When Crises collide – Exploring the Superstorm

Design research increasingly operates at the intersection of knowledge production, public engagement and speculation about possible futures. Rather than merely representing existing realities, design can function as a research practice in its own right—generating insights through the creation of artifacts, scenarios and experiences. Within this context, interactive prototypes can become powerful instruments of science communication. By translating complex theoretical arguments or scientific findings into tangible and experiential formats, they enable audiences to engage with knowledge in ways that extend beyond traditional academic texts. Rather than communicating information in a linear form, interactive systems invite exploration, interpretation, but also critical reflection.

This perspective informed the development of an interactive prototype by Sherman Wright, developed as part of the seminar “Gegenentwürfe – Politiken des Designs” (Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling) at HfG Offenbach during the Summer Semester 2026. The project draws inspiration from Noemi Biasetton’s book SUPERSTORM (Biasseton 2024), which examines the profound transformations shaping contemporary societies and questions how we might understand and navigate an increasingly turbulent future.

At the center of SUPERSTORM lies the argument that current global challenges should not be understood as isolated crises. Climate change, artificial intelligence, economic restructuring, demographic shifts, geopolitical instability and social transformation are not separate phenomena unfolding independently. Rather, Biasetton argues that they interact, overlap, and reinforce one another, creating complex feedback loops that accelerate change and amplify uncertainty. The “superstorm” described in the book is therefore not a single event but a condition: a convergence of multiple systemic disruptions occurring simultaneously.

Wright’s interactive prototype translates this core thesis into an exploratory digital experience. Instead of presenting a fixed narrative, the prototype encourages participants to investigate relationships, dependencies, and cascading effects, making the systemic nature of contemporary challenges more visible and accessible.

As a form of design research, the project explores how interaction design can contribute to understanding complexity. As a form of science communication, it demonstrates how abstract concepts and large-scale societal dynamics can be translated into experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and open to interpretation. The prototype does not aim to simplify complexity into clear-cut answers; rather, it seeks to create a space in which complexity itself becomes a subject of reflection.

The project will be showcased at three exhibitions throughout the year.