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# Project Description Ripple equilibrium yue zhou Summary Final work My name is Yue. My name is Yue. College London College of Fashion Course MA Fashion Artefact Graduation year 2025 In contrast to the centrally managed and uniform life paths of the Maoist planned economy, the post-1978 market reforms introduced greater personal responsibility and competition. As collective security diminished, individuals were increasingly required to navigate their own education, employment, and social mobility. For younger generations, this shift created both freedom and uncertainty, leading to rising psychological pressure and a sense of imbalance between external expectations and inner stability. Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of “liquid modernity” helps describe this condition. In a fluid and unstable social world, individuals must remain continually adaptable, yet this very fluidity produces anxiety and insecurity. Contemporary China reflects this tension: despite material progress, reports of psychological distress continue to rise, suggesting that rapid social change has not alleviated emotional strain. In response to these realities, this project asks how individuals might cultivate resilience without stable social anchors. Daoist philosophy provides a useful metaphorical resource: in the Dao De Jing, water is described as adaptive and responsive, achieving balance through continuous adjustment. Psychologically, this aligns with theories of cognitive distraction (Gross & Levenson, 1997) and mindfulness micro-practices (Kabat-Zinn, 1990), both of which propose that shifting attention through embodied, sensory engagement can momentarily reduce stress. Within this project, water functions not as a literal philosophical translation but as an orienting image for adaptability during moments of strain. Dynamic equilibrium becomes a guiding principle for designing small, portable distraction tools that invite pause and perceptual reset. Rather than addressing large-scale structural issues, the project focuses on micro-experiences of calm generated through sensory and kinetic interaction. These hand-scale artefacts rely on simple, repeatable movements—turning, tilting, rotating—to draw attention away from cycles of rumination. Their slow, unfolding visual patterns require minimal effort yet reward focused observation. Through materials such as glass, metal, and optical interference layers, the artefacts transform philosophical inspiration into embodied experience, offering gentle, design-led interventions that momentarily lower emotional intensity. Therefore, this project takes water as its central metaphor and asks: How can kinetic fashion artefacts integrate mechanical balance and optical devices to generate sensory distraction capable of reducing emotional intensity? By posing the research question in this way, this project locates itself at the junction of philosophy, psychology, and design. Final work Share this project In contrast to the centrally managed and uniform life paths of the Maoist planned economy, the post-1978 market reforms introduced greater personal responsibility and competition. As collective security diminished, individuals were increasingly required to navigate their own e... A link to this page has been added to your clipboard
# Links ## Official page - https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/155608/cover ## External - mailto:sarahzhouyue@outlook.com - https://forms.arts.ac.uk/client-enquiry-form/ - https://portfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/19120603/Yue.pdf - https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F155608%2Fcover&text=Ripple+equilibrium - https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F155608%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F01%2F19121017%2F46-1.png&description=Ripple+equilibrium