Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Forward by Mitchell Sutika-Sipus

As I explore new ways to communicate insights on design, technology, and economics, I have set up an Indie Publishing Company. I am using this company to republish classical works, but providing the reader with an alternative theoretical lens to see the work in a new light. Within the Forward of this publication, I connect this historical work to the human experiences of modern conflicts in post-colonial Africa. It is heavily informed by my years spent in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.

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The World We Make

Active blog about the creative process, experimentation, and making things that matter. 2020

 

Ethnographic Research with Fulcrum

An article about my use of mobile mapping technology to document, map and quantify traditional qualitative research. 2014

 
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An assessment of Sphere Standards for Protracted Settlement Planning

Field research conducted in Dadaab refugee camps to determine the effectiveness of humanitarian standards for new shelters in protracted refugee camps. 2010

PhD Dissertation

I built companies and products to explore the design of ML Model interactions to fight disinformation. 2020.

 
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A City in Healing After Two Decades of War

An essay on the modern history of Mogadishu, Somalia and the challenges of reconstruction for a traumatized population. 2012

 
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Humanitarian Space: Collected Writings

A collection of writings generated between 2007 and 2015 while working in Kenya, Egypt, Somalia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

More Design & Less Innovation

A brief essay on how structured design methods can enable better shelter solutions within a refugee crisis. June 2017.

 

Support for al Shabaab through the Diaspora

Field work conducted in East Leigh on the business and social actions of al Shabaab to acquire funding and support in the local community. 2011

Rebuilding Kabul with Lessons from Mogadishu

A reflection on Mogadishu’s stabilization and reconstruction initiatives from 2011-2013. 2015.

 
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The Architecture of Militarization & Conflict in Somalia

Satellite imagery analysis of militant use of historic architectural sites to reinforce power. 2011

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Teaching Philosophy and Recent Student Works

 

Student Work

The work below well captures key areas of focus within all of my teaching, pertaining to the hybridization of design disciplines, the role of research methods, and the role of design as a means to understand and tame poorly structured problems.

Sensing Environments, Carnegie Mellon University School of Design

Mushy Edges Spatial Selection UI

UX/UI design for selection of amorphous spatial regions such as light diffusion or economic zone.
Work by Cameron Burgess.

Triton

Storm Management Software Concept. Provides a fluid relationship between cities and residents on infrastructure risks and storm hazards. By Allana Wooley, Tyler Stern, and Jeong Min Seo

 

#Campus Wall

Students designed a hybrid spatial user experience for media advocacy to drive human empathy through the use of "digital materialism" and "virtual place making."

Place Based Language Learning

Students integrated concepts of spatial cognitive mapping to with insights in language acquisition with location-based UI/UX 

Heritage Apron

Following deep mixed methods user research, students channel insights into a highly refined and minimal product to drive new family experiences without disrupting existing social patterns

 

Experience Music

Students experimented with new applications of machine learning for scene recognition to drive rich-media experiences and to design new sonic landscapes. This approach creates a place-based aural soundtrack that does not use GPS location, but derives inputs from visual scanning

The Sounds of Carnegie Mellon

Tasked to integrate mixed research methods and to engage in serious play, so as to use an existing technology (library or built) for a task it was not intended, these students mapped the university campus by its sub-tonal properties.

 

Johns Hopkins University & MICA
Joint MBA Design Leadership

 

Course: Cultural Relevance and Awareness

Students working through Mixed Methods Research

Students working through Mixed Methods Research

This challenging course for MBAs with limited design experience demanded student led ethnographic research to understand the Migrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystems within Baltimore, Maryland. Student were taught to translate cross cultural research into product and market intervention concepts. Syllabus digital content is available at MEDIUM.
 

 

Migrant Entrepreneur Ecosystems

These students initially began visiting migrant mini-markets within Baltimore and quickly discovered a sophisticated network of actors, financiers, alternative management processes, and territorial implications for store owners.  

 
 

MAPPING SYRIAN REMITTANCES

As the final output, these students generated two infographics and a video that captured and reflected on their process.  The video intricately describes research methods, processes in sense-making, and discoveries.  The infographics display their critical findings. Motivated by the value of grounded theory and the depth of discovery, the students are presently continuing this project in additional coursework.

 

 

All Content by Mitchell Sutika-Sipus
2022

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