Critical Design: A Delicate Balance Between the Thrill of the Uncanny and the Interrogation of the Unknown

International audienceCritical design does not solve problems but raises questions. It uses design to explore alternative views of the world, to materialise questions and to engage the audience into a reflective state. However its generalisation suffers from a lack of shareable methodology. Based on a review of literature on critical design and the analysis of three projects, we observe that these practices play on emotions to elicit interest, concern and reflection. But we also show that: these artefacts employ a narrative strategy relying on “the uncanny” (concept developed by Freud); that the mediation of the project counterbalances this uncanniness, allowing for curiosity, concern and avoiding visceral reactions of rejection. Learning from an exemplary case study produced by one of the authors we also introduce two complementary dimensions of critical design strategy: its rhetoric is based on the authenticity of the author and the structure of the arguments to support and counterbalance the uncanny narrative. This chapter aims at opening the definition of critical design, and to encompass a larger body of work. It emphasizes the com- munication dimension of this design practice

Mercury bioaccumulation in the cuttlefish brain and effect on behavioural performances

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Releasing characteristics of anthocyanins extract in pectin–whey protein complex microcapsules coated with zein

This study investigated pectin-based capsules as delivery systems for purple rice bran anthocyanin extract (AE) during exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Four different capsules loaded with AE were prepared by ionotropic gelation/extrusion, including (1) pectin capsules (PE), (2) pectin capsules coated with zein (PE/ZE), (3) pectin-whey protein isolate complex capsules (PE + WP), and (4) pectin-whey protein isolate complex capsules coated with zein (PE + WP/ZE). CaCl in an ethanol solution with or without zein was used as a crosslinking solution. Swelling and release characteristics of all capsules under simulated gastric fluid at pH 1.2 (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid at pH 6.8 (SIF) for 120 and 180 min, respectively, were examined. PE + WP, PE + WP/ZE, and PE/ZE capsules had higher encapsulation efficiency than PE capsules. After incubation, PE + WP/ZE and PE capsules had the lowest swelling ratio in SGF and SIF, respectively. PE + WP/ZE capsules had the lowest AE release in SGF, while PE capsules had the highest. Both PE + WP and PE + WP/ZE capsules had significantly lower AE release in SIF than PE and PE/ZE capsules. The study demonstrated that PE + WP and PE + WP/ZE capsules have potential to function as a slow release delivery system for AE