Dérivé is a critical design piece that collages a simple human-powered transportation technology (shoes) with a novel interactive experience, created as a project in Critical Making @ Berkeley in Spring 2019.

In our day-to-day lives, we’re so focused on transporting ourselves from Point A to Point B that we often forget to appreciate the journey. With a pair of Dérivés, users can distance themselves from this typical narrative around transportation and engage in a spontaneous journey full of discovery and detours as they please — all with the ease of shoes that guide the wearer on an adventure.

The Dérivé shoe and mobile app move in tandem with the user. After the user shares the details of their preferred experience with the app, Dérivé generates a customized experience for its user.

The name “Dérivé” is a nod to Guy Debord’s Dérive: the idea of discovering a city by getting lost in it. Whether the user is a long-time local looking to see their city in a new light or a newcomer to an unfamiliar town, Dérivé has the ability to change their perspective.