CJ Product Design Portfolio

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Forest Net(work)

SEGD Hornor Award 2023 | Sylvia Harris 2023

Installation

A 99% waste-free installation at the Seattle Design Festival aimed to reconnect people with nature.

Team Project

With Architects, Construction Team

Team Project

With Architects, Construction Team

Timeline

Feb 2022 - Aug 2022

Timeline

Feb 2022 - Aug 2022

My role

Concept design, Interaction Prototyper, Volunteer

My role

Concept design, Interaction Prototyper, Volunteer

Highlights

Before:

After

The Problem

Urban environments often lack a tangible connection between people and nature, making it difficult for communities to engage with and support their local ecosystems. The 2022 Seattle Design Festival's theme was "Connection"—focusing on forging deeper relationships between people, communities, and the environment through design. It aims to address this gap by fostering public dialogue and community engagement around design’s role in urban life.

The Solution

A 99% waste-free installation that honored the Puget Lowlands Forest biome. By giving away 600 native trees, shrubs, and ground covers, the project encouraged festival-goers to actively participate in reforestation efforts, fostering a long-term, low-effort way to reconnect with the environment while promoting sustainability.

Interaction & Engagement Strategy

Come make a personal connection to the thing that sustains us all: our planet!

600 interactive elements AKA "PLUGS" that essentially are containers that can be given away to festival-goers to encourage them to plant in their backyard and take part in reforestation efforts.

Ensured the experience was inclusive, accessible, and engaging for a diverse audience.
Created low-effort, high-impact participation methods, such as the native plant giveaway.

Led and contributed to brainstorming sessions to define the project’s conceptual drivers:

No waste → Ensuring a 99% waste-free installation.
Ephemeral → A temporary yet impactful experience.
Immersive Experience→ Encouraging deep engagement with the Puget Lowlands Forest biome.
Visually compelling → Captivating visitors through design.

Explored interactive and spatial design ideas that would inspire participation and dialogue.

Led and contributed to brainstorming sessions to define the project’s conceptual drivers:

No waste → Ensuring a 99% waste-free installation.
Ephemeral → A temporary yet impactful experience.
Immersive Experience→ Encouraging deep engagement with the Puget Lowlands Forest biome.
Visually compelling → Captivating visitors through design.

Explored interactive and spatial design ideas that would inspire participation and dialogue.

Visual Design Strategy

Designed signage, graphics, and messaging to clearly communicate the purpose of the installation.

Used mycelium-based signage, ensuring that educational materials were not only visually compelling but also fully compostable, reinforcing the project's zero-waste philosophy.

Ensured that visitors left with an understanding of native ecosystems and reforestation efforts.

Created moments that encouraged reflection on humans' relationship with urban nature.

Led and contributed to brainstorming sessions to define the project’s conceptual drivers:

No waste → Ensuring a 99% waste-free installation.
Ephemeral → A temporary yet impactful experience.
Immersive Experience→ Encouraging deep engagement with the Puget Lowlands Forest biome.
Visually compelling → Captivating visitors through design.

Explored interactive and spatial design ideas that would inspire participation and dialogue.

Led and contributed to brainstorming sessions to define the project’s conceptual drivers:

No waste → Ensuring a 99% waste-free installation.
Ephemeral → A temporary yet impactful experience.
Immersive Experience→ Encouraging deep engagement with the Puget Lowlands Forest biome.
Visually compelling → Captivating visitors through design.

Explored interactive and spatial design ideas that would inspire participation and dialogue.

Takeaway

Designing for Communities Brings Joy and Complexity

Seeing people took home plants and stayed connected is deeply rewarding—but it also meant planning for unpredictability, weather, and volunteer-friendly setup.

99% Waste-Free Is Not Easy

The laser-cut cardboard joints failed in unexpected wind, but we quickly iterated—reinforcing the hook design. Rapid prototyping paid off: we achieved a glue-free, compostable system that held strong on-site and stayed true to our sustainability goals.