This year’s graduating Design students will present their outcomes starting June 28th, under the title “My Friend, Oh! It’s Been So Long.” Until then, the blog gives you a peek at the work that will be showcased.
Erin Button‘s graduation work “Pattern Language” explores neural diversity and its representation and communication. Erin has translated into textile patterns the timelines of her brother Joe’s tics during certain events:
“Pattern language is the observation, documentation and translation of signature human behaviour shown through the medium of textiles. By acknowledging our own signature behaviours which typically go unnoticed (for example this could be shaking your knee or tucking hair behind your ear) we can embody the data of our loved ones through making to learn what is inherent to that person’s identity.
My role within this project is to design the tools and objects that enable a dialogue between myself and Joe. Meaning my work addresses the experiences from the voice of Joe, and the effect of his autism on his everyday activities.
The collection uses a sensor designed to collect data from Joe’s anxiety tics in different scenarios which can be translated into a pattern on a football scarf, each one contextualised through a colour palette, e.g, brown and white scarf = a pint at the pub. The collection is made up of 11 scarves made by me, his sister, which show a timeline of Joe’s typical day and the anxiety that fluctuates according to each activity.”
Goldsmiths Design Blog 