Can biomimicry inspire us to be more sustainable as consumers?
Theresa Wiesinger MA Interaction Design 40332474
Can biomimicry inspire us to be more sustainable as consumers? The exploration of biomimicry as a design method within a circular economy and how this approach can influence a more sustainable consumption behaviour
School of Arts and Creative Industries August 2018
MODULE ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
MATRICULATION NUMBER: MODULE TITLE: MODULE NUMBER:
40332474
Design Dissertation DES11125
NAME OF MODULE LEADER: DATE OF SUBMISSION:
Dr Kirstie Jamieson
17.08.2018
DECLARATION I agree to work within Edinburgh Napier University’s Academic Conduct Regulations1 which require that any work that I submit is entirely my own2. The regulations require me to use appropriate citations and references in order to acknowledge where I have used any materials from any sources. I am providing my student Matriculation Number (above) - in place of a signed declaration - in order to comply with Edinburgh Napier University’s assessment procedures.
1
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Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Pankhuri Jain for the excellent guidance and support during the last months. This thesis would not have been possible without your help and knowledge.
I am very grateful to all the people at Edinburgh Napier University, especially the staff from the School of Arts and Creative Industries and their assistance during my whole time in the MA Interaction Design programme. A special thank you goes to Andrew O’Dowd for being a fantastic course leader and source of support for whatever problem I encountered. I am also more than thankful to all the people who were somehow involved in the project and teaching activities over the last year, especially Ian Lambert, Malcolm Innes, Euan Winton and Kirstie Jamieson. Thank you so much.
Most importantly I would like to thank my parents. It would not have been possible to write this thesis without the unconditional personal support of my family, who believed in my success throughout my studies and continue to encourage me in every aspect of my life.
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Index
Acknowledgements
1
Index
2
List of Figures
4
Abstract
6
Introduction
7
Consumerism and Sustainability
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From Consumption to Consumerism
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The Concept of a Circular Economy in Design
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Understand
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Define
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Make
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Release
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The Effects of Consumerism on Our Environment
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Towards a Sustainable Future
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Biomimicry as Sustainable Design Method
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Inspiration from Nature
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Linking Biology and Design - The Biomimicry Core Concepts
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Fundamental Functions and Strategies
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Nature’s Unifying Patterns
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A Biomimetic Approach within a Circular Economy to Change Consumption Behaviour Primary Research Methodology
31 34 34
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Case Study 1 - A Visual Representation of Consumerism & Sustainability
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Case Study 2 - Consumeristic Behavioural Patterns Online and Offline
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Case Study 3 - The Online and Offline Structures of Consumerism
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Case Study 4 - The Effects of Biomimicry on Consumeristic Behaviour
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Analysation and Findings
51
Discussion and Conclusion
60
References
64
Appendices
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Appendix 1
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Appendix 2
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Appendix 3
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Appendix 4
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List of Figures
Figure 1 - A linear economy graphic (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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Figure 2 - The two circular economy material cycles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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Figure 3 - A circular economy graphic (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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Figure 4 - The circular economy design thinking process (Eco Design Thinking, 2018)
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Figure 5 - The circular economy butterfly diagram (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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Figure 6 - A stork captured in a plastic bag (Cancalosi, 2018)
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Figure 7 - The Shinkansen Bullet Train (The Biomimicry Institute, 2018)
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Figure 8 - Common kingfisher (Lukasik, 2018)
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Figure 9 - The Biomimicry Taxonomy (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018)
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Figure 10 - The biomimicry design approach explained (Verbeek, 2011)
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Figure 11 - The initial raster in which the data got placed
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Figure 12 - Data categorised within the final raster
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Figure 13 - The search tool used to identify participants (Twitter, 2018)
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Figure 14 - One of the tweets obtained through the online ethnography (Twitter, 2018)
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Figure 15 - A visual representation of the offline ethnographic research at Primark
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Figure 16 - Identified unsustainable consumption hotspots
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Figure 17 - The added identified sustainable consumption hotspots
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Figure 18 - The represented online aspect of consumerism
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Figure 19 - The materials provided within each of the probe kits
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Figure 20 - One of the final assembled probe kits
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Figure 21 - The probe kits should be returned within one week
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Figure 22 - The final visual research
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Figure 23 - Data analysis through the principle of ‘Nature recycles everything’
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Figure 24 - Data analysis through the principle of ‘Nature provides mutual benefits’
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Figure 25 - The final behavioural map
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Figure 26 - Data analysis of the behavioural map
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Figure 27 - One of the ten cultural probe kits
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Abstract
This dissertation is an exploration of biomimicry as design method within a circular economy. It studies how this approach can influence and inspire modern-day consumers to adapt a more sustainable consumption behaviour. The literature review aims to construct a theoretical framework around our current consumerism and its effects on our environment in order to identify future sustainable concepts of consumption. It also explores fundamental biomimetic functions and strategies which intend to contribute towards an increase in sustainability by taking inspiration from the natural world. The qualitative research provides new insights and understandings into how consumerism is perceived by our society and how biomimicry can shift people’s perspectives regarding their relationship with nature. The research is concluded by the argument of how behavioural changing design must start to consider the applications of biomimetic methodologies within its approach in order to truly design towards a more sustainable future - not just for humankind but also for our planets environment.
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Introduction
The idea of being partially responsible for the slow but nevertheless inevitable deconstruction and pollution of our environment, does not lie lightly on one’s consciousness. Nonetheless, it is not a secret that we, as a society, can somewhat be held responsible for it, especially our modern-day consumerism. We have become heavily dependent on our ability to consume in ever growing numbers, but few individuals fully understand the extent of its effects on humankind, and more significantly on planet Earth. Surely there is nothing ethically wrong in buying and selling products, or even designing and promoting them to be bought? After all, as flaunted by a variety of manipulating online and offline based sources, we are supposed to be happier, better and even more successful than others when we buy and own more physical items.
Truth be told, today’s consumption rate is undermining our planets environmental resources by far; it has become an endless cycle of purchasing and repurchasing products dependent on current trends (Crocker, 2017). The use of disposable, cheap goods as well as mass consumption has taken its toll on our environment, and consumerism has become one of the strongest modern-day forces, affecting not only our daily lives, but also the lives of our future generation.
Consequently, the decisions we make today have the power to shape the future of tomorrow (The Oslo Manifesto, 2018). And through understanding how we make those choices, we can define possible outcomes and thus design for positive behaviour change (Wendel, 2013). Our experiences and intuitive responses are playing a key part of how we make decisions and they are grounded in simple associations between things we have experienced, often naturally occurring relationships such as the connection between dark, small spaces and danger (Wendel, 2013). These associations are a constant part of our lives and guide our actions, even without our conscious awareness (Wendel, 2013).
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Nature is another constant in our existence and ever since Earth first harboured life, about 3.8 billion years ago, millions of organisms have continuously adapted and evolved in order to survive within the limits of this planet (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). The human species is part of this interconnected living system of organisms and our experiences and intuitions are shaped by the last 200,000 years in which we have inhabited this world (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). We depend on our planetary ecosystem, nevertheless we have developed increasingly destructive physical, chemical and ecological habits that are still persisting up to this day. So, what action can we take to change our current unsustainable consumption behaviours? Could nature and design help us to shift our perspective towards a more sustainable relationship with our terrestrial resources?
This dissertation explores Biomimicry as a sustainable design method and studies its approach of looking to nature as a model, measure and mentor. It takes a closer look at the biomimetic methodologies of examining and learning from the natural world, its systems, processes and elements, in order to take inspiration from them and to apply those biological lessons towards solving human-centred problems, such as consumerism, through more sustainable designs (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). This dissertation aims to inspire our society to adopt a more ecological approach as consumers through the embedding of nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies in behaviour changing designs.
The first chapter, ‘Consumerism and Sustainability’, seeks to clarify the grounds on which our excessive current consumption behaviour lies. It takes a closer look into how consumerism effects our environment and identifies emerging approaches that could lead towards a more sustainable future. Chapter one particularly concentrates on the concept of a circular economy in relation to ecological design. It introduces circular methods and practices, whilst also defining the characteristics of the concept in a design thinking process.
The second chapter, ‘Biomimicry as Sustainable Design Method’, explores the framework of this study and introduces the theory of biomimicry as a sustainable
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design method. It investigates how designers can take inspiration from nature through biomimetic functions, strategies and patterns in order to mimic its solutions in their own designs. This chapter also sets the perspective of this dissertation through questioning whether a biomimetic design approach within a circular economy could change future consumption behaviour.
The third chapter attends to the qualitative research that was obtained in the context of this study, seeking first hand responses to the topics of consumerism, biomimicry and sustainability. A comprehensive and unique approach to the research question could be established through the application of methodologies such as visual research, ethnography, behavioural mapping and cultural probes. The established investigative approaches in this chapter are not only introduced in detail, but also supported by relevant visual evidence in the dissertations appendices.
In the fourth chapter, titled ‘Analysation and Findings’, the results of the qualitative research are presented alongside a clarification of their relevancy in perspective with this study and its context. This chapter also introduces appropriate analysation methodologies and their usage within this study as well as the overall findings towards the research question.
Lastly, in the chapter of ‘Discussion and Conclusion’, the overall research outcomes are debated in context with the theoretical framework. It is argued whether behavioural changing design must start to consider and include the application of biomimicry methodologies in order to truly produce sustainable design solutions, especially in regards of our current consumerism. Possible limitations as well as constraints are considered and will be concluded upon the study as a whole.
