DOES is a hacking, design, research and consultancy practice exploring the potentials of functional and digital identities, transtechnologies and algorithmic resistance. Formed by a team of designers and researchers, it works in the ever-changing-material-world in which our bodies are constantly interacting. We combine design, engineering, research, academic, curatorial and editorial activities in order to develop concepts that lie at the intersection between material and technology, body and mind.
Participatory surveillance is a model of discipline through involvement that presents varying degrees of risk, influenced by factors such as economic standing, health conditions, citizenship status, gender positioning or race. Surveillance technologies are continuously debated in their relations to strategic military use, civil rights, commercial exploitation, through mainstream news, entertainment media and the emerging academic discipline of surveillance studies. However, opportunities to imagine and rehearse alternatives and resistance to surveillance capitalism and algorithmic profiling remains limited. DOES work centers on the resistance strategies, motivations and rationale we have explored over ten years of critical design practise. Our research focuses on the possibilities of tactically employing different kinds of identity prostheses as tools to create new and different ways of interacting, understanding and confronting contemporary surveillance technologies as alternatives to mainstream and dominant applications of surveillance technologies and systems.
Overall, the projects presented in this website explore our motivations and implications for subverting biometric technologies. We address matters such as agency, resistance, (dis)empowerment, identity, participation, discipline or desire, tailoring algorithms to suit our own demands, enabling us to assert control over the "outcome" of the algorithms, repurposing them for uses beyond their original intentions. By doing so, we may be able to present ourselves to others as we like to be perceived, or more specifically, surveilled.
DOES works under the labels:
Beauty
Pharma
Tech
Social
DOES work has been published in several academic and creative platforms such as MIT Press, DIS or DRS. We also have published some academic articles: About being an “influencer” or how to exploit the tool of the oppressor for our own expression (2023), Designing hair (2022) and Exploring the Potential of Apple Face ID as a Drag, Queer and Trans Technology Design Tool (2021).
Previous clients and collaborators include, amongst others: Unicef, Sónar, Sónar+D, Creative Europe (ECEA), MADE (Material Designers), Domestic Data Streamers, MIRA Digital Arts Festival, MAYRIT Bienal, Lobster Theremin Record Label, Elisava Research, Eurecat Technology Centre and Materfad Materials Centre.
DOES has exhibited its work in London, Milan, Hong Kong, Paris, Senegal and New York, amongst other places. DOES is based in L'Hospitalet (Barcelona), working worldwide.
Saúl Baeza is DOES Creative Director, VISIONS BY Founder and Editor-in-chief, MAYBE Director and VIBE content director. He holds a PhD from the Eindhoven University of Technology with his thesis "Performing Surveillance: Designing identity prostheses as tools for algorithmic resistance". He is part of Making With..." Research Group (TU Eindhoven Research) and "Futures Now" Research Group (Elisava Research). Saúl is the Co-Director of the Master in Design For Emergent Futures (MDEF), organised by Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering) and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), in collaboration with the Fab Academy. Saúl has been visiting professor and lecturer at international universities, educational institutions and cultural venues such as Harvard GSD, Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication (UAL), RMIT University Melbourne, Rhode Island School of Design, Estonian Academy of the Arts, Pascual Bravo University in Medellín, Sónar+D, Victoria&Albert Museum, BASE, CCCB and DHUB, among others.
OTHER INITIATIVES BY DOES INCLUDE:
MAYBE: Born out of possibilities, MAYBE is a 21st century laboratory that addresses, researches and implements today’s and tomorrow’s social and cultural challenges and works across culture, technology, design, ecology and society. MAYBE is a strategic consultancy and R&D lab that explores cultural content, community exchange and hybrid experiences. We address present and future challenges to promote change and active environments. We explore new phygital and activism formats to create and comprehend multi-platform experiences that expand the scope for participation and reflection for new young voices and perspectives.
VISIONS BY PEOPLE ABOUT MATERIAL CULTURES: A cross-cultural, research-driven platform investigating contemporary material culture through interdisciplinary perspectives. The magazine brings together critical essays, visual studies, practitioner interviews and analytical case studies to explore the evolving roles of materials in society. VISIONS BY Issue No. 7 is out now, distributed by Antenne Books Antenne Books
VIBE: An experimental platform for cultural content, community exchange and hybrid experiences that explores new ways of consuming culture. Anchored on megatrends such as mixed realities, gaming and participatory entertainment, VIBE is physically deployed through the interactions between body, space and audio-visual. VIBE (CREA2020 winning project) is a cross-sectoral innovation initiative led by Laura Clèries and Saúl Baeza, co-funded by Creative Europe (EACEA) for the creation and implementation of a new multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral cultural platform.
FOLLOW OUR WORK ON INSTAGRAM: @does.work
GET IN TOUCH: info@does-work.com
Newsletter
Exhibitions
Material Cultures Visual Archive. BASE. Milano, Italy. May, 2025.
Arqueologías del Presente. F29. Sala de Arte joven. Madrid, Spain. June, 2024.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 4 Tour. Madrid at NAVESIERRRA in the context of MMMAD Festival. Madrid. Jun, 2024.
Material Cultures Visual Archive. Onomatopee Projects. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Feb, 2024.
ACTIVE ACTIVISM ACT. Sónar+D. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2023.
Terra Rhapsody. CCCB.
Barcelona, Spain. Oct, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Mexico Presentation at Casa Bosques. Mexico City. Oct, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. New York Presentation at Bungee Space. New York. Oct, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Harvard (GSD) Presentation. Boston, Massachusetts. Oct, 2022.
"Why am I always hot?" at Sónar 2022. Sónar+D, Stage+D. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Madrid Presentation. Installation by Casa Antillón. Words by Saúl Baeza and Toni Navarro. Madid, Spain. Apr, 2022.
ACTIVE ACTIVISM ACT. Visions by Experience. IDEAL Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2022.
Aimy's Birthday Party. Sónar +D, L'Hospitalet Cultural District, L'H Education + Innovation + Cultural department. Torre Barrina. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Nov, 2021.
Surface Tension Virtual Exhibition. London Design Festival. Sep, 2021.
VISIONS BY 1 + 2 (Silver ADGFAD LAUS Award, Periodic Publication Category) + Understanding L'Hospitalet (ADI Culture award by ADI-FAD). The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2021.
SurfaceTensionWorld. Online Exhibition. May, 2021.
Dominnico. Hair direction. Fall 21/22. Online fashion film. Apr, 2021.
'Material Practices'. Future Living Environments. ArcInTex + Aucklands University of Technology, New Zealand. Mar, 2021.
VISIONS BY at Materia Gris Exhibition. CentroCentro. Madrid, Spain. Feb, 2021
Our garden Needs Its Flowers. Tecla Sala. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Feb, 2021.
Unnoticed Identities. MIRA Digital Arts Festival. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2019.
Premeditated Murder. Abaixadors 10. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2019.
Understanding L'Hospitalet. Understanding Design. Milan Design Week. Milan, Italy. Apr, 2019.
ROUTE Senegal. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2019.
VISIONS BY. Issue nº 1 Exhibition. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2018.
La noche de los jueves. SOCIEDAD 0. Moneo Brock. Madrid, Spain. Dic, 2018.
VISIONS BY. Issue nº 1 Exhibition. Dutch Design Week. Eindhoven, Netherlands. Oct, 2018.
(Curator) New Realities. Understanding Design, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2018.
(Curator) Ettore Sottsass. Galeria DADA, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.
Substantial Self. Materials Farms, Materfad. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.
(Curator) W.I.P. Understanding Design. Galeria DADA, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2017.
Time Machine. UNICEF, United Nations Building. New York, United States. Sept, 2016.
People At Work. Casa Camper, Barcelona, Spain. Dec, 2016.
The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2016.
Next Design Innovation. Barcelona Design Week. Spain. Jun, 2016.
Next Design Innovation. Milano Design Week, Italy. Apr, 2016.
Poder Ser. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain.
Dec, 2015.
Independent Design. Business Of Design Week, Hong Kong, China.
Dec, 2015.
Nowhere. The Future of Fashion Program. NJAL, París, France. Sep, 2015.
Alpine Basics. Barcelona, Spain. Dec, 2015.
Salone del Mobile.Ventura Lambrate, Milan, Italy. Apr, 2014.
The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2013.
Talks
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 7 Tour. Barcelona at Llibreria Finestres. Barcelona. Nov, 2025.
“In God we trust, all other
we surveil”. COAC, Architects’ Association of Catalonia. Barcelona, Spain. Oct, 2025.
What if we kissed under the watchful eye of the surveillance state? EKA, Estonian Academy of Arts. Tallinn, Estonia. Oct, 2025.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 7 Tour. CDMX at Base_ . CDMX. Sep, 2025.
Performing Surveillance. CUBERO, Curated by. Barcelona, Spain. June 2025.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 7 Tour - BASE. Milano, Italy. May, 2025.
Sensing and Sensation. IAAC Lecture Series. Filippo Rosati & Saúl Baeza. IAAC. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2025.
Post-Fossil digitality and materiality. F29. Sala de Arte joven. Madrid, Spain. Jun, 2024.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 5 Tour. Barcelona at ODD . Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2024.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 5 Tour. Madrid at NAVESIERRRA in the context of MMMAD Festival. Madrid. Jun, 2024.
"AAA". Kitchen Talks. Museumsquartier Bern. Bern, Switzerland. Mar, 2024.
"Facts are just context, it is scary". ENE Lecture Series. Phygital Experiences and Environments. Rhode Island School of Design. Rhode Island, EEUU. Mar, 2024.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 4. Onomatopee Projects. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Feb, 2024.
AI & education. Lliçó Inaugural. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Oct, 2023.
Artificial Border. AI, Art and Creativity. Poblenou Urban District. DHUB. Barcelona, Spain. May, 2023
Exploiting the tool of the oppressor for our own expression. GSMA L'H MWC. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Mar, 2023.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Mexico Presentation at Casa Bosques. Mexico City. Oct, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. New York Presentation at Bungee Space. New York. Oct, 2022.
VISIONS BY. Harvard Graduate School of Design. Boston, Massachusetts. Oct, 2022.
No va a quedar nada de todo esto. ESDA, Zaragoza, Spain. Sep, 2022.
Hora Model. Ecology and design. Takk Architects + Saúl Baeza. Model. Barcelona Architecture Festival. May, 2022.
AAA Talk 2 - Saúl Baeza + Matthew (Afffirmations). IG Live. Apr, 2022.
AAA Talk 1 - Saúl Baeza + Samantha Hudson + Mar Vallverdú (Radio Primavera Sound). IG Live. Apr, 2022.
VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3. Casa Antillón. Madrid, Spain. Mar, 2022.
DOES. Puro Futuro. Radio Relativa. Online. Mar, 2022.
Functional and digital Identities. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2022.
Aimy DOES Work. Smart City Expo World Congress 2021. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2021.
Digital Surgery Aesthetics. Sónar. Sónar+D at CCCB. Barcelona + Online. Oct, 2021.
XREDU | Immersive Technologies in education. IDEAL Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Oct, 2021.
Nomadic Box. Round Table. MDEFEST, Exploring alternative presents. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. June, 2021.
Decolonising Futures in Design Education. Fuel4Design. UAL, Politecnico, AHO, Elisava. May, 2021.
"Face to Face" with Saúl Baeza and Ariel Guerzenvaig. AI and Facial Recognition. Aha Radio. May, 2021.
Disobedience. Ciberlocutorio at Radio Primavera Sound. Dec, 2020.
Identity: Form, function, technology and ethics. IX International Symposium. Pascual Bravo University. Medellín, Colombia. Nov, 2020.
Round table on the crisis in the fashion industry, face masks as a complement and new sustainable consumption habits. #tardeo at Radio Primavera Sound. Jun, 2020.
"From Recens Paper to Wallet: Print publishing, fashion Criticism and the powers involved." - Elise by Olsen in conversation with Saúl Baeza. Elisava, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2019.
How Digital Technology is Disrupting the Fashion System. II Fashion Design Symposium. Round Table. LCI University. Barcelona, Spain. May, 2019.
VISIONS BY. Material Futures Master, Central Saint Martins. London, England. May, 2019.
Unpacking the consequences of Digital Identities. Adidas Speaker Series. Laces Building, Nuremberg, Germany. Apr, 2019.
DOES. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2019.
Matter, technology, body, identity. Teixit(s). Montserrat Abelló Library. Mar, 2019
"Understanding the role of identity and embodied behaviour in the context of emerging scenarios". The Revolution of Spaces, IKEA + La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain. Feb, 2019.
VISIONS BY. Dutch Design Week. Eindhoven, Netherlands. Oct, 2018.
(Curator) New Realities. Understanding Design. Palo Alto, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2018.
(Curator) Talent Lab. (Norman Foster Foundation, Puig, FormUsWithLove. MaterFAD, DHUB. Barcelona, Spain.
Substantial Self. The Materials Farm, DHUB. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2018.
(Curator) Understanding Design. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2017.
Archintex. Elisava, Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2017.
What is DOES About? Recrea Design Festival. Valladolid, Spain. Oct, 2017.
Wear Sustain. Canòdrom Creative Research Park. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.
Smart Textiles. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jan, 2017.
The New Wool. DEMO Futures. DEMO Festival, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2016.
HUNCH. ESDIssabte. ESDI, Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2016.
Digital Culture in Arts and Design. CIRQUIT 2. Eina, Barcelona, Spain.
Mar, 2016.
Barcelona Service Jam. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2016.
HUNCH. DEMO Futures. DEMO Festival, Barcelona, Spain. May 2015.
Workshops
Subterfuge, Multiplication and Amplification. Designing in the context of facial recognition and surveillance. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. May 2024.
About editing. Master Beyond Products,.Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2024.
Exploring the potentials of Apple Face ID as a Drag, Queer and Transtechnology Design Tool. ESDA Zaragoza. Zaragoza, Spain. May, 2023.
Material narratives at La Bisbal. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. La Bisbal, Spain. Nov, 2022.
Material narratives at L'H. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2022.
Navire Avenir. A Ship for the Mediterranean. Perou + Civic City + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Jan, 2022.
Aimy DOES Work. Smart City Expo World Congress 2021. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2021.
Material narratives at L'H. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2021.
Powers of hair. DOES Salon. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2021.
Ideas for Humanity: a Cookbook for Planetary Health. Global Design Studio. London College of Communication (UAL) + RMIT University Melbourne + Elisava. Feb + Mar, 2021.
Exploring Hybrid Profiles in Design. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2020.
Unnoticed Identities. MIRA Digital Arts Festival. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2019.
Materials Culture. Master in Design through New Materials. La Bisbal Ceramic School. Girona, Spain. Oct, 2019.
Mr/Ms/Other Potato Head. Festa del Grafisme. Portbou, Spain. Sep, 2019.
ROUTE Senegal. Senegal, Africa. Jul, 2019.
VISIONS BY. Material Futures Master, Central Saint Martins. London, England. May, 2019.
The Human Upgrade Movement. Adidas Maker Lab. Nuremberg, Germany. Apr, 2019.
ROUTE Senegal. Senegal, Africa. Jul, 2018.
Decoding European Creative Skills. TU Eindhoven + FH Salzburg + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2017.
Substantial Self. The Materials Farm, MaterFad. Barcelona, Spain. Elisava, Jun, 2017.
Soft Interactions. L'École de design Nantes Atlantique + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2018.
Body As Interface. Prospect, LCI Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2017.
Wearable Technology. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2017.
Problems and Solutions Department. Elisava + London Digital week. Victoria & Albert Museum. London, England. Sept, 2016.
Textile Limits. Out of metrics + Miguel Adrover. Mazda Space, Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2015.
collaborators
Tai Sans
Oscar Tomico
Ron Wakkary
Kristina Andersen
Arnau Anglada
Alba Eiriz
Lorena G. Ortiz
Sociedad 0
Oficina de disseny
Laura Clèries
David Varhegyi
Marta Soldevila
Victor Betriu
David Haro
Inés Sistiaga
Mariona Den Tuinder
Domestic Data Streamers
Manuela Valtchanova
Credits
Graphic design:
Albert Romagosa
Coding:
arturu.com
Copyright:
All rights reserved 2016 - 2026