If you’ve ever scrolled through dazzling visions of the future, all green and sleek, you might’ve noticed they often propose a profound shift in our relationship with microorganisms and nature at large. Yet, these futures of more-than-human ecologies and symbiotic relationships often feel so distant from our current reality and lived experiences. They can seem unattainable, almost destined to remain on the shelf of theoretical utopianism. So, how do we make those radical ideas less abstract, and more, well, personal?

Our vision for this project was to embrace precisely this challenge: to translate ambitious biodesign concepts into something truly tangible and accessible for everyone. Our muse? The iconic Tamagotchi. This device, widely recognized for fostering care for a digital pet–a bond unconventional to our traditional perceptions–offered a perfect parallel. We envisioned a similar, engaging framework to introduce the living future, designed to guide users in a new kind of care for the microbial world.

Philosophy

Biodesign isn’t just about new materials; it’s a huge shift in how we see our place in the world. We’re moving past the old idea that humans control nature. Instead, we’re looking to life itself as a guide for design. Imagine objects that aren’t just tools, but active partners that can sense, respond, and even design themselves. This is the more-than-human future, where synthetic biology shows us that livingness is a key quality in materials, making us think about how life and technology are deeply connected.

This project emerged from a personal frustration: the difficulty of truly sharing the bio-future’s profound concepts with our own families and friends. The complex narratives surrounding biodesign often create an elitist barrier, preventing wider audiences from engaging with its transformative potential. Our team formed specifically to address this disconnect. We aim to bridge the gap between abstract bio-design principles and tangible, everyday experiences, inviting everyone to understand and participate in this living future.

Product Design

We drew inspiration from the cultural phenomenon of the Tamagotchi. This device once introduced us to portable, attention-demanding digital technology, unknowingly preparing us for today’s mobile world. By analogy, we envisioned a similar, engaging device for the bio-futures that so many biodesign projects propose. The KojiGotchi is that living interface, designed to help you interact with microbes. Through an experience built on care, it teaches a mindful, hands-on approach to science, demonstrating mutual interdependence between humans and microorganisms. This isn’t about simple consumption; it’s about shifting from control to co-production with life itself, inviting you into a truly shared, living future.

KojiMoji

With our experiments complete, we identified all the necessary parts for the KojiGotchi. However, sifting through the data, we realized we needed a simpler way for users to understand how well they were caring for their koji. Drawing clear inspiration from the Tamagotchi, we designed our own digital avatar: the KojiMoji. This character reacts to environmental conditions and offers gentle prompts, acting as a digital guide for fermentation. It helps you understand your koji’s needs and build your own sensory fluency. You can interact with the KojiMoji directly on the main page.

Experiments

In order to inform our product design and to verify the feasibility of the proposed functionality, a series of experiments were conducted. These were primarily aimed at evaluating the essential and redundant environmental variables for sustaining the growth of koji.

Throughout the few couple of experimental setups, we tested the proof of concept: is body heat sufficient to sustain the growth of koji? After successfully confirming this hypothesis, we proceeded to test our electronics so as to identify the parts that had to be included in the final prototype to facilitate the most educational and engaging experience for the users.