Caroline
McMillan

Dr. Caroline McMillan is an interdisciplinary researcher, designer, technologist, artist and podcast host.

Her work explores network computing systems, ecological thinking, sensory language, performance, media archaeology, and the body as a site of critique. Caroline blends robotics, biosciences, design futures, and material innovation to engage the aesthetics and ethics of technology, its societal impacts, and multispecies entanglements. Her artistic work has been presented internationally at South by Southwest (SXSW) (US), Cannes Lions (FR), ARS Electronica (AT), Digital Olfaction Society (JP), Tin Sheds Gallery (AU), and RMIT First Site Gallery (AU).

Caroline studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, receiving a PhD in 2022. She is a Research Fellow of the Neuronex Odor2Action Network, and the University of Hertfordshire Biocomputation Group, visiting scholar of the Arizona State University Social Insect Research Group (US), Purdue University C-Design Lab (US), and advised the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (BE). Her research has appeared in many venues, including the Association of Computing Machinery and Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, with lectures, performances, and workshops presented at the ACM Conference on Tangible Embedded & Embodied Interaction (TEI) Arts Exhibition, Holitopia Festival (DE), Berlin Design Week (DE), Melbourne Knowledge Week (AUS), RMIT University (AUS), Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (CH), Manchester University (UK), Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (ZK/U) (DE), Beckmans School of Design (SE), and the University of Southern Denmark (DK).

In addition to her scholarly work, Caroline is a designer and trend forecaster who has helped shape activations, products, and strategies for international brands Tubi, Amplify LA, Soho House, Deutsche Telekom, WGSN London, H&M, and many more. She develops sensory AR experiences and knowledge-based enterprise with digital scent technologies as an EXIST-Women founder. In projects that bridge tradition and innovation, she has won awards for her wearable technologies, practised the art of haute couture techniques in the métiers of Paris, and introduced high-level sustainable products to global markets. Her podcast, Sensuous Peripheries, features conversations at the intersection of technology, aesthetics and cultural commentary, with creative thinkers and practitioners who lead already possible design futures that inscribe themes of emergence, growth and transition.

Caroline is from Naarm/Melbourne and is currently based in Berlin.