Antonios Kiourktsis

Department: Contextual Design

Digital Tools of Controlled Randomness

How can new technology be used in the design process? That’s what Antonios Kiourktsis asked himself. “Rather than using tools currently available through computer software, designers should design their own digital tools to define their personal language,” Kiourktsis says. Particularly interested in how to reconnect the physical with the digital, he designed software that is inspired by human movement. He goes so far as to create a direct link between the body and design.
After tracing the ascending movement of someone climbing a flight of stairs, he used this as a framework to create a new staircase. In the same way, he translated the motion of a long-jumper into a design for a bridge. “This is indeterminacy in action. It’s a way of defining a structure without control over the details,” he explains. “My digital tool is able to generate variations of forms with the same movement!”
The idea was explored in music by American composer John Cage, who famously sought new ways to celebrate and incorporate chance in his work. “That’s how you can allow the unexpected to happen,” Kiourktsis adds. The title of his project? Digital Tools of Controlled Randomness.