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Consumerism and Sustainability
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein
Today’s society lives surrounded by an ever-growing number of artefacts. We went from possessing and using things for the sole reason of survival, to storing several boxes of untouched objects in our garages. Our relation towards things shifted and instead of passing on used items, we are now living by an ever-increasing throwaway approach (Trentmann, 2016). In fact, over the last 30 years our society experienced a significant rise in the volume of consumption of goods per person, meaning that the acquisition, flow and usage of things has become a cycle of endless purchasing and repurchasing of goods dependent on current trends (Crocker, 2017). Especially the way we consume, why we consume and the parameters in which we do so have become increasingly important towards people’s daily routines (Miles, 1998). We feel the ever-growing obligation to think about, compare, assess, purchase, use and discard whatever we believe we need in larger volumes and at an increasing speed (Crocker, 2017). Consumerism, therefore seems to be our societies new ‘state of mind’, a constant material-cultural companion of industrial mass-consumption (Crocker, 2017). It has become a moral term for our relentless need of comparing what we have with what others have and what we might just need to make our lives even better (Crocker, 2017). Encouraged by the media to constantly consume more, most individuals do not realise how their lives are gradually being dominated by their relationships with consumer goods and how their consumption behaviour has a long-lasting effect on the environment (Crocker, 2017). In fact, when talking about consumerism and sustainability, most people automatically refer to ‘others’ and feel unfairly blamed for something they do not associate themselves with (Crocker, 2017). Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that our current resource consumption rates are utterly unmanageable in terms of sustainability. The rapid cycle of ‘buy, use and trash’, results not only in an increasing amount of waste but also marks the rise of other environmental costs
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such as the extraction of resources, the manufacturing process and the disposal of the products itself (Crocker, 2017). Consequently, our society has to take the ways in which consumer goods are created, bought and used into careful account in order to maintain a balanced optimum between consumption and sustainability both in the present and future (McCracken, 1990). From Consumption to Consumerism For years consumerism has been hyped as the answer to all our problems, offering a getaway from the dull reality of our everyday life (Miles, 1998). However, few people really understand the complexities that lie behind the act of our everyday consumption (Miles, 1998). The term consumerism is frequently the centre of tension as its definition is widely discussed but not identically defined. On one hand, it holds the promise to provide access to essential goods for societies needs and on the other it bears the reality of a hard-working life, in which individuals hardly earn enough money to pay for products they think they need (Crocker, 2017). Indeed, Miles (1998) goes as far as to describe consumerism as a way of life, whereas consumption can be labelled more of an act in itself (Miles, 1998). Rittenhouse (2013) agrees towards this understanding and continues to characterise consumerism in three defining theories, which are consistent with the opinion of most theorists. Firstly, he argues that consumerism can be typified by a constant yearning to consume economic goods and services (Rittenhouse, 2013). Secondly, it can be classified through the refusal of any objective standard of economic adequacy (Rittenhouse, 2013). And lastly, Rittenhouse (2013) states that consumeristic behaviour will disfavour the consciously-valued goods in order to increase economic consumption. Through those three theories it therefore can be established that consumerism only exists in a cultural context of a specific society, which has the power to influence the extensiveness and form of consumeristic behaviour (Rittenhouse, 2013). But what does this tell us about the state of our society? And what particularly attracts people to this way of life? To answer these essential questions towards how our society went from consumption to consumerism, a brief glance at the history can reveal a periodic insight into the development of our modern-day predicament. Scientists can trace back the beginnings of our consumer society to its earliest phase, approximately 500 11
years ago (Crocker, 2017). The first attempts of Europeans to gain access to goods from the far East is often associated with the purchase of luxury articles restricted to an urban elite who was able to afford those luxuries including coffee, tea, cottons, ceramics and other exotic novelties (Crocker, 2017). Then, through the industrialisation and the rise of the middle class in the late eighteenth- and nineteenth century, consumer goods were made available to a greater number of people and their consumer needs initially reached a greater economic and political importance (Crocker, 2017). This was also the first time that the term consumerism got ideological identified as a political movement to protect consumers rights (Crocker, 2017). After the rise of modern economics, consumerism came to be understood as an approach to financial strategies, which favoured the benefits and increase of manufacturing more consumer goods as it was thought to help raise living standards and create wealth as well as work (Crocker, 2017). However, the most recent development of today’s consumer society is associated with globalisation and rapid technological change, which portrays consumerism as a universal cultural expression of a linear economic life (Crocker, 2017).
Figure 1 - A linear economy graphic (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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Indeed, our consumption took on a dual expression as both a cultural and linear economic benchmark, which is accompanied by mass-production and industrialisation (Miles, 1998). It is a way of life, which is encouraged by urbanisation, population growth, computerisation and a ruthless global 24-hour mass media (Crocker, 2017). It has also advanced to a tool for individuals everywhere, who use it as a way of self-expression and social ambition (Crocker, 2017). But in all those attempts to define and characterise consumerism over the years, humankind seem to have forgotten that our wasteful excess in consumption is leaving a big price-tag on our environment. This leaves the question towards what we can do to change this? Can our never-ending impulse to consume even be sustainable and/or environmentally friendly? The Concept of a Circular Economy in Design Our current economy is following a linear model after the ‘take-make-consumedispose’ pattern, which is highly unsustainable due to a growing deficiency of materials as well as an increased level of pollution and material demand (Brears, 2018). In contrast to this present system, the circular economy is situated, aiming to keep natures resources in use for as long as possible (Brears, 2018).
Figure 2 - The two circular economy material cycles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
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This sustainable economic approach focuses on recycling, limiting and reusing biological as well as technical materials in order to keep products and services within the commercial life cycle beyond their current presence (Brears, 2018). As logical as the system of the circular economy might seem, our current economic approach is still within the linear structure, although measures like the ‘2015 EU Circular Economy Package’ are already in place in order to fulfil special recycling targets by the year 2030 (Baker-Brown, 2017). But what lead our society to get into this position in the first place?
Figure 3 - A circular economy graphic (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
The reason for this is the so-called ‘planned obsolescence’, a standard practice of companies to produce long-term sales volume by reducing the time between recurrent purchases (Baker-Brown, 2017). ‘Planned obsolescence’ can on one hand be enormously beneficial in terms of improved efficiency but also highly destructive on the other hand, as this strategy encourages consumerism and wastefulness not just in consumer goods but also in architecture and many other fields (Baker-Brown, 2017). So how can a design methodology change our approach to the built-in obsolescence? How do we design within the concept of a circular economy?
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The circular economy’s aim of a products extended lifespan can be achieved through various ways such as the repair, upgrade, remanufacture or remarketing of the exact same product (Baker-Brown, 2017). This maximisation of the circularity of a product highly depends on the used materials, meaning that the usage of resources in an efficient way can ultimately reduce and eliminate waste flows (Baker-Brown, 2017). Therefore, the materials cycle is the central subject when designing for a circular economy (Baker-Brown, 2017). When designers craft projects for this specific approach they must also consider the value of a product as well as the desired positive society-wide benefits this will provoke (Baker-Brown, 2017). Generally, when designing for a sustainable, circular economy, the following three principles should be respected in every design step possible. Firstly, we should design out waste and pollution (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018). Secondly, products and materials need the be designed to be kept in use and lastly, we should design to regenerate natural systems (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018). However, those approaches lead to some queries by critics as it is questionable if the idea of a circular economy can be translated into a change in consumer behaviour (Crocker, 2017). Therefore, it is important to counteract such question with the inclusion of a Human Centred Design process and Design Thinking methodologies in context with sustainability and behaviour change (Eco Design Thinking, 2018).
Figure 4 - The circular economy design thinking process (Eco Design Thinking, 2018)
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The design process then starts with the inclusion of the people we are designing for and ends with tailor made solutions for our target group, as the results will be able to build a deep empathy with the people we are targeting (Design Kit, 2018). This Human Centred Design approach should be included in the process of designing for a circular economy, which in itself can be divided into four main methods, all feeding into each other in order to understand, define, make and release circular innovations and designs (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Understand ‘Understanding’ is the first step of designing for a circular economy and it aims to embrace the way of thinking in a ‘circular flow’ (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). It is important that designers understand the lifecycle of a circular product as well as the flow of materials (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). A helpful tool to identify biological and technological flows of raw resources is the ‘Butterfly diagram’, also referred to as the ‘cradle to cradle’ scheme (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). It shows a products lifecycle after its introduction into the market from maintenance, reuse, refurbishment to the point of recycling (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). During this first phase of ‘Understanding’ it is not only crucial to get into the right mental approach, but also to understand other schemes of designing for a circular economy, such as ‘Regenerative Thinking’ and taking ‘Inspirations from Digital Systems’ (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Other approaches include ‘Service Flips’, the imagination of how a product can be turned into a service, as well as the so-called ‘Insides Out’, where consumer empathy can be created through the disassembly and recovery of a product (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Lastly ‘Learn from Nature’ is a method to create circular economic understanding through looking and taking inspiration from nature (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). This design method is formally called biomimicry and asks the question of how nature might solve a certain problem in order to let biological systems help to inspire new sustainable solutions (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). The following chapters will bring this biomimetic design methodology even more into the context of consumerism, design and sustainability by introducing us to the possibilities this approach holds for the ecological future of our planet.
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Figure 5 - The circular economy butterfly diagram (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018)
Define The second step of designing for a circular economy is the ‘Define’ stage and it aims to clarify the goals and opportunities of a design that is intended for a circular economy (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). This step includes next to the ‘Definition of your Challenge’, a ‘Find Circular Opportunities’ scheme, in which creators should identify small, measurable opportunities to help them to design for more circularity (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Other methods of the ‘Define’ approach include ‘Building Teams’, creating ‘Brand Promise’ and ‘Circular Business Models’ as well as the establishment of a ‘Circular Buy-In’ where it is key to identify a variety of stakeholders in order to fully understand their perspectives and thus design for their needs (The Circular Design Guide, 2018).
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Make ‘Make’ is the third approach towards designing for a circular economy and aims to transform all the knowledge from the first two steps into real circular ideas (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). Through methods like ‘User-Centred Research’, ‘Circular Brainstorming’ and ‘Concept Selection’, designers can ensure the viability, feasibility and desirability of a circular product or system (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). The ‘Embed Feedback Mechanisms’ and ‘Safe & Circular’ approaches guarantee the wider sustainable impact of a product as well as the selection of the right materials (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Lastly, the ‘Make’ stage will ensure that circular designs are tested and improved through the ‘Rapid Prototyping’ scheme (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Release The fourth and last approach towards designing for a circular economy is ‘Release’ and it generally aims to look at the circular product or service shortly before its release and during its time in the market as a buyable acquisition (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). By using the ‘Product Journey Mapping’ method, designers can assure that the product or service has a consistent sustainable lifecycle, whilst ‘Launch to Learn’ tests the proposition with all the resources in place (Eco Design Thinking, 2018). Through the tactics of ‘Imagine New Partnerships’ and ‘Create Your Narrative’, designers can explore different approaches that might be able to increase the products or systems effectiveness (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). The last two steps towards the ‘Release’ methodology are ‘Align Your Organisation’ and ‘Continuous Learning Loops’, which aim to extend the design thinking process as well as to explore further iterations of a design (The Circular Design Guide, 2018).
