sense of routine, encouraging reflection on the role of stability in our own lives.