Nervous System | about us

Nervous System co-founders, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg (photo by Ken Richardson)

Nervous System is a generative design studio that works at the intersection of science, art, and technology. We create using a novel process that employs computer simulation to generate designs and digital fabrication to realize products. Drawing inspiration from natural phenomena, we write computer programs based on processes and patterns found in nature and use those programs to create unique and affordable art, jewelry, and housewares.

Founded in 2007, Nervous System has pioneered the application of new technologies in design, including generative systems, 3D printing, and webGL. Nervous System releases online design applications that enable customers to co-create products in an effort to make design more accessible. These tools allow for endless design variation and customization.

Jessica Rosenkrantz graduated from MIT in 2005 and holds degrees in architecture and biology. Afterwards, she studied architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Jesse Louis-Rosenberg also attended MIT, majoring in mathematics. He previously worked as a consultant for Gehry Technologies in building modeling and design automation.

Nervous System's designs have been featured in a wide range of publications, including WIRED, the New York Times, the Guardian, Metropolis, and Forbes. Jesse and Jessica have given talks on their generative design process in many forums, including MIT, Harvard, SIGGRAPH, and the Eyeo Festival. Their work is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Their studio is located in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Nervous System co-founders, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg (photo by Ash Adams)

our vision

We created Nervous System to explore a design approach that relates process and form in a context of interactivity and openness. Our trajectory focuses on generative design methods using both algorithmic and physical tools to create innovative products and environments.

Formally we are attracted to complex and unconventional geometries. Our inspirations are grounded in the natural forms and corresponding processes which construct the world around us. From coral aggregations to interference patterns, a study of natural phenomena is an essential ingredient to our design process.

To evolve such forms, we systematically engage in generative processes. Instead of designing a specific form, we craft a system whose result is a myriad of distinct creations. These systems are interactive, responding both to changes in specific variables and to physical inputs. There is no definitive, final product, instead the many designs created allow for mass customization.

Our studio exploits this possibility by releasing our work online as a series of interactive applets which customers can use to craft their own personalized products. We also release our source code under a creative commons license to encourage others to work in this manner.

Our products are designed to be affordably and ethically made. We use manufacturing methods that do not require large facilities or massive manual labor. Often we employ rapid prototyping methods by which all unique pieces can be manufactured at the same cost as cookie cutter ones. We use inexpensive materials and believe that the value of our designs comes from an intelligent and beautiful marriage of form and function, not the current price of currency standards.