Overall, the concept of designing for a circular economy involves a variety of methods, which all individually contribute to the circularity and sustainability of products in the present as well as the future. However, the suggested methods are indeed only one way to embrace the circular design thinking process, as there are many more approaches yet to be considered within the field of a circular economy.
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However, this research positions itself within the approach of biomimicry as a design method in a circular economy and focuses towards how this methodology can antagonise the negative effects of consumerism. But what exactly are those damaging consequences on our environment and what has our behaviour to do with them? And how can design approaches help our society to develop more sustainable consumption behaviours in the future? The Effects of Consumerism on Our Environment At the first glance consumerism can be seen as hugely beneficial. Through the availability of low-priced products, it is opening up endless possibilities for individuals who once were considered less fortunate as well as various sub-divisions of our society (Crocker, 2017). However, not everything seems as it appears. Known as the ‘Consuming paradox’, the idea of consumerism enabling society to various opportunities can also be seen as the ultimate constraining tool towards directing people into predetermined routes of consumption (Miles, 1998). This is also being supported by the fact that our fast-increasing cycle of purchase, use and discard is made possible by far less hindrances then there used to be (Miles, 1998). Through the advancement of our technologies as well as lower prices, easy credit, instant transactions and online shopping our capacity of obtaining new goods has been made a lot easier (Crocker, 2017). But does consumerism really provide the promised freedom and easy choice? On the surface it certainly appears like it, but to which exact extent this freedom is freely available is highly controversial (Miles, 1998). However, the real question seems to be to what cost consumerism makes those abacinated promises? Today’s consumerism operates on such a rapid cycle of buying, using and dumping, that our current technological innovations and advantages can simply not keep up with our increased demand and use of products (Crocker, 2017). Blinded by our trust in the scientific and industrial gains, we live under the impression that our individual everyday behaviour can certainly not count towards the negative impacts of consumerism. As Crocker (2017) rightfully states, we plainly do not want to know the damaging effects of our seemingly necessary but convenient actions. The act of normalising these effects of how we experience and react to the system of consumerism, along with more or less obvious disadvantages, is also known as the 19
‘sunk cost effects’ (Kelly, 2004). Those ‘legacy effects’ originate from the massive ‘sunk costs’ involved within the system of consumerism (Kelly, 2004). They include investments in money, time, energy, materials and skilled labour, which we do not recognise as such due to their standardisation within our consumption behaviour as well as the goods consumerism provides us with (Kelly, 2004). We, as a society, show a firm commitment to the modernised life we have inherited and the economic compromises we are making over our environment are part of those (Crocker, 2017). Our deception as consumers is being underwritten by the sunk-cost delusion and our society seamlessly agreed to remain in a state of long-term ignorance (Crocker, 2017). This deception finds its beginning with the consumers commitment towards a product that promises to satisfy an often superficial ‘need’, influenced and identified by the media and various advertisements (Crocker, 2017). By purchasing the product, the customer automatically adds an increasing layer of value to it and makes an ultimate commitment to the product (Crocker, 2017). It must deliver what it promises as we spent our hard-earned money for it (Crocker, 2017). However, trends come and go in an ever-increasing speed and we thus live in a constant state of comparison (Crocker, 2017). Whenever we see something newer and better than what we already have, we instantly render what we own less valuable as it has become ‘old’, even if this is only visible to our own eyes (Crocker, 2017). Consumers can easily be persuaded to discard products through their dependence on their selfdeception and willingness to devalue whatever they already own (Crocker, 2017). This unnatural cycle of consumerism results in a premature wastage, since products seem to get ‘older’ and ‘out of fashion’ a lot quicker (Crocker, 2017). The effect of consumerism on our environment is therefore defined by waste-making! According to (Chapman, 2005) over 90 per cent of today’s earthly resources become waste within a timeframe of three months as they are being transformed into distorted synthetic substances within a fracture of their natural self-renewing period. Subsequently, it doesn’t come as a surprise that our biological reserves of useful matter are running low and that some are even on the verge of extinction (Chapman, 2005). Throughout the past four decades, more natural habitats have been destroyed than ever before and humankind has shockingly consumed about one third of all of earth’s resources during this time (Chapman, 2005). Our societies consumption constantly grows and develops, whereas material possessions and
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products remain mostly untouched by time, causing an ineffectiveness towards a mutual evolution (Chapman, 2005). This means that physical artefacts nowadays are incapable of sustaining a durable relationship with their consumers, creating an increasing amount of waste which consists out of fully functional appliances and products who only failed to maintain empathy with their owners due to socially inflicted trends (Chapman, 2005).
Figure 6 - A stork captured in a plastic bag (Cancalosi, 2018)
This results in the fact that our present international production rates for our consumption needs generate waste in unmanageable amounts, which we cannot deal with effectively (Crocker, 2017). Even the reuse and recycling of products and materials cannot keep up with the sheer volume of stuff being created (Chapman, 2005). Thus, waste making and the deception it involves have almost been made into a global commercial strategy, with whom we constantly try to ‘catch up’ (Crocker, 2017). Summarised this all means that a large amount of our waste turns into pollution straight after it has been discarded, even if it is still ‘recyclable’ (Chapman, 2005). The idea of recycling and biodegradability rarely works in the mass quantities that we need it to function (Chapman, 2005). What we need is a solution that will fix this problem, a joint development between the consumer and the consumed, a new economic approach to our consumerism (Chapman, 2005). 21
Towards a Sustainable Future Some might say that the future holds unexpected surprises, but it will most probably not include one single solution to reduce our present consumerism. As mentioned before, our societies extreme consumption comes down to our individual behaviour as consumers and can therefore merely be defined by a variety of consumer groups (Crocker, 2017). Consequently, one single solution to tackle such an extensive system as consumerism seems to be unrealistic. However, there are a variety of approaches towards a more sustainable future, which are addressing the relationship between the consumer and the consumed through a mix of solutions. Particularly, ever since the 1980’s three specific approaches towards this topic have arisen including the so-called ‘green growth’ or ‘eco-modernisation’ movement (Crocker, 2017). Its methodology encourages the use of alternative technologies such as solar panels and wind-turbines in order to emphasise the importance of a change in our current methods of producing energy and manufacturing goods (Crocker, 2017). ‘Green growth’ prioritises the development of economic growth whilst maintaining natural assets and their resources on which our well-being relies upon (OECD, 2018). Through prioritising technological innovations and adapting the efficiency of the design of certain products towards a more sustainable emphasis, we can measure these against the lower environmental benchmarks of the past as well as reduce our emissions through evidence-based innovations (Crocker, 2017). The second approach is the idea of ‘de-growth’, a form of society and economy which aims for the well-being of all and the sustainability of nature (Degrowth-Webportal, 2018). To achieve those goals ‘de-growth’ suggests a more general reduction in our consumption capacity itself, might it be certain lifestyle changes or the limitation of economic policies (Crocker, 2017). It aims to reduce the production of products to allow less consumption in order to achieve the status of a ‘post-carbon’ world, where neoliberal economic schemes are maintained for the greater good (Crocker, 2017). ‘De-growth’ values a society that cares, demonstrates solidarity and displays cooperation as their methodology includes the thought of humanity as a part of the planetary ecological system (Degrowth-Webportal, 2018). The last of the three approaches highlights the significance of a ‘circular economy’ (Crocker, 2017). As mentioned in the previous chapter of ‘The Concept of a Circular Economy in Design’, it underlines the importance of a more methodical route to reduce energy and 22
resource consumption through the extraction of more value from a product or service by reusing supplies and exchanging unwanted reserves with others (Crocker, 2017). Simplified, it means that our current society should take aspiration from past years, where most useful things were kept for a longer time and when they broke, individuals invested in fixing or reusing them (Crocker, 2017). Overall, all three approaches have a lot of potential and value, however Crocker (2017) argues that all of them show signs of limitations especially regarding their initial attitude to consumerism. Still, they are informing and implementing more sustainable forms of production and consumption, whilst also aiming to increase societies wellbeing at the same time as reducing the damage of our consumption on nature (Crocker, 2017). Especially the concept of a circular economy is highly promising and overall a relatable strategy towards the introduction of various circular biomimetic design implementation in the near future. The circular economic tactic is a radical, restorative and regenerative approach to business and it is assuring innovative design solutions in an emerging economic branch worth around a trillion dollars (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Hence, it has never been a better time to shift humankind’s perspective on consumerism than now, as the global linear economy is stuttering and consequently is challenging already established business models beyond their sustainable capabilities (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Thus, companies and individual designers should take this opportunity to start following a circular flow in the development and production of design outcomes. To transition towards a circular economy, designers must acquire advanced skills and working methods which include material selection, standardised components, designed-to-last products and many more, which are defined and freely accessible by ‘The Circular Design Guide’ (The Circular Design Guide, 2018). Within the circular economy, designers should especially turn their attention towards a biomimetic design methodology in order to learn from natures patterns and strategies. This approach, which will be introduced in the following chapters, results in innovative design solutions that help to make products and processes less toxic as well as more energy and material efficient, often whilst saving money (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018). Through this approach it is possible to fundamentally change how all of us create and design, resulting in a more sustainable future for ourselves and our planet.
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Biomimicry as Sustainable Design Method
“When we look at what is truly sustainable, the only real model that has worked over long periods of time is the natural world.” Janine Benyus
It seems like we are at the crossroads of a major transformation. On one hand, society is captured in the rapid cycle of consumerism, apprehended by the constant rotation of buying, using and discarding consumer goods, whilst slowly losing control over the increasing amount of produced waste in context with our needs (Crocker, 2017). On the other hand, there seems to be hope as more and more members of the public feel the ever-growing obligation to make sustainable consumption choices in the dawn of rising pollution levels and global warming. Consumerism might seem to be our societies current ‘state of mind’, but sustainable development that meets the requirements of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, is the way forward (Cohen & Reich, 2016). Therefore, one of the major challenges society faces today is to provide sustainable technologies and approaches, not just in industrial processes but also in design amongst other lesser-acknowledged fields (Cohen & Reich, 2016). As of this moment, humankind is still heavily dependent on oil, carbon emissions are continuously rising and approximately 90% of the earths raw materials are still being wasted during each manufacturing process (Hawken, et al., 2010). Additionally, we also experience an all-time high in our consumption, meaning that our current approaches towards waste management are literally being outrun by our rapid demand and discard of ‘needed’ goods (Crocker, 2017). Thus, it seems to be time for a change in the way we think, design, produce, consume as well as dispose goods and products (Cohen & Reich, 2016). Biomimicry has much to contribute to those changes, especially when generating concepts for a circular economy, as it can be handled as an appropriate sustainability tool (Cohen & Reich, 2016). But what is Biomimicry? How can it influence our economic design and manufacturing concepts? And how can biomimicry inspire our society to make more sustainable changes towards their everyday consumption?
