The exhibit uses butterfly-shaped displays, heat sensors and pollution data to help visitors visualize their impact on the environment.
Thoughtful design can be more than just visually appealing. It also can be evocative and encourage people to reflect on their place in the world.
That concept drove the work of Northeastern University design students who created a data-driven, interactive exhibit that was on display at Milan Design Week.
The installation, titled “Our Energy Nexus,” invites visitors to visualize the connection between individual action and environmental change through real-time data and responsive visuals.
The project was developed under the guidance of Paolo Ciuccarelli, founding director of Northeastern’s Center for Design, and was featured at the Superstudio Più in Milan earlier this month.
The interactive exhibit — taking advantage of butterfly-shaped displays, thermal sensors and real-time pollution levels and global air index data coming out of Milan — is designed to help people visualize their role in keeping the Earth clean, Ciuccarelli explains.
Visitors are invited to place their hand in front of one of three displays. Once detected, their thermal signature becomes a glowing star on a large screen showing real-time pollution data. As more stars appear, the on-screen pollution begins to clear.
To create the installation, Ciuccarelli enlisted the help of three Northeastern University designers — Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun and Elizabeth McCaffrey — each contributing distinct expertise.
Prock graduated from Northeastern in 2024 with a master’s degree in information design and data visualization; Yiming Sun is in the process of earning her master’s in experience design and human-computer interaction; and Elizabeth McCaffrey is currently pursuing her bachelor’s in computer science and design.
The exhibit was also given a second place Fuorisalone Design Award, beating out more than 1,000 other installations.
Although the exhibit was created as part of a broader collaboration involving the car manufacturer Lexus, Northeastern was the only university and one of just three groups invited to contribute to the showcase — a testament to the school’s global footprint.
This is not the first time Northeastern has participated in Milan’s Design Week. Last year, CAMD sponsored trips for 12 students to attend. Another 12 students were sponsored for this year’s show.
A native of Milan, Ciuccarelli says Milan Design Week is one of the most important — if not the most important — events in all of design. Being able to bring Northeastern students to the show is emblematic of the university’s experiential learning tenets.