Dani Clode: The Beautifully Blurred Human Body
The Third Thumb Project
Haz clic si prefieres leer esta entrevista en español.
Dani Clode is a designer whose work investigates the architecture and perception of the human body. Combining robotics, new materials, and prosthetic design, she extends its possibilities and imagines the future body.
In this interview, Dani explores the beautifully blurred human body: where limits shift, creativity expands, and technology expresses our nature.
The Beautifully Blurred Human Body: An Interview with Dani Clode
You’ve described prosthetics as objects that blur the lines between tool, body part, and augmentation. What does this ‘blurry line’ reveal about how we think about the body and what it means to be human?
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It reveals that the boundaries of the body aren’t fixed, they are shaped by context, perception, and use. When a tool becomes embodied – when it feels like an extension of you – it challenges the idea that our bodies are only what we’re born with. Prosthetics, and even more so augmentation, push us to see the body as something adaptable, open to change, and deeply personal. They show that being human isn’t just about biology, it’s about how we connect with the world and express who we are.
Your work emphasises not just function but also emotional and aesthetic connection. Why is this important for how we design for the body?
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Because the body is not just a machine. It’s expressive, emotional, and full of nuance. When we design things to be worn or integrated into the body, we have to consider how they make someone feel – not just how they perform. Beauty, comfort, symbolism – these all matter. A device that restores or extends ability can also be something someone is proud to wear, that reflects their identity or creativity. That emotional connection makes the experience more meaningful and more sustainable.
Some people may worry that augmentation makes us ‘less natural’. How do you view concepts of ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ in relation to how we construct what it means to be human?
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The idea of ‘natural’ is constantly shifting. Glasses, pacemakers, tattoos – these were all considered unnatural once. But they’re now ordinary, even essential. Humans have always used technology to change and enhance themselves. To me, augmentation isn’t about becoming less human, it’s about exploring the full range of what being human can mean. It’s not a departure from nature, it’s part of our nature to evolve through tools and ideas.
As augmentation develops quickly, what cautions or ethical questions do you think we need to keep in mind?
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One of the biggest questions is: who is this for? If augmentation becomes something only available to a few, it risks reinforcing existing inequalities. We also need to understand the long-term impact on our bodies and minds. What happens when we wear these devices every day? How do they affect our sense of self? Collaboration across fields – design, ethics, neuroscience, accessibility – is essential. We should be designing not just for ability, but for inclusion, safety, and agency.
If you could imagine one future scenario (maybe in art, science, or everyday life) where augmentation profoundly reshapes what it means to be human, what would it look like?
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I imagine a future where wearable augmentation is common, where people choose to extend their bodies for art, for work, or for play, and it’s seen as just another form of expression. Maybe a musician wears a new kind of digit to play a custom instrument, or a surgeon uses an extra finger to assist in delicate operations. In this world, difference is expected – not hidden. The line between ability and creativity becomes beautifully blurred.
Since questions, not just answers, are central to this course, what question would you pose for us to reflect on?
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a. If your body could be anything, what would you choose – and why?
b. What is something that feels like part of you but isn’t?
“The line between ability and creativity becomes beautifully blurred.”