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Inspiration from Nature Over the last centuries our population has expanded in numbers and territories which are seemingly bursting our planets capacities (Benyus, 2009). Our habits evolved to be more than unjustifiable in various aspects of our natural existence, as we are creating immense sustainability problems for our future generations. However, only in recent decades nature sent us a wake-up call in form of global warming and since then most individuals have truly begun to understand the consequences of their actions as humanity is trying to search for solutions that are going to influence their future existence on this planet in a more sustainable way (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Still, it seems that we continue to forget to work with nature and even more importantly, learn from nature! In fact, a sustainable world already exists as our planet has cherished life for an astonishing 3.8 billion years, giving millions of organisms a chance to adapt and evolve within the limits of planet Earth, creating a complex and intersected system of life (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Humanity is part of this system, even though we have established some rather damaging habits during our presence on this planet, transforming Earth not only physically but also chemically and ecologically (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). We have forgotten that we are part of our planets ecosystem and that we heavily depend on Earth to provide us with fundamentals such as clean air, water and food. We are also ignoring the fact that our planet depends on us to be mindful with its resources (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Biomimicry gives us the chance to adjust our view towards these planetary restrictions through acknowledging that our ecosystem can teach us something about surviving and thriving in this world (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). It is the imitation of nature’s models, systems and elements for the purpose of solving human-based problems (Norman & Paul, 2017). In simple terms, Biomimicry is innovation inspired by nature. It is an approach towards what we can learn from nature, rather than what we can extract from it (Benyus, 2009). In the centre of this biomimetic methodology is the fact that living organisms have evolved and survived for millennia on this planet, providing nature with countless years of research and development opportunities to unlock the ultimate secret of survival (Benyus, 2009). By looking at nature for inspiration, we can incorporate its evolutionary optimisation
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into products, processes and new ways of living that are well-adapted to the survival on Earth over an extended period of time (Benyus, 2009). Biomimicry can help us to shift our perspectives, to approach design complications differently and to uncover ‘new’ solutions to our increasing unsustainable problems and behaviours, because after all nature faces many of the same challenges that we do - it just solves them without harming the environment (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Of course, this can’t be achieved overnight but with carefulness and focus we can start to learn how to emulate nature’s time-tested strategies in ways that enhance our planet through the creation of designs, materials, technologies and systems that are regenerative and restorative (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Biomimicry gives us the opportunity to alter our current system and to take steps towards a positive change, one that is supporting life on Earth (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Linking Biology and Design - The Biomimicry Core Concepts Biomimicry offers a unique scientific approach towards problem solving as it brings biological inspired sustainable solutions into the design process (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Through this, biomimicry can act as an appropriate sustainability tool for the concept design stage of circular economy based projects, where natural, sustainable design principles are identified, gathered and used as an instrument to solve not only general human-based problems but also complications within technology and other domains such as business, finance, or psychology (Cohen & Reich, 2016). This is made possible by the fact that biomimicry operates on three key principle, the first one being ‘Nature as model’, which studies nature’s models and emulates or takes inspirations from its forms, processes, systems and strategies in order to solve human centred problems (Benyus, 2009). The second key principle is ‘Nature as measure’ and uses an ecological standard to judge the sustainability and appropriation of innovations (Benyus, 2009). The last principle takes ‘Nature as mentor’ and values the natural world to efficiently learn from it (Benyus, 2009). Next to these three key principles, Biomimicry also runs on so-called core concepts, which are vital towards the connection between biology and design (Benyus, 2009). Through those core concepts, design lessons from the natural world can be understood, analysed and applied to our current problems and challenges.
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Fundamental Functions and Strategies One of the biomimetic core concepts is the understanding of function, which is an elemental foundation of biomimicry and sets it apart from similar design practices such as biophilic and biomorphic design as well as bio-design (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Rather than looking at the aesthetic qualities of nature, biomimicry focuses on learning from the biological world, especially the specific functions of all things living - their purpose (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). This first core concept consequently refers to the featured adaptions and behaviours that enable natural organisms to survive within our environment (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). The organisms do so by applying biological strategies such as characteristics or processes, which perform a certain function, to their needs (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). When designing for a sustainable outcome through a biomimicry approach, the understanding of the concept of function and its strategies can help designers to find the biological information that is most relevant to their approach (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). According to the Biomimicry Institute in the Biomimicry Toolbox (2018), function can then also refer to something that the design solution needs to do. Therefore, when starting the design process, an important thought to consider is what a design should do resulting in the definition of its purpose (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). One biomimetic design example, which works with function as its main strategy is the Shinkansen Bullet Train in Japan (AskNature, 2018).
Figure 7 - The Shinkansen Bullet Train (The Biomimicry Institute, 2018)
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The Shinkansen Bullet Train is the fastest train in the world, travelling 200 miles per hour, however as of recent years the trains main problem was that its noise levels surpassed several environmental standards by far (AskNature, 2018). One of the main sound problems included the ‘boom’ that was created through air pressure whenever the train travelled through a tunnel (AskNature, 2018). By taking inspiration from the silent flight and gentle water entry of the kingfisher, the concept of function could be applied to the trains appearance (AskNature, 2018). Instead of the bullet-shaped nose, the trains forefront was re-designed based on the beak of the kingfisher, which resulted in a more streamlined Shinkansen Bullet Train that now journeys not only more silently but also 10% quicker and consumes 15% less electricity (AskNature, 2018).
Figure 8 - Common kingfisher (Lukasik, 2018)
A tool that is very helpful when applying the concept of function and its strategies, as well as other biomimetic approaches, is the Biomimicry Taxonomy (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). It is a classification system developed by the Biomimicry Institute and organises organisms by function and how they respond to their individual problems in order to locate organisms that face similar problems to ours and to take inspiration from how they solve those difficulties (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). However, there are a variety of ways to accomplish a given function and the strategies to achieve those are always dependent on the design context, which might
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require various strategies or even a totally different functionality (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Therefore, when designing within the core concept of function and strategy in biomimicry, the context is always important as it allows the designer to recognize biological approaches that could be relevant to human-based design in an easy and categorised manner (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018).
Figure 9 - The Biomimicry Taxonomy (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018)
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Nature’s Unifying Patterns Another one of the biomimetic core concepts is the understanding of nature’s unifying patterns. These resilient patterns focus on the identification of persistent lessons from the natural world that have profound implications towards what and how we design for humans in context with our ecosystem (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). By taking these patterns into consideration we naturally aim to design sustainable (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Thus, nature’s ten unifying patterns should be considered as part of every design process and throughout each project’s development stages as an evaluation tool (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). The patterns can be found in multifaceted forms of life throughout every continent on the planet, making them a universal core concept of biomimicry (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018).
As identified by the Biomimicry Institute in the Biomimicry Toolbox (2018) the ten unifying patterns are: 1. Nature uses only the energy it needs and relies on freely available energy 2. Nature recycles all materials 3. Nature is resilient to disturbances 4. Nature optimizes rather than maximizes 5. Nature rewards cooperation 6. Nature runs on information 7. Nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings 8. Nature builds using abundant resources, incorporating rare resources only sparingly 9. Nature is locally attuned and responsive 10. Nature uses shape to determine functionality
By incorporating nature’s lessons into our design thinking as well as into our design process, we can ensure that the outcome will be more sustainable and that it will fit in well with our ecosystem (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). The integration of the patterns is a key step in the practice of biomimicry and although it might not be 30
possible to feature all ten of them within a design, the more of the patterns can be applied - the better (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). The overall goal of nature’s unifying patterns is to translate their lessons into a variety of human-based systems such as quality control metrics, material selection, design specifications and many more to enhance humanities current sustainability approaches (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). A Biomimetic Approach within a Circular Economy to Change Consumption Behaviour The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are seventeen objectives, which cover nearly every aspect of our humanitarian as well as planetary future and are aiming to transform our global society, as we know it today, by the year 2030 (The Oslo Manifesto, 2018). However, the concepts and solutions created in context of the SDGs will last for a far longer time, continuing to influence our environment for decades to come (The Oslo Manifesto, 2018). Thus, it is important to embrace the SDGs as guidelines to direct us into a more sustainable future, which is the aim and purpose of The Oslo Manifesto. The manifesto embraces the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals contextualised in the world’s most challenging design brief and translates each of the goals into simple questions that can help designers worldwide to attain environmentally friendly designs (The Oslo Manifesto, 2018). This means that the decisions we make today, both as designers and consumers, have the power to shape the sustainable future of tomorrow (The Oslo Manifesto, 2018). And by understanding how we make decisions, we can define possible outcomes and thus design for behaviour change (Wendel, 2013). Our experiences and intuitive responses are playing a key part of how we make decisions and are consequently powerful drives when designing for a sustainable future. Those intuitive responses are grounded in simple associations between things we have experienced, often naturally occurring relationships such as the association between dark, small spaces and danger (Wendel, 2013). These associations are a constant part of our lives and guide our actions, even without our conscious awareness (Wendel, 2013). Nature is another constant in our existence and ever since Earth first harboured life, about 3.8 billion years ago, millions of organisms have constantly adapted and evolved to survive within the limits of this planet in a sustainable way (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Humans are a part of this interconnected living system 31
of organisms and our experiences and intuitions are shaped by the last 200,000 years, in which we have inhabited this planet (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). We depend on the ecosystem of our planet, nevertheless we have developed increasingly destructive physical, chemical and ecological habits (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Especially in the last decade, consumerism has been on the rise and influenced our society not only on a behavioural level, but also instigated more wastage than ever before and that with an ever-rising tendency. Thus, it is only logical that there is a growing need for sustainable design solutions, both in the present and future. However, the main question is not if we need those environmentally friendly solutions, but how we achieve them? Many design disciplines as well as professionals are approaching this important topic regularly, although to varying degrees of success as many solutions simply cannot withstand the vast consequences of our problematic consumeristic conduct. So why not look at nature as a mentor to change our current unsustainable consumption behaviour? Could nature help us to shift our perspective towards a more sustainable relationship with our planetary resources in a circular economy?
Figure 10 - The biomimicry design approach explained (Verbeek, 2011)
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The emerging of the biomimicry discipline in context with design, arguably, could exactly be the solution to lead us past this stage of extreme consumerism. By taking nature as a model, measure and mentor, designers worldwide could gain the essential information they need to solve human-centred problems with more sustainable designs and therefore change societies consumeristic behaviour (Cohen & Reich, 2016). After all, a sustainable world already exists, and nature has so far solved and tested many of the problems we are currently facing (The Biomimicry Institute, 2018). Biomimicry can provide a variety of design approaches towards our problematic relationship with consumerism, ranging from behavioural changing packaging design to the reduction of environmental impacts produced by our online shopping interactions as well as many others. Natures innovations are limitless, they work on low energy, are material efficient, waste free and non-toxic, which could not only be hugely beneficial for individuals and designers but also to companies globally as they could save great amounts of money by investing into designs that imitate natures processes, forms or systems (Haidar, 2016). This brings the design approach of biomimicry into context with a circular economy, which also emulates the cycles found in living systems (The Biomimicry Institute, 2014). As the 20132014 Annual Report of the Biomimicry Institute states, it is clear that both biomimicry and the circular economy are frameworks for sustainability that must work hand-inhand (The Biomimicry Institute, 2014). Both are powerful concepts that prompt new ways of fostering the relationship between nature, innovation and humanity (The Biomimicry Institute, 2014). Indeed, the circular economy can be seen as application of biomimicry, where not only the circular industrial concept provides new approaches to sustainability, but also the biomimetic method as its innovations have been developed for billions of years (Haidar, 2016). Especially the application of a biomimetic approach within the ‘understanding’ and ‘defining’ stage of a circular design thinking process, can be defined as the most impactful methodology on future innovative human centred designs. Overall, it is yet to see if it is possible to change societies consumption addiction towards a more sustainable behaviour through the approach of biomimicry principles within a circular economy over a long term. However, there is definitely potential towards this approach and one way to start implementing this methodology is by analysing not only the possible results itself, but by considering life cycles, as this gives designers the chance to create products or systems whose life span is circular, thus making it sustainable (Haidar, 2016). 33
Primary Research Methodology Researching the subject of biomimicry and its potential influence on consumption behaviour required a range of varied methods that were not only flexible in their approaches but also relevant in context of sustainability. It was not only important to grasp an insight into people’s consumeristic behaviour but also to gain an understanding towards what influences their decision-making abilities and hence effect their sustainability awareness. To established and research these aspects of our societies consumerism in context with biomimicry and sustainability, it was of the upmost importance to carry out qualitative research that seeks to reveal individual behaviours, perspectives, motivations, values, concerns and meanings. Qualitative research methods do not rely on numerical measurements as they place more emphasis towards the involvement of the researcher within the topic to provide an internal perspective as well as to find meaning in a more contextualised and time specific way (Lapan, et al., 2012). Using qualitative methods within this research also provided a critical view towards embedded social contexts of consumerism, whilst seeking contextualised answers to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ (Lapan, et al., 2012).
To define natures influence on our decision-making abilities towards a more sustainable consumption approach, it was essential to visually express my own interpretation of the topic and its unique approach. Through the qualitative research method of collage, it was possible to gain an impression over existing sustainability, biomimicry and consumeristic behaviours, patterns, problems and solutions. The method of collage provided an opportunity to project personal information and interpretations onto visual artefacts in order to use them as a tangible reference point for further research (Martin & Hanington, 2017). To conduct qualitative analysis, some of nature’s unifying patterns were used to define, compare and examine the relationships within the visual elements as well as to assess the applications of the biomimicry patterns. Next to nature’s patterns, the analysis was also distinguished between current consumption behavior and existing sustainable products as well as relevant biomimicry projects/products in order to provide further contextualisation. 34
Ethnography was used as a qualitative research method to reveal a deeper understanding of the target group in their everyday consumeristic environment in order to comprehend how they make decisions and perceive the world around them (AIGA, 2018). Through the immersion of myself into the complex consumeristic world of the target audience, observations of patterns, relationships and behaviours in a real-life environment could be recorded (AIGA, 2018). By defining the demographics of the target audience (20 - 35-year-old consumers in the online and traditional ‘high street’ shopping environment) and the problematic issue within this research, two ethnographic approaches could be created, which aimed to observe consumeristic behavioural patterns and relationships in both an online and offline context. For the online part of this qualitative ethnographic research, data was collected from the social media platforms of Instagram and Twitter. The accounts of five Scotland based individuals, who were anonymised, were observed during a specific timeframe, which included the ‘World Environment day’ on the 5th June 2018 as well as the ‘World Ocean Day’ on the 8th June 2018. Through the observation of the target audiences online consumeristic behaviour I could gain an understanding of the core patterns and principles of modern day consumers and their online sustainability awareness. For the offline part of this ethnographic research, data was collected from the observations of the target audience in two Edinburgh based unsustainable shops (Primark on Princes Street and Poundland on Lothian Road) as well as two sustainable shops (Shelter Charity Shop on Morningside Road and Dandelion & Ginger on Leven Street). Through the observations of individuals, within the defined demographics, I was able to document their sustainability awareness in a typical high-street shopping setting as well as in more sustainable consumer locations.
The qualitative research method of behavioural mapping was used to systematically document location-based observations from my ethnographic research in context with online and offline consumeristic behaviour (Martin & Hanington, 2017). The mapping is based on a graphical plan of the city centre of Edinburgh and the observed information is layered above the graphic, providing the research with place-specific results of where sustainable and unsustainable consumeristic behaviours are occurring. However, motivations and reasons for this consumeristic behaviour remain unknown to the observer in this method (Martin & Hanington,
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2017). Next to contextualising where the target audience in Edinburgh consumes, it is also possible to differentiate between how people consume within the geographic limitations. The overall aim of the behavioural mapping research method in context with consumerism, is to gain a deeper insight into consumeristic structures as well as to visualise the relationships between sustainable and unsustainable offers in a geologically restricted area. In context of the overall research, it might also suggest areas in which the research solution approach of biomimicry might best work in an urban environment.
The Cultural Probes were the last qualitative research method used within the context of this study and are supposed to identify key patterns and themes within people’s sustainability awareness in times of excessive consumerism (Martin & Hanington, 2017). They are provocative and inspirational tools, handed out to participants within the defined research demographics in order to inspire them to thoughtfully consider the context of their relationship with sustainability through a biomimicry inspired approach (Martin & Hanington, 2017). The responses of the Cultural Probes are not only unique and creative, but also openly subjective, hence they cannot be formally analysed in any way (Martin & Hanington, 2017). However, their outcomes showcase future possibilities and, when successful realised, can provide the research with rich information towards inspirational designs (Martin & Hanington, 2017). They aimed to not only inspire people to be more sustainable users in the future, but also to test whether people perceive nature as an inspiration and mentor in terms of problem solving. The Cultural Probes for this research consist out of three interconnected tasks, which were inspired by biomimetic approaches such as getting inspired by nature, taking nature as mentor and considering nature as change. The Cultural Probe Kits were given to ten participants within the target audience of the research and included clear instructions towards the tasks, which were supposed to be finished within the timeframe of one week.
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Case Study 1 - A Visual Representation of Consumerism & Sustainability Planet Earth features a nearly immeasurable natural diversity, providing creatives who follow a biomimetic design approach, with endless inspiration towards what adaptions would and could be possible in order to solve modern-day problems. However, it does not come as a surprise that this variety can be sheer overwhelming and thus leading to confusion in the definition of a project. Therefore, to gain a general overview in context of the examined question in this study, the visual research method aims to clarify not only the framework in which the research falls but also takes a closer look at existing biomimicry projects as well as present sustainable and unsustainable habits showcased by our society. Generally, it aims to capture the current environment, in the context of this research, as accurately as it appears in order to make sense of the consumeristic world in which we are currently living (Margolis & Pauwels, 2011). The distilled data of this research method provides a valid scientific insight into the current ecological and consumeristic practices of our society and has been acquired by observing and analysing upon its visual manifestations in order to understand the creative process of sustainable and unsustainable design thinking processes (Margolis & Pauwels, 2011). The first contextualised objective that was looked after in this study was the variety of existing and current sustainable products. To gain a visual impression of what is already available to consumers, visual research was carried out in two approaches, primary and secondary. A special emphasis was laid upon the element of variety, as visuals from a vast assortment should represent the diversity of sustainable products ranging from very familiar ones to totally unknown products and systems. Thereafter, the next contextualised aspect that was considered in this research was the occurrence of our societies current consumption behaviour. This section gives a varied impression of the identified problem within this study and demonstrates in general what aesthetical forms our consumption behaviour can adopt in this time and age. Again, this part of visually collected research tries to display the vast diversity of the problem that our consumerism has become. This has especially been made clear through the sourcing of primary visuals only, as this approach also contextualises the research in terms of location.
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Lastly, some relevant and existing biomimicry projects and products were examined in order to give an overall impression towards what is possible when taking nature as an inspiration. Secondary visual sources from the online biomimicry platform ‘asknature.org’ were used to find relevant projects that display a wide variety of topics and approaches.
Figure 11 - The initial raster in which the data got placed
To categorise the visual information, the collage technique was applied in form of a raster, which divided the data in six vertical columns and three horizontal rows. The horizontal rows were created after the individual ways of how the visual research was collected, meaning that the first row of ‘existing sustainable products’, was followed by the second row of ‘current consumption behaviour’ and ended with the last row of ‘relevant and existing biomimicry projects/products’. On the other hand, the vertical columns, were brought into context with six of the ten identified natural unifying patterns. The selected biomimicry patterns are ‘nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings’, ‘nature recycles all materials’, ‘nature is locally attuned and responsive’, ‘nature uses shape to determine functionality’, ‘nature rewards cooperation’ and ‘nature optimises rather than maximises’. Through taking the six most relevant patterns into the context of this visual research, relationships within the aesthetic elements could be identified. 38
The final visual collage shows the categorisation and visualisation of six of nature’s unifying patterns in context with existing sustainable and unsustainable products/behaviours as well as successful biomimicry projects. The images give an insight into what products or systems can be achieved when taking nature’s unifying patterns into perspective and show how they were applied as frameworks for various biomimetic developments. The visual research also demonstrates how societies approach to sustainability can affect the environment, might it be to the better or worse. Through taking a closer look at the collage (e.g. see Appendix 1) and through the analysation of the visual elements within the framework, the interconnectivity between the individual sections can be observed as most elements could be adapted to a variety of nature’s unifying patterns, presenting viewers with beneficial examples and guidelines to use when designing in a biomimetic approach themselves.
