A New Choice for HIV Testing
Spring 2026
Personal Project
This design proposal, the winning submission for the 2026 Pangaro Cybernetics Prize in the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture, introduces a new system for the design of the at-home Oral HIV Test. The proposal utilizes methods from the field of Cybernetics, a multi-disciplinary area of study which investigates the structure of various natural and built systems and how information flows within said systems. Cybernetics makes for a uniquely effective way of thinking in complex product design because it addresses how to frame challenges and focuses on increasing human agency within complex systems.
Process
System Mapping
Cybernetics puts on emphasis on framing a system in order to intervene within it. The creation of a system map is one method for framing a challenge. A cybernetic system map does not seek to show every single factor at play within a system, because such a map defeats the purpose of taking an active frame of a certain challenge. For this project, a variety of system maps were designed to facilitate the understanding and intervention areas for the HIV testing landscape.
Iteration
Throughout the writing of this proposal, system mapping, diagramming, and sketching were continuously used to process new research information and improve on the proposed system. The core design principles of tension, hierarchy, and craft are just as important in this system-analysis area of design as they are in other parts of the design process, like creating the form of a product, for example.
The Proposal
Writing this proposal for submission to the Cybernetics prize was a great way for me to integrate my writing and academic research skills to my design practice. The final proposal includes discussion of Cybernetic theories, explaining the problem area, critique of the status quo, and explanation and defense of the proposed intervention system.
Gallery
