Nanomuffs

Speculative Designer · Creative Technologist

Context

Nanomuffs is a conceptual proposal exploring how biotechnology might reshape perception and human interaction. Set in a dystopian future where CRISPR-based genome editing has become widespread and normalized, many genetic conditions have been cured — yet new sensory alterations have emerged, raising complex ethical questions. In this scenario, younger generations experience heightened auditory sensitivity, which affects their interactions and social development.

Nanomuffs imagines a wearable device for children with sound hypersensitivity, combining narrative and design to rethink how we perceive and interact with others. It explores biotechnology not as a tool for optimization, but as a catalyst for empathy, inclusion, and alternative modes of communication.

Challenge

How might community-centered design foster empathy and facilitate interaction in a world shaped by amplified sensory perception?

Nanomuffs proposes a wearable system that interprets the user’s auditory comfort and translates it into expressive facial cues to support mutual understanding. By connecting biological, digital, and emotional dimensions of care, the device suggests how future technologies could mediate sensory experience while promoting empathy rather than isolation.

Outcome

Nanomuffs proposes a speculative framework for inclusive technologies grounded in empathy, perception, and sensory awareness. By merging biotechnology with design fiction, it questions current trajectories of technological development and imagines alternative futures centered on care rather than optimization. The concept envisions a wearable device and companion app designed to enhance understanding and social connection, framing sensory awareness as an explicit interaction layer rather than a hidden condition.