Figure 12 - Data categorised within the final raster
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Overall, the visual research provides a comprehensive insight into the conception of some of nature’s patterns whilst providing the viewer with real-life context in order to make the biomimicry approach more understandable. For the following research methods, this first investigation into the world of biomimicry, provides a considerable approach to the topic and delivers the framework in which the overall study takes place. It displays the connectivity between the three topics of sustainability, consumerism and biomimicry, which is beneficial to further design thinking processes. This visual research also situates the need of a global solution towards the identified problem and gives examples towards what could be possible from other successful non-topic related biomimicry topics. Case Study 2 - Consumeristic Behavioural Patterns Online and Offline Our decision-making abilities are influenced by a variety of aspects, ranging from immediate intuitive conclusions based on our past experience, to choices grounded on our everyday habits (Wendel, 2013). Often, we look to other people or their impersonated social media profiles for what we should do and thus, most of the time we are not even deliberately aware of our decision-making abilities (Wendel, 2013). Ethnography can often reveal such hidden and embedded understandings of how we make decisions and perceive the world, even when we are not conscious of it ourselves (AIGA, 2018). Ethnography therefore takes up an important role in this research as observations of patterns, relationships and behaviours in a real-life consumeristic environment could be recorded by the usage of two different approaches towards the exploration of this topic. By defining the demographics of the target audience to individual consumers aged 20 - 35-years, the ethnographic research for this project aimed to understand their online and offline consumeristic behaviour whilst also looking at potential influences towards their decision-making abilities in context of sustainability awareness. To realise this, the research firstly concentrated on the online ethnographic aspect, taking the increasing influence of social media into consideration. Through the collection of data from the Instagram and Twitter accounts of five anonymised Scotland based individuals an understanding of their online consumeristic behaviour could be formed by simple social media-based observations. To achieve this online ethnographic research, the first step included to find five individuals who fit the 40
demographics of the research and who have somehow been brought into context with sustainability or consumeristic related posts on either of the both social media platforms. Additionally, it was also necessary to find individuals whose Instagram and Twitter profiles were publicly viewable in order to be able to extract the needed consumeristic information. To do so, the advanced search tool on Twitter was used to search for topic related words within tweets near Edinburgh. Once a potential profile was found, it was quickly analysed if it would be suitable for this research by taking a variety of aspects into account, such as the demographics, the amount of social media posts and their overall online presence on other social media platforms.
Figure 13 - The search tool used to identify participants (Twitter, 2018)
After identifying the five individuals for the online ethnographic aspect of this research, their virtual behaviour was observed on two specific dates, the ‘World Environment Day’ on the 5th June 2018 as well as the ‘World Ocean Day’ on the 8th June 2018. Additionally, to those two dates, their online activity was also recorded over a period of one week in June 2018. This was done in order to get a wider range of data, which could measure and compare not only the individual’s sustainability 41
awareness on different social media platforms, but on a variety of dates too, which also include relevant posts from the past of each of the participants. The outcomes of those observations were screenshots of the individuals posts on Instagram and Twitter, featuring pictures, re-tweets, shared videos and text-based contributions in context with sustainability and consumerism.
Figure 14 - One of the tweets obtained through the online ethnography (Twitter, 2018)
The second part of this ethnographic research was the observation of sustainability behaviour and awareness offline in a traditional high-street environment in the city centre of Edinburgh. The ethnographic data was collected from observations of individuals, who were clearly fitting into the demographics of the target audience. Firstly, two unsustainable shops in the city centre were scouted in order to see if they would fit into the research as well as to clarify their approach to sustainability. In the next step both of those shops, Primark on Princes Street and Poundland on Lothian Road, were taken as locations for ethnographic observations of the target audience’s consumption behaviours over three days, including one Saturday. The observations were recorded by the captivation of visual evidence such as photographs and videos as well as field notes. To contrast the ethnographic data extracted from the unsustainable offline environment, it was essential for this research to also observe the target audience’s consumeristic behaviour in a sustainable setting. To do so two sustainable shops were scouted, Shelter Charity Shop on Morningside Road and Dandelion & Ginger on Leven Street. Individuals within the target audience were watched in this environment over a period of two days, which resulted in the outcomes being recorded as photographs, videos and field notes. 42
Figure 15 - A visual representation of the offline ethnographic research at Primark
The final ethnographic research (e.g. see Appendix 2) was summarised and categorised into online as well as offline data and privately published on a Tumblr blog in order to have a medium that provides a solid overview of all the ethnographic findings. The overall research gives an insight into people’s sustainability awareness and consumption behaviour both in a traditional shopping environment as well as in an online context. The field notes and visual elements for the online segment were divided into sections on the Tumblr blog, one for each of the five individuals who contributed to the online ethnographic research. The gathered data from the offline research was categorised into sustainable as well as unsustainable shops and also published on the blog. This made it possible to find and analyse the ethnographic outcomes in context of sustainability and consumeristic behavior. To do so, the method of ‘Triangulation’, which is comparing multiple measures of the same social and cultural phenomenon, was used in context with two of the six pre-selected natural unifying patterns, in order to place the ethnographic findings into context with natures proven efficiency. 43
Case Study 3 - The Online and Offline Structures of Consumerism The decisions we make on a daily basis guide our lives and are ultimately shaped by our environments and experiences (Wendel, 2013). Our behaviours are deeply linked with those decisions and through their observation we can act upon their worst aspects and thus design for behavior change (Wendel, 2013). However, it should not be forgotten that human behaviours continuously depend on the context in which they occur, therefore particular demographics, such as location and time, always have to be taken into context when trying to change behaviours (Wendel, 2013). Behavioural mapping as a research method can observe and record behaviors in such specific settings by taking the location and time of the occurring behaviours into consideration. It is therefore the ideal tool to identify locational and/or temporal patterns of behaviour and provide an insight into what is needed in order to change them to the better. Therefore, after observing people’s consumption behaviour in the ethnographical research stage, it was important to bring the gathered data into the framework of the behavioural mapping research method. Through doing so it was possible to define the structures and networks of how people consume as well as where they do so within the city of Edinburgh. The behavioural map created in context with this study aims to provide a better insight into consumeristic structures as well as to gain an understanding of the relationship between consumerism and sustainable consumption systems, both online and offline. It also informs the overall study with a general comprehension of how locations can influence our decisionmaking abilities in context with consumerism and sustainability. To achieve this, firstly the location had to be specified in order to develop a graphical base map upon where the gathered information could be laid. This base map displays the city centre of Edinburgh, including the West End, New Town and Old Town. To gather more precise data apart from the ethnographic research evidence, additional observation-based research has been carried out over a period of two days. Thereafter, layer after layer of data was placed upon the base map using different graphical style elements such as colour, outlines, points and surfaces to distinguish the varied information. The first main layer of information indicates unsustainable consumption hotspots through blue dots on the base map. Those are shops and retailers with a highly
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unsustainable approach including mass production advocates, low-quality retailers and high-street giants who are famous for their highly unmaintainable approach. The next layer, which is immediately linked towards the first set of data and displayed via blue outlines, is the heavy consumption associated with unsustainable consumption hotspots. This layer displays areas where people show behaviours and signs of heavy consumption such as excessive shopping behaviour, over usage of plastic bags, the consumption of unnecessary products, a feeling of rush as well as the attendance of consumption hotspots.
Figure 16 - Identified unsustainable consumption hotspots
The second main layer of information specifies noticed sustainable consumption hotspots via green dots across the base map. Those are shops and retailers with a sustainable approach towards their products and/or business such as charity shops, vintage shops, second-hand markets, eco-friendly and ethical shops. The following layer of light consumption is linked and associated with sustainable consumption hotspots and is represented on the map via green outlines. It visually expresses signs of light consumption such as the carrying of re-usable bags, window shopping, the consumption of quality products, a feeling of reduced rush as well as the avoidance of consumption hotspots. 45
Figure 17 - The added identified sustainable consumption hotspots
Figure 18 - The represented online aspect of consumerism
The third and last main layer of information signifies Amazon pickup locations through pink dots on the map. This layer represents the online aspect of the research and features the pickup localities that allow the consumers to collect their 46
parcels at a time and place that’s convenient for them, including sites for ‘Evening Pickup’ and ‘Express Pickup’. Closely associated with this online characteristic is the last layer of the map, representing the availability of Amazon Same-Day Online Delivery through a pink surface on the base map. This layer shows where costumers with residential addresses in selected city centre areas can receive unlimited SameDay Delivery seven days a week on a million eligible items if they are ordered before noon on the same day. The final behavioural mapping (e.g. see Appendix 3) resulted in a visual representation of how people consume as well as were they do so in Edinburgh, taking two of nature’s unifying patterns into the context of its analysation. The final map gives a valuable insight into consumeristic structures, both online and offline within a locational limit and showcases a geographically interpretation of the relationship between consumerism and sustainable consumption systems. Case Study 4 - The Effects of Biomimicry on Consumeristic Behaviour The last qualitative research method explores if the approach of biomimicry as inspiration and influence towards a more sustainable consumption behaviour can be justified. This is made possible by the creation and distribution of cultural probes, which are used as challenging and inspirational tools within this research to test if the identified target audience perceives nature as an inspiration and mentor in terms of problem solving (Martin & Hanington, 2017). The aim of the cultural probes is to identify key patterns and themes within people’s sustainability awareness in times of excessive consumerism as well as to measure the effects of biomimicry approaches on people’s consumeristic behaviour. To test the approach of this study, each of the ten biomimicry probe kits was divided into three subjective parts, which are all connected to each other and ultimately feed into the formation of the final probe kit and its outcomes. Each of the subjective parts is inspired by biomimicry design approaches and thus insures that a natural approach to the tasks has to be followed by the participants. By having three clearly structured parts, the user friendliness is also being increased and potential confusion can therefore be avoided.
