bloom is a kaleidoscope-like device that fights our inherent visual prejudices

from inherent racism to casual sexism, too many people are judged negatively – or worse harassed – based just on how they look. in an effort to dismantle these unconscious biases, deniz akyürek and sneha vivek — students at IAAC (institute for advanced architecture of catalonia) — have created a device that literally breaks down what you see. using a series of mirrors, the bloom headpiece offers a fresh perspective on how we view others, with the aim of bringing people closer together free from prejudice. 

all images courtesy of deniz akyürek and sneha vivek

bloom takes advantage of mirrored reflections to create a kaleidoscopic effect. the user’s view is broken into fragments and turned into a puzzle. with this design, akyürek and vivek aim to free people from visual biases, as their vision will be unlike anything they’ve experienced before. the effect will only disappear when two people are close enough to speak. they will only see each other clearly when they are at a comfortable distance to start a conversation.

the mirrored system connects to a motor that is activated by a motion sensor. at first, the mirrors form a triangle to create the kaleidoscope effect. then upon moving closer to another person, the motion sensor will trigger a motor that unfolds the mirrors. once they come close enough to speak, the mirrors will unfold completely, allowing them to concentrate on the face of the person without any distortion.

in essence, the kaleidoscopic vision intends to change how we see our surroundings. the beautiful, geometric patterns aim to provoke a new way of not only looking at each other, but also new ways of being in this world.

project info:

project name: bloom

designers: deniz akyürek, sneha vivek

school: IAAC (institute for advanced architecture of catalonia

instructors: pablo ross / cristian rizzuti

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom