michael felix is a design scientist working within the fields of interaction, environmental, and systems design. his interests lie more within the development of adaptive systems over static images and pre-visualized concepts designed for aesthetics alone. this focus has grown from his attraction toward emergent processes - specifically the study of ecological systems and their effectiveness in gradually unfolding order and function. through his work, he seeks to apply a similar living process towards the deployment of expressive frameworks that evolve form and behavior as a result of local context.
his present research interests center around the application of sound as a medium for conveying data, and the utilization of extrapersonal space as a canvas for conducting human/computer interaction. he also maintains an interest in developing parametric spaceframe systems for the fabrication of geodesic domes and other nature-inspired geometric forms. beyond design, michael also records and performs electronic music under the % (pronounced owner/operator) moniker.
michael began his career as the lead interaction designer at Revelation in portland, oregon. under his supervision, he guided the user research and iterative design process behind a complete redesign of the company's existing online qualitative research platform. in addition to interaction design, he also developed Revelation's brand identity through an array of interactive, exhibit, and print-based marketing projects.
having established EFFALO in 2010, michael has since lead the research and design organization in the production of a diverse range of endeavors, ranging from velosynth - a bicycle interaction synthesizer, to MAKERFACTORY - a crowdsourced manufacturing service.
in 2011, michael co-founded /parallelogram/ with trent gill as an outlet for interactive music software and released mlrv 2, a software instrument for grid-based music controllers. michael also consults as the interaction designer for fulcrum, where he collaboratively generates product and service systems for a range of corporate clientele.
| 1983 | born in birmingham, alabama |
| 1999 | first job, computer programming |
| 2001 | studied computer science |
| 2003 | worked in a power plant |
| 2004-05 | undergraduate degree in environmental design |
| 2005-07 | masters degree in industrial design |
| 2007 | relocated to portland, oregon |
| 2007-10 | employed as lead interaction designer @ Revelation |
| 2010 | founded EFFALO |
| 2011 | arrived in brooklyn, new york |
| 2011 | co-founded /parallelogram/ |
| 2011 | relocated to asheville, north carolina |
| 2012 | adjunct professor @ James Madison University |
| 1996 | odyssey of the mind world finals in aimes, iowa |
| 1997 | odyssey of the mind world finals in baltimore, maryland |
| 2009 | performance at monomeet in princeton, new jersey, as % |
| 2010 | velosynth kickstarter |
| 2010 | artist-in-residency @ monome farm in delhi, new york |
| 2011 | artist-in-residency @ makerbot in brooklyn, new york |
| 2011 | mentioned in a NY Times article |
| 2011 | core77 curiosity club presentation in portland, oregon |
| 2011 | domekit.cc kickstarter |
parametric software tools and self-adjusting connector systems for making geodesic structures of human-scale proportion.
mlrv is a software instrument for grid-based music controllers (like the monome, livid ohm/block, novation launchpad, etc). the software allows a sound file or live recording to be mapped across each row and assigned a triggering behavior. a refactoring of brian crabtree's original mlr, extended in collaboration with trent gill.
a free service for connecting the emerging network of localized fabrication technologies with people who need stuff 3d printed, CNC'ed, or otherwise made. in a craigslist-style fashion, requests for making services can be posted and replied to for a maximum of three weeks.
velosynth is an open-source bicycle interaction synthesizer. it's a small, hackable computer that augments the cycling experience by interpreting speed, acceleration, and other sensor data into useful audio feedback.
at Revelation, i was tasked with designing an interface for the capture and analysis of human experience. as the sole designer embedded in an agile/xp development environment, i oversaw the iterative design process responsible for gradually enhancing the software and extending it into a mobile application. in addition to interaction design, i also developed Revelation's visual brand identity through an array of interactive, exhibit, and print-based marketing projects.