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The first section of the probe kits is concentrating on the subjective of getting inspired by nature. For this initial task each research contributor should take ten pictures with a mobile phone and/or camera of anything natural that inspires them in any way. There are no limitations to the task and the participants are only asked to hold on to the pictures for the time being. The probe kits’ second part is about approaching nature as mentor and the task asks the research contributors to exactly do that whilst letting their creativity flow. The participants are asked to create ‘something’ that inspires them to be more sustainable in any way. Again, there are absolutely no limitations to the task and the ‘something’ really can be anything - from objects to solutions or complex problems. The participants are allowed to use any of the materials that are provided within the individual probe kits and can also make use of any other resources. Lastly, the research contributors are ensured that there is no right or wrong in this second task and that their possibilities to create and design the ‘something’ can reach from sketches to any other forms of expression.
Figure 19 - The materials provided within each of the probe kits
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The third and last section of the cultural probe kits appreciates nature as change. For this task, each of the research contributors is asked to write a brief explanation of why their creation from the second task inspires them to be more sustainable.
Figure 20 - One of the final assembled probe kits
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Overall, the final biomimicry cultural probe kits (e.g. see Appendix 4) were given to ten participants within the defined demographics of the target audience of this research. The kits included clear instructions towards the three tasks and the research contributors were each given a timeframe of one week to complete the tasks and return their responses. The approach of the cultural probes was to challenge the participants views about their own sustainability awareness through the exploration of some of nature’s unifying patterns within the three biomimetic tasks. This was also reflected in the content of the cultural probes themselves as each kit consisted out of a mixture of sustainable and unsustainable materials such as paper, post-it sticky notes, aluminium foil, Play-Doh, cotton buds, a balloon, biodegradable twine, paper clips, plastic hooks, pebbles and a toothpick. Participants were also encouraged to add any materials of their own choice if they wish to do so.
Figure 21 - The probe kits should be returned within one week
Through this unique approach the cultural probe kits cannot be analysed in any traditional aspects. However, their outcomes can be examined through the classification of the six pre-defined natural unifying patterns used in this research as well as through the participants choice of materials and the final creative outcome itself. The cultural probe kits should prompt unexpected, expressive and imaginative responses from the ten participants, which can provide the general research with a valuable insight into the relations between humans and nature. 50
Analysation and Findings
Throughout the process of conducting the primary research for this dissertation in context with biomimicry, sustainability and consumerism, certain key elements could be found and identified via a series of analysation techniques. This chapter will give an insight into the conclusive findings as well as the applied analysation methods that have been utilised towards the exploration of the influence biomimicry can have on our consumption behaviour. Natures unifying patterns are a key step towards the application of successful biomimicry designs and ensure that any creations are suitable within our planetary environment (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). They are informed by the context and limitations within the natural world and hence provide a sustainable approach towards the establishment of nature-based innovations which can also, to a certain extent, be adapted to human-based design solutions (Biomimicry Toolbox, 2018). Hence, the natural unifying patterns were playing a big role in the conduction of the primary research and will also form the key approach towards analysing the findings of this study. Because as Janine Benyus states in her book ‘Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature’ (2009), if we are attentive to nature’s lessons we might be able to learn from a functioning system that has harboured life on this planet in a sustainable way for billions of years without ever harming the environment. The analysation in context with this dissertation aims to successfully implement this approach through the allocation of some of nature’s unifying patterns to each of the conducted primary research methods. By associating the most relevant patterns to the visual research, ethnography, behavioural mapping as well as cultural probes, it was possible to compare and conclude upon the findings of our societies consumption behaviour in context with nature-based principles. This method of analysation also ensures that the discoveries of this study will be adequate within a circular economy, as this sustainable economic tactic aims to keep natures resources in use as long as possible. Through this approach, the overall findings of this study can not only contribute towards the understanding of how the circular design thinking process can be improved, but also help the circular economy to be more appealing to a wider design audience.
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The visual research within this dissertation aims to represent relevant biomimicry and sustainability fabrications as well as current consumeristic influences and behaviours through a pictorial collage of gathered data.
Figure 22 - The final visual research
This research method was analysed through the application of six of nature’s unifying patterns in form of a raster. The overall findings of the visual research portray an insightful contextualisation of our current problematic with consumerism and display various man-made contributions towards its containment. Single use plastics, unnecessary packaging, non-recyclable materials and a wasteful behaviour towards consumption could be identified as the leading sources regarding our present consumeristic dilemma. When analysed through the biomimetic patterns, it 52
can also be observed that all of nature’s patterns are contradicting themselves with our present consumption behaviour. This results in the fact that a large number of our society practices a highly unsustainable and wasteful lifestyle. Consequently, our current design approaches are also of a low quality in terms of eco-friendliness and especially in context with the principles of a circular economy. Additionally, a great amount of the gathered unsustainable data could not only be assigned to one particular pattern within the raster, but to a number of them. This means that the area of consumeristic affiliation is spreading significantly, making consumerism a problem of an even larger dimension. In regards of the existing sustainable products, it can be said that, again, various visual information’s could be identified via a variety of nature’s patterns. However, in this case the association happens in a more positive context as those products and systems are being designed, produced and used alongside natural standards. Another finding in this perspective shows that the range of products and systems is rather diverse, spanning from re-usable materials to composting. In terms of relevant and existing biomimicry projects it can be observed that those fit in the easiest within the natural patterns as they were designed bearing exactly those principles in mind. Interestingly, biomimicry products and projects also take the unifying patterns very literally and apply them in a vast variety of approaches throughout different environments and contextualisation’s. Overall, the findings of the visual research are an accurate portrayal of existing sustainable, unsustainable and biomimetic fabrications. The research visually represents the classification of consumer goods within a natural environment and therefore proposes examples of each of nature’s unifying principles, its usage and consequences on our environment within a consumeristic society.
The ethnographic research aims to provide a deeper understanding of the core patterns and principles of our societies consumeristic behaviours as well as their sustainability awareness in an offline and online environment (e.g. see Appendix 2). The gathered data from this research was analysed in context with two of nature’s unifying patterns, ‘Nature recycles everything’ and ‘Nature provides mutual benefits’. This was accomplished through the implementation of the ‘Triangulation’ method, which compares and rates the observed online and offline consumeristic behaviours to the two chosen biomimetic patterns.
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Figure 23 - Data analysis through the principle of ‘Nature recycles everything’
When looking at the individual triangulation methods, it becomes apparent that there are various differences towards the findings of online and offline consumeristic behaviours in terms of providing mutual benefits and recycling. However, both sets of analysed data revealed some consentaneous results, indicating natures predominant impact on our behaviour. In this context, the factors which are 54
influencing offline consumerism the most in a positive way are the observed emotions, feelings of good consciousness when buying sustainable goods as well as the apparent feeling of guilt when not. Contrarily, factors that are affecting online consumerism in an optimistic way are the need of displaying a sense of care for sustainability issues within a community as well as the education of others through the exposure of online sustainable content.
Figure 24 - Data analysis through the principle of ‘Nature provides mutual benefits’
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Overall, the two analyses show that when it comes to positive factors, the exposure through the internet tends to make the target audience care more about their online portrayal as well as for others. This differs vastly from the findings in the offline consumeristic environment where people tend to think more about themselves but also seem to be exposed to more guilt and emotions. Comparingly, factors that are influencing offline consumerism in an unsustainable way are the pursuing of short-lived trends, the availability of cheap and unrecyclable goods, our prior consumption experience as well as peer pressure. On the other hand, factors that are negatively impacting online consumerism are the easy and cheap access to the internet, the lack of any consumption limits, social media as well as the idealisation of the wrong examples. Generally, the two sets of analysed data display that the negative influences, in both online and offline consumerism, are depending on societies unwillingness to spend more money on qualitative goods as well as their need of following trends and comparing themselves in a constant matter to unrealistic idols and measurements.
The practise of behavioural mapping within this research aims to identify where and how consumerism is occurring within a specific location (e.g. see Appendix 3). The final map was analysed through the application of two of nature’s unifying patterns, ‘Nature demands local expertise’ and ‘Nature optimises rather than maximises’. This was achieved through the comparison of the patterns to the gathered data via the usage of observational notes. Upon the first look, the behavioural map shows an impression of consumerism in Edinburgh’s city centre. Coloured dots are indicating sustainable as well as unsustainable consumption hotspots and the associated contoured lines are displaying the observed consumption behaviour of individuals within the target audience. Coloured translucent areas are representing the availability of online delivery areas. Through the analysation of the visual interpretation of behaviour against the two natural patterns, it can be specified that unsustainable offline shops follow a maximisation approach, as they are mostly concentrated in the city centre and primarily target spaces where a larger shopping audience can be expected.
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Figure 25 - The final behavioural map
Figure 26 - Data analysis of the behavioural map
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Unsustainable behaviour is also more prominent than sustainable shopping behaviour and can be observed throughout the city centre, reaching even more secluded areas. Another interesting finding through the analysation of the data in context with the unique history and setting of Edinburgh is that most consumeristic hotspots can be found in the New Town rather than in the cities Old Town. On the other hand, sustainable shops are ensuing the natural patterns of optimisation rather than maximisation as well as local expertise. They are more spread out and enhance their consumption coverage according to local suitability. The associated sustainable consumption behaviour is, again, located mostly outside the city centre and does not cover as big of an area than the observed unsustainable consumption behaviour. Contrarily, online shopping opportunities are present everywhere, following neither of the two natural unifying patterns. Although, online consumeristic behaviour is not measurable, it can be assumed that it is using the principle of maximisation rather than optimisation as fast delivery and various pick-up location encourage and support online consumerism immensely. Overall, the behavioural mapping doesn’t showcase any surprises regarding people’s consumption behaviour in context with a typical cityscape. However, it can be stated that consumptions opportunities, that do not follow the principle of optimisation or local expertise are vastly unsustainable.
The cultural probes aim to test whether the research approach can stimulate the identified target audience to adapt a more sustainable consumeristic lifestyle through the usage of biomimicry inspired probe kits. Cultural probes provide unique and subjective findings based on individual participants, henceforth they cannot be formally evaluated in any way (Martin & Hanington, 2017). However, the outcomes can be creatively analysed in the form of personal interpretation and thus provide the research with rich information (Martin & Hanington, 2017). The findings of the probes are therefore evaluated as a collective via a subjective interpretation in context with some of nature’s unifying patterns. The first task of the probe kit takes nature as inspiration and required each participant to take ten pictures of anything natural that inspires them. Overall, the task was understood and fulfilled similarly across the participants as the pictures all displayed an interaction of nature with the built environment. The second and third tasks, have been of mixed outcomes, although the findings are reflecting the participants sustainability awareness in terms of
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purpose, as they are not only created for the participants themselves, but for the greater sustainable good of our future society.
