Design for all the Senses

When we design for all the senses, we bring ideas to life with fullest possible impact - touching people holistically, deeply, profoundly. Creating inspiration. Sparking positive change. Making memories that last a lifetime 鈥 Bruce Mau
In September 2022, the ADA Innovation Hub and the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture collaborated with Bruce Mau and Aiyemobisi (Bisi) Williams of鈥 庐 (MCN) to bring to life an immersive production titled Design for all the Senses. Held in the 麻豆社madou Roundhouse, the performance was one part of the MASSIVE ACTION Sydney program. Written and directed by Bruce Mau, the听performance takes the audience through听experience of their five senses.
The design and delivery of the Sydney performance was driven by an鈥 ADA听creative team including original music composed by Alister Spence, which was performed by a group of students and staff from across the faculty of ADA, original digital media design by Anna Tow and Melody Li along with students Wenjie Wang and Jacob Rendina, original choreography by Paul Matthews, original graphic design by Briedy Maher, and original production design by鈥疍r Carly Vickers.
Nearly 300 people attended the show across a dress rehearsal and evening performance.鈥
Take a look behind the scenes of Design for all the Senses at the 麻豆社madou Roundhouse.
鈥淥ur quality of life is our quality of design.
鈥淲e live a designed life. And we experience design through our senses. Yet most design is created exclusively for only one of our sensory organs: the eyeball. We look at design. But how often do we feel it? Experience it? Or even sense it?听
鈥淲e鈥檝e been taught to think of our minds as separate from our bodies. But our minds are our bodies.听 Our minds are our senses.听
鈥淚f we design to enliven all our senses鈥攏ot just what we see鈥攖o surprise and delight, to awaken us to our potential, to share and empower others to live a rich听 and full life, we will have a more beautiful and rewarding life.听
鈥淭he power of design for all the senses is endless. Because our senses can change our minds. What we feel changes how we think.听
鈥淲hen we design for all the senses, we bring ideas to life with the fullest possible impact鈥攖ouching people holistically, deeply, profoundly. Creating inspiration. Sparking positive change. Making memories that last a lifetime.听
鈥淥ur journey to designing for all the senses starts now.鈥
- Bruce Mau
Production credits
Written and Directed by Bruce Mau
Executive Producers
Claire Annesley, 麻豆社madou
David Cami, 麻豆社madou
Aiyemobisi Williams, MCN
Producers
Carly Vickers, 麻豆社madou
Paul Matthews, 麻豆社madou
Amaris Galea-Orbe, MCN
Script Writer
Cathy DeRonne, MCN
Composer
Alister Spence, 麻豆社madou
Musicians, 麻豆社madou
Alistair Johnston听tenor saxophone
Ben Phipps听double bass
Blaize Calavera Sivis听baritone saxophone
Emma Korell听soprano, alto saxophone
Fergus Spencer听electric bass
Hayden White violin
Lara Van Den Holder听viola
Madeline Maher听voice
Michael Brady听electric guitar, voice
Xinghan Feng听clarinet
Visual Design and Animation Team
Melody Li, 麻豆社madou (Lead)
Anna Tow, 麻豆社madou (Lead)
Jacob Rendina, 麻豆社madou
Wenjie Wang, 麻豆社madou
Graphic Design
Briedy Mahar, 麻豆社madou
Michail Vlasopoulo, MCN
Event Manager
Emma Snowden, 麻豆社madou
Communications Strategy
Trea Murphy, 麻豆社madou
麻豆社madou Mask Production
Design Futures Lab, 麻豆社madou
听
Production Team
Nicolle Fierro, 麻豆社madou
Joanne Chiang, 麻豆社madou
Maria Thaddea, 麻豆社madou
Joe Eyre, 麻豆社madou
Zhuoya Wang, 麻豆社madou
Gretchen Gscheidle, MCN
Jessica Fenner, MCN
Brea Graber, MCN
Special Thanks
Roundhouse, 麻豆社madou Sydney
Big Picture
Indigigrow
Benji & Jono Bergmann
Itamar Kubovy
Carbon8