Dot One is a small London-based company that creates unique textiles and print posters using DNA data. Founded by Royal College of Art graduate Iona Inglesby, the company name references the genetic difference between individual humans, which is 0.1 per cent.
The idea for Dot One struck Inglesby while she was working on a project called Geneweaver as a student at the Royal College of Art. The project saw the designer use her relatives' DNA data to create a family tartan.
Upon request, the company sends the customer a DNA kit that contains a cheek swab to collect your sample. It’s the same testing method used for paternity tests. The customer sends the DNA kit to the lab and they create a DNA profile. Ingelsby’s team outsources the DNA profiling to a genetic testing lab, AlphaBiolabs.
Using an algorithm, the AlphaBiolabs team translates the genetic data into colour and pattern, which visually represents your genetic data. Every possible section of genetic data is assigned a particular colour. This patterned representation can be turned into prints or woven textiles.
Dot One also offers family tartans and family tree booklets that include graphic representations of the ways genes are shared between relatives. The Dot One service has come under criticism for carrying a hefty the price tag: it costs just over $200 for a print and $450 for a personalised scarf.
Inglesby designed Dot One to demystify the science behind genetics.
