Capstone Project | RMIT University

A Design-led Critical Assembly 

BioTokenist was an individual, research-intensive project developed during my final semester of the Master of Design Innovation and Technology at RMIT University. With full autonomy over the brief and guided by two academic supervisors, the project culminated in a critical design exhibition exploring ecological accountability through interactive media. 

Environmental Trading Markets (ETMs)

The project began with an in-depth exploration of ETMs through literature reviews, unpacking the real-world mechanisms of carbon markets, biodiversity offsets, and emerging ecological asset classes.

Expert Interviews

To ground the research in lived practice, I conducted interviews with professionals across environmental finance, climate tech, and sustainability sectors, revealing tensions between intent and implementation.

Philosophical Inquiry

To interrogate the deeper frameworks underpinning ecological quantification, I drew on Gaian ontologies, the Anthropocene vs. Symbiocene discourse, Actor-Network Theory, and Object-Oriented Ontology. These lenses helped question the epistemologies and worldviews that enable nature’s commodification.

Storytelling as Transmission

To translate abstract systems into something resonant and experiential, I employed storytelling techniques from Indian, Japanese, and Western traditions—merging narrative forms with interface design to craft a poetic, interactive exhibit.

Exhibition Design

The final step was converting all insights into a physical installation. I studied and visited various exhibitions to understand spatial narratives, visitor engagement, and immersive storytelling, ensuring the project’s critical message reached audiences effectively.