Figure 27 - One of the ten cultural probe kits
The natural unifying patterns that can be observed in the findings are ‘Nature uses only the energy it needs and relies on freely available energy’, ‘Nature optimizes rather than maximizes’, ‘Nature rewards cooperation’, ‘Nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings’, ‘Nature is locally attuned and responsive’ and ‘Nature uses shape to determine functionality’. Additionally, the results can all be evaluated through the principle of ‘Nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings’ and ‘Nature recycles all materials’. This was possible as all the materials incorporated in the probes where either sustainable or not, therefore offering another layer to evaluate the participants sustainability awareness upon. Interestingly, the materials used for the creations are of mixed heritage with a slight tenancy towards the usage of unsustainable tin foil and plastics, which of course contradict a natural approach. However, in general it can be stated that the biomimetic probes offered a unique insight into the thinking and designing process of the participants within the target group. They showcased that the participants are well aware of sustainability issues and are willing to make changes, not only for themselves but also for the good of others, even though it seems that they are struggling in terms of sustainable material usage. 59
Discussion and Conclusion
“Behaviour is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The purpose of this last chapter is to discuss as well as conclude upon the findings revealed in the literature review and the primary research in context with the theoretical framework of this study. It aims to identify whether a biomimetic design approach can inspire individuals to be more sustainable as consumers by taking the emerging circular economy strategy into context.
Biomimicry has informed design for centuries, intentionally as well as unknowingly, and its applications are infinite, as are the features of the natural world that might be imitated. Those approaches are widely discussed in academic publications, and their sustainable solutions have helped humans to solve a variety of challenging problems throughout the world. However, it appears that biomimicry as a design methodology is only being recognised and perceived as a physical approach, resulting in the creation of products, developments and systems opposed to processes of the mind such as actions and certain beliefs. Thus, biomimicry in context with behavioural changing design has not yet been adequately investigated, making it a suitable and promising investigative topic towards the improvement of our societies sustainability awareness. The critical framework of this dissertation explores the influence of biomimicry on human behaviour in context with consumerism and sustainability, which introduces the application of a biomimetic approach on an intangible design thinking process. It is argued that in order to increase people’s sustainability awareness, designers do not only have to create products that are ‘sustainable’, but they should also be ‘behaviourally effective’ in order to help people change their behaviour towards a less consumeristic lifestyle (Crocker, 2017).
As discussed in the first chapter, the concept of a circular economy aims to extend the lifespan of products by focusing on recycling, limiting, repairing and reusing
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materials beyond their ‘planned obsolescence’ (Brears, 2018). The need for this economic approach has been made apparent through the visual research, as the effects of our modern-day consumerism can be clearly identified through the observation of human consumeristic behaviour. However, the visual research also portrays biomimetic and sustainable approaches that are dedicated to identifying a solution to the named problematic. This demonstrates that, against some critic’s assumptions, circular products and systems can indeed be implemented and successful. Thus, the visual research suggests that a mental as well as physical economic change must happen in order to lead people to a more sustainable lifestyle. This is in contrast to the investigated and already existing sustainable and biomimetic visualisations, which are still mostly following an objectified embodiment opposed to provoking a behavioural change in consumers. Thus, when creating a solution towards our consumerism, designers must not only ensure that their designs are ecologically sourced and produced, but also combine a physical approach with a mental opponent that targets the audience’s sustainability awareness.
Supporting this claim are the results of the ethnographic research which suggest that there are apparent patterns in consumeristic behaviour which, when successfully implemented and targeted, can be revolved in order to change online as well as offline consumeristic behaviour to follow a more circular inspired flow by using nature’s unifying patterns. However, designing for behaviour change is not as straightforward as it seems, as the overall process entails four phases that aim to understand how the mind works, discover the right behaviours to change, design products around that and to refine the products impact through analysis (Wendel, 2013). Biomimetic design solutions thus have to be contextualised in a circular flow to ensure that a behaviour change is applied and tested throughout the four phases and that the design thinking process leads to sustainable outcomes, which embrace biomimetic principles rather than just visually mimic pleasant natural appearances. Thus, behavioural changing designs must feature various layers of value, which prevent the association of the biomimetic approach with a short-lived trend, opposed to a real change. For designers, this means that they can achieve those valuable behavioural changing creations through the use of human-based intuitive responses
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that are grounded in simple associations by using nature’s patterns and strategies to change our societies excessive and unsustainable consumeristic behaviour.
When designing for behaviour change and in regards of our intuitive responses via biomimetic principles it is also worth discussing the context of the design outcomes as well as their location. As displayed through the behavioural mapping of consumerism, certain actions occur according to specific locations. Thus, it can be argued that when designing for behaviour change, those settings have to be considered as well as online shopping and individual cultural changes that occur at particular places (Wendel, 2013). This leads to the general understanding, that when designing for a change in consumption behaviour through a biomimetic approach, designers have to take a full circular economic and human centred design tactic into context, which starts with the inclusion of the people we are designing for and ends with tailor made solutions for a specific group. Eventual encounters of problematics towards the understanding of behavioural changing design due to cultural or linguistical differences, might be antagonised through the usage of nature’s unifying patterns. This can be speculated upon the fact that the patterns are a universal core concept of biomimicry, which are ensuring the application of sustainable design forms throughout the planet based on the point that nature itself is universal.
Another point of discussion is societies material awareness displayed through the cultural probes in context with the study’s approach. Although it seems that there is a general desirability towards a sustainable lifestyle, research participants did not tend to follow a purely biological materialistic approach. This leads to the assumption that, in order to design for behaviour change through biomimicry, a general awareness within the consumer has to be created through the building of new behaviours in association with biomimetic principles (Wendel, 2013). Designers can achieve this by including circular and biomimetic methodologies within their design thinking process as well as the initial design outcomes. By approaching the problem with low energy, material efficient, waste free and non-toxic design elements, this will also result in new associations between users and the behavioural changing designs. Thus, the consideration of life cycles as a design element guarantees sustainability towards physical and mental behavioural design changes. 62
To conclude upon this dissertation, it can be stated that whilst the circular economy, behaviour changing design and the field of biomimicry are each well-established on their own, it has not yet been common to subsume them into one single design approach. Despite the uniqueness of this methodology it was possible within this research to test and analyse some of its elements in context with the current problematic of unsustainable consumerism in our society. This is resulting in the general conclusion that by taking inspiration from nature and by incorporating natural strategies into our design thinking as well as into our design process, we can ensure that the outcome will be sustainable. In regard to changing our societies current consumption behaviour through biomimicry inspired design approaches, it can be concluded upon the fact that the research showcases the need for this kind of design approach as well as its enormous potential. It also highlights biomimicry’s ability to drive such environmentally sustainable solutions in the design field, which is particularly worth mentioning in regard to the challenges faced by todays industry and their relationship with sustainability. A bond between the field of behavioural changing design and biomimetic approaches, thus make sense, given that human intuitive responses and natural selection favours natures time tested patterns and strategies. Overall, the study of behaviour changing design in this research suggests that a biomimetic design approach could indeed be one of many potential solutions towards the elimination and/or reduction of unsustainable consumption behaviours. Further research into this topic has to be warranted in order to fully determine to what extent this approach can be applicable, however it can be speculated that with time and persistence this methodology might be able to overcome certain limitations and thus contribute towards a real change in how society perceives our restricted earthly resources and the valuable life supporting environment of our planet Earth. Although, even without additional research and speculations, this study stands as justification that biomimicry can indeed inspire us to be more sustainable as consumers and can be applied alongside the UN Sustainable Development Goals through The Oslo Manifesto. And ultimately it should, as we only have one planet to live upon and biomimicry now gives us the chance to alter our current behaviours and systems in order to take steps towards a positive change, one that is supporting life on Earth rather than damaging it for future generations.
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Appendices
The four appendices within this document provide information related to the primary research, conducted in context of biomimicry and its possible influence on our current consumption behaviour. For even more detailed primary research data please visit the official blog of this study: www.dissertationresearcher.tumblr.com Appendix 1 Visual Research
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Visual Research - Detailed View 1
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Visual Research - Detailed View 2
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Appendix 2 Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 1
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 1
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 2
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 2
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 3
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 3
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 4
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 4
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 5
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Online Ethnographic Research - Consumer 5
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Poundland
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Poundland
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Primark
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Primark
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Sustainable Shops
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Offline Ethnographic Research - Sustainable Shops
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Appendix 3 Behavioural Mapping - Details
Behavioural Mapping - Layer 1 (added unsustainable & heavy consumption)
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Behavioural Mapping - Layer 2 (added sustainable & light consumption)
Behavioural Mapping - Layer 3 (added online consumption)
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The Final Behavioural Map
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Appendix 4 The Content of the Biomimicry Probe Kits
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The Tasks in the Probe Kit
Hello! - Firstly, thank you for taking part in this wee exercise! This cultural probe kit was designed by Theresa Wiesinger, a postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University. The kit is part of Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about taking inspiration from nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Please take a little time to complete the three tasks enclosed in this kit & send your results back to Theresa via this email address: theresa.kraler@googlemail.com Thank you very much and remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this - just have fun and do whatever feels right!
Hello!
The Finished Biomimicry Probe Kit - Firstly, thank you for taking part in this wee exercise! This cultural probe kit was designed by Theresa Wiesinger, a postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University. The kit is part of Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about taking inspiration from nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Please take a little time to complete the three tasks enclosed in this kit & send your results back to Theresa via this email address: theresa.kraler@googlemail.com Thank you very much and remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this - just have fun and do whatever feels right!
Hello! - Firstly, thank you for taking part in this wee exercise! This cultural probe kit was designed by Theresa Wiesinger, a postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University. The kit is part of Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about taking inspiration from nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Please take a little time to complete the three tasks enclosed in this kit & send your results back to Theresa via this email address: theresa.kraler@googlemail.com Thank you very much and remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this - just have fun and do whatever feels right!
Tasks Hello! th - Please complete the following three part tasksinuntil July - - Firstly, thank you for taking this the wee12 exercise!
- Please
INSPIRED - Please ten pictures ThisGET cultural probeBY kitNATURE was designed by take Theresa Wiesinger, a naturalUniversity. that inspires with your mobile phone of anythