Carbon Care Work

Degree Project 2022

This thesis investigates shared collaborative future imaginaries about how carbon dioxide removal (CDR) can be deployed under an ethos of care rather than the technocratic and economically driven way that current climate models propose. The project, dubbed "Carbon Care Work," focuses on the exploration of people's imaginaries for the year 2050 in Northern Scandinavian regions who collaboratively discussed the concept of CDR and developed their own visions for the location where they live and/or grew up.

The goal is not to create neat roadmaps or action suggestions, but rather to express the feelings and desires of the people who live in the region and envision a future in which carbon care work is a reality.

The final deliverable is an exhibition experience that showcases several physical and digital artifacts that tell fictional mundane, non-hero stories of human and non-human protagonists who exist in the carbon care future, inspired by LeGuin's carrier bag theory of fiction. A video installation depicting Northern Scandinavian citizens telling the protagonist's stories was also created. The stories are also visually communicated through speculative future evidence in the form of digital and physical artifacts that serve as future snapshots of the protagonist's life, as well as a system map that connects the various components of the entire carbon care work system.

The project falls under the category of speculative design, which is a subset of interaction design. Methods and tools from the Interaction Design toolbox were used to create the outcomes throughout the project. For example, through collaborative speculative workshops, various participants were able to express their desires, dreams, and general ideas about the future of carbon care work. Their ideas were then translated into visual artifacts and interactive experiences.

Oliver Weglinski

Master's Programme in Interaction Design
Foto Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Carbon catcher

Fotokollage Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Carbon Catcher Collage

Hand som håller i en petriskål Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Harvested Carbon

Person som häller ut insamlat kol i en gjutform Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Jewelry Making

Halsband med olika hängen som är gjorda av kol Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Jewelry

Person som har på sig ett halsband gjort av kol Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Jewelry

Klstermärke Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Emissioners Sticker

Tre smycken på ett bord och en påse med ett smycke i Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Jewelry Packaged

Affisch Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Posters

Megafon med klistermärken Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Stickers

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Transient Landing Page

Mockup på en mobilapplikation Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Transient Enchanced Weathering in Umeå

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Mockup på mobilapplikation Image:Umeå Institute of Design
Kartbild över Kiruna Image:Umeå Institute of Design
Illustration Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Carbon Mausoleum

Illustration Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Carbon Mausoleum

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Carbon Hub: Blueprint

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Enhanced Weathering

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International Carbon Hub

Illustraton Image:Umeå Institute of Design
Illustration Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Carbon Catcher Blueprint

Systemkarta som är uppritad på ett papper Image:Umeå Institute of Design

System map

Person som står framför en anslagstavla full med A4-papper Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Research findings

Person som skissar på ett papper Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Sketching

Fotokollage Image:Umeå Institute of Design

Workshop