DVC II Speculative Design Showcase

What if… genetically engineered flowers could replace fossil fuels entirely, to lower greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the impacts of climate change?

Set in the year 2075, this project imagines what the world and its climate could look like by 2100 if we fail to act now. Without immediate change, the climate may be severely damaged, rendering some regions entirely uninhabitable.

Speculative Design: a critical and artistic approach to design that uses imagined future scenarios to provoke thought and discussion about present-day issues, such as social, ethical, and technological implications. Instead of creating commercially viable products, it generates "what if" questions through provocative designs to explore alternative possibilities and help debate which futures people want or don't want. 

FOCUSES
Ideation
Mood Boarding
Copy
Marketing
Branding and Visual Identity
Brand Guide
Color Theory
Showcase

The company, Superseede, noticed that one of the leading drivers of climate change was fossil fuels. Their initiative highlights the catastrophic effects we could face by 2100 if action is not taken starting in 2075. The original experiment began in 2035, and by 2073, it was ready to be tested across three environmentally diverse regions of Oregon. The goal was to create a world where living energy, born from genetically engineered flowers, superseded fossil fuels, restoring balance to the planet and empowering a future fueled by nature, not destruction.

Now, in 2075, the project has shown promising results and is growing its reach through the United States, garnering attention to people of all ages (community effort involved). It was most recently highlighted in Sustain, magazine that features changemakers.

Meet the three super flowers and their genetic modifications that have made it possible for flowers to supersede fossil fuels as an energy source.

SUPER FLOWERS

To understand the flowers and their widespread installation, it was important to understand who they were impacting. These two representatives and a building helped formulate strengths and weaknesses for Superseede’s case.

PERSONAS

BRAND GUIDE

Sustain, is a contemporary journal dedicated to the art and impact of environmental innovation. Published ten times a year, each issue curates stories from around the world that illuminate the intersection of design, industry, and ecology. Through in-depth features, striking imagery, and thoughtful commentary, Sustain captures the visionaries and enterprises shaping a more responsible future. Printed on sustainably sourced and recycled paper, the magazine embodies the very principles it champions: elegant, conscious, and enduring. Sustain is more than a publication; it is a platform for progress, inspiring a global audience to reimagine the relationship between humanity and the environment.

BRAND GUIDE

Each edition includes two complimentary posters. Given that Superseede focuses on flowers and their genetics, Superseede and Sustain collaboratively selected diagrams of Photosynthesis and Flower Anatomy to provide both educational value and visual engagement. Superseede also sent a postcard to their top customers and followers as a gesture of appreciation.

THE DELIVERY

The world building then took its own form in the shape of a showcase, with parameters of a 5ft by 8ft wall.

This world imagines the dorm room of 20 year old, student Imogen Solis. At the University of Oregon, she studies plant science and is minoring in horticulture at the Voss School of Plant Sciences Program- founded by Eleanor Voss, CEO of Superseede.

She grew up in the aftermath of the climate crisis and she strives to help procure a better environment.

FOR THE SHOWCASE

As a gift and educational resource for showcase attendees, I offered two optional take-home pieces.

The first was plantable seed paper that dissolves completely when planted, growing into wildflowers. This initiative encourages a community effort to reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere while demonstrating how simple it can be to take small, impactful steps toward helping the planet.

The second piece was a concise informational pamphlet. While the full magazine will be available at the showcase and on the website, the pamphlet provides a brief overview to help audiences quickly understand the purpose and direction of my work.

THE TAKEAWAY

CNVRGE: A SPECULATIVE SHOWCASE

Thursday, December 11, 2025

To Superseede, my first large scale semester long showcase:
I’m writing this two days after the exhibit and I am still reflecting on the experience. This project challenged me more than any I have undertaken before, pushing my creative, organizational, and personal limits. While it required significant persistence and dedication through long hours and extensive planning, the result was a body of work I am deeply proud of, one I know I will continue to stand behind for years to come. Although flowers have always been an area of interest for me, I was not initially well-versed in their scientific complexity. To do the project justice, I immersed myself in research in order to thoughtfully honor the past, present, and future of the subject. I intentionally chose a serious topic and sought to present a solution, one rooted in optimism and grounded in the belief that change is possible through collective effort. I am honored to have showcased my work alongside my peers. Each project showed an immense amount of effort, and we all deserved recognition for the work produced this semester. As a wrap on this project, while the process came with challenges, this was truly a dream project. I wouln’t change it for the world, and I am incredibly proud of the outcome. I hope that, in some small way, this work contributes to ongoing conversations around climate change and the possibility for positive impact, even through something as simple and flower power.

THE TAKEAWAY