8 Million Microfibers
Exhibition Design
An installation educating the general public about the harmful environmental impacts of synthetic clothing (ex. polyester, acrylic, and nylon) and ways to alleviate this impact.
When washed, synthetic fabrics break down and release millions of tiny plastic fibers into our waterways. A moderate load of laundry releases 20 million fibers of microplastic, 40% of which ends up in our bodies of water. This equals a total of 8 million microfibers per wash.
My Role: Project Planning, Create Letterforms, Tag Design, Deck Creation
Teammates: Casey Jacobson and Eliza Townsend
Duration: Winter 2020, 3 Weeks
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Sewing Machine
Our Solution
We created monstrous letterforms made out of faux fur. The slightly disturbing and ugly material in contrast to the natural setting shows that synthetic fabrics should not be welcomed into our environments.
Final: Hanging up at Green Lake
Previous to coming to Green Lake, we explored the University of Washington Wetlands, but decided against it because of its messy appearance. We chose Green Lake due to its spacious and clean environment. Being one of the most heavily trafficked parks in Seattle, it was a great location to have people interact with our installation.
Reactions from the Public
“Among the things we have seen at Green Lake, this is the most interesting! You guys should call a newspaper.” — 75-year-old couple
“It spells M I L L I O N!” — 6-year-old boy
“I really like the way you hung it up. It’s a great and fun way to learn about something new.” — 32-year-old woman
Final Reflection
I was initially surprised by the amount of people who interacted with our installation and asked questions about it. I enjoyed this project because it served as a learning opportunity for me and many others. If I were to go back and improve my project, I would change the color of the letterforms to prevent any misunderstanding of us making a statement about breast cancer. Overall, I believe 8 Million Microfibers was successful because it sparked many conversations and caught the attention of all age groups.
Moving Forward
We plan to make an online presence for people to learn more about microfiber pollution and ways to reduce it. Many people were taking pictures and asking us if we were a part of an organization so we thought a great way to further showcase this information is by having an Instagram account. We also want to hang up our letterforms in more locations to observe the different reactions that people might have based on the place.
