G. Mauricio Mejía
design educator
G. Mauricio Mejía
Dr. G. Mauricio Mejía is a design educator, practitioner, and researcher. He is an associate professor of design at Arizona State University. His practice and research work focus on how design methods can be used in strategic goals such as better human experiences, the transformation of lifestyles, and social change. He has collaborated in diverse projects that include areas such as engineering, psychology, public health, sustainability, and business. Dr. Mejía has published works in visual communication, transdisciplinary collaboration, and design for behavior change. He has more than 12 years of experience in teaching in design programs in Colombia and the USA. He received a PhD in Design from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a Master of Design degree from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Mejía established the Transformation Lab at ASU.
In your own words, what is curiosity?
Curiosity is our biological condition that predispose us to be attentive to new information in our environments. This skill was useful to survive as we evolved.
What habits or practices do you have that cultivate curiosity?
I try to control the use of technologies and sociotechnical systems that are created to force us to behave as machines and limit our curiosity.
Curiosity is our biological condition that predispose us to be attentive to new information in our environments. This skill was useful to survive as we evolved.
Why does social media content engage us for long times?
Social media content and algorithms that adjust to our media consumption harvest our biological instincts for curiosity. However, it does so in an artificial situation harming other physical and mental health. We should increase our control to be curious when we can benefit the most without health harm.