Skin

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: design concept 2007

design:

Philips Design

Like to wear your heart on your sleeve? Philips Design has explored the ‘sensitive’ rather than ‘intelligent’ possibilities of digital life with the SKIN research project.

Philips Design developed a series of dynamic garments as part of the ongoing SKIN exploration research into the area known as ‘emotional sensing’. The garments, which are intended for demonstration purposes only, demonstrate how electronics can be incorporated into fabrics and garments in order to express the emotions and personality of the wearer.

The marvelously intricate wearable prototypes include ‘Bubelle’ – a dress surrounded by a delicate ‘bubble’ illuminated by patterns that change dependent on skin contact – and ‘Frison’. The latter is a body suit that reacts to being blown on by igniting a private constellation of tiny LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).

These garments were developed as part of the SKIN research project, which challenges the notion that our lives are automatically better because they are more digital. It looks at more ‘analog’ phenomena like emotional sensing and explores technologies that are ‘sensitive’ rather than ‘intelligent’. SKIN belongs to the ongoing, far-future research program carried out at Philips Design. The aim of this program is to identify emerging trends and likely societal shifts and then carry out ‘probes’ that explore whether there is potential for Philips in some of the more promising areas.