Design Map · Eindhoven
Is it real or is it cake?
Graduation project by Hanna Rymkiewicz at Design Academy Eindhoven, 2026. Shown during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on Design Map, location F5.
With 'Is it real or is it cake?' Hanna Rymkiewicz uses the format of a baking recipe to demonstrate a digital design methodology. Inspired by Polish experimental short films from the Communist era, which relied upon readily available tools, this process uses only free and open-source software accessible to anyone with a computer. In the process, a series of repeated steps translate raw video footage into new two-dimensional material. This is then translated into digital 3D assets and experiments, which are assembled through various video collaging techniques. For the designer, this method follows an exact recipe, with each step demonstrating a workflow that switches between different software. The process unfolds in a final installation containing two video animations: one showing a delicious high definition 3D-rendered cake being assembled, and the other explaining how it was made in baking terms.