Yunyi Bai
BFA | Industrial Design
DESIGNER BIO
Born and raised in eight different cities in China, I am a graduating BFA majoring in industrial design with an interest in psychology and learning new languages. I plan to attend graduate school in New York in the fall to continue my exploration in design and I am intrigued by the interplay between industrial design and philosophy.
DESIGNER STATEMENT
I seek to understand how our mental landscapes translate to physical products created by designers. I want to explore beyond the traditional areas of form and function to the more malleable realm of perceptions and assumptions; in that space, manifestation is put into motion. When designers release better, updated, “2.0” versions of products, the underlying assumption is “this is not enough” or “this is not the last version.” Inevitably, a sense of dissatisfaction exists alongside this creation until the next one replaces it. I became fascinated by this invisible dimension playing out alongside the object. How does physical engagement with these products heighten the awareness of the subtle feelings they invoke?
Picture this. It’s a normal sunny afternoon, you are going about your everyday chores. you suddenly notice something novel in that very familiar environment and a small “!” silently forms in your mind. In that transient moment, you pay more attention to this new discovery, your sensitivity towards the object and it’s environment increases, and your understanding of this object changes: you feel awakened, in that moment.
Through redesigning objects we interact with on a daily basis, I am interested in capturing the implicit judgments and assumptions that ground our daily, culturally informed interactions with everyday objects. My projects encourage reflection on the validity of those assumptions, yet in a humorous, light-hearted way. Objects we use daily can wear away our dreams, rendering them routine. On the other hand, everyday objects can be the medicine to cure