Synopsis

What if cobalt is no longer mined for lithium batteries? iTap is an envisioned product of a propable future in order to provoke conversation amongst university students about the management of cobalt mine slave labour and our dependence on lithium ion batteries.

Speculative Design Goal

Speculative design brings real world issues to life with creative product design for a given audience to grasp the consequences of a situation. iTap is simply a user centered product designed to suit a user's needs in a probable future, where the management of finite cobalt has ceased due to unethical labor practices. So, what would university life be like if lithium-ion batteries no longer exist?

Well, with digital media portrayal, we can it make appear, as if our scenario has already occurred!

The Pitch

In the electronics industry, cobalt mines are essential for the creation of lithium ion batteries. Modern slavery forces laborers to risk their lives working long shifts with little gains while being exposed to hard metal lung disease when fine cobalt powder is breathed in. Big corporations like Apple involuntary support this type of labor as the supply chain may not notify their exploits. We want people to reflect and understand the hidden unethical creation of a flashy new electronic they wish to purchase. Such as a new Apple accessory like Apple Watch.

I took inspiration from the mechanical flashlights that I used to have as a kid and wondered what if you needed that for your Apple laptop? A mechanically powered laptop. I’m not going to lie I immediately thought of a giant exercise wheel, but discarded the idea, as it would be just as unbelievable as it funny.

iTap Product Design

What clicked was the act to mine out cobalt requires breaking rock, which unfortunately comes down to child labor in some mines. So, I combined the visceral interaction of hammering to translate mechanical power into electrical power just like the flashlights I remembered.

I immediatly prototyped a 3D model and made an advert mimicing Apple product posters.

Upon reflection, having a secondary accessory item and requiring hand eye coordination to fulfill the user journey will not feel as serious as the message is supposed to be. We want to be critical and realistic within reason of today’s standards of technilogical convenience so that it can be acceptable in our audience’s eyes.

Mechanically, the device operates the same with or without the hammer, so having a more user friendly tapping motion would make the device feel comfortable to use.

Film Editing

In order to bring iTap to life, interactions between user and iTap needed to be clear. Our initial plan is a short film of a student going through various interactions with iTap. However, the decisions behind a short film means it has a narrative or artistic vision.

Speculative design is not about artistic expression, which, by name alone, could push an audience’s attention away. We want something grounded in the present world. Something that feels like your neighbor can talk smack about to you one day as you leave your house. Something occurring right now because that’s the beauty of speculative design. We are surfacing real occurring problems to the public!

Thus, I pivoted the group to make a news reel that can visually appear it belongs on YouTube or a news article. I mimicked SCMP video graphics and filmography, made my own Apple aesthetic iTap advert render, and found Tim Cook talking about his next big innovation to better humanity.

My main reasoning for my pivot is that trends are caught through the act of everyday dialogue and media exposure. If people talk or report about iTap, it feels peer validated or socially accepted. Having footage from relatable situations in the container of a news report hits closer to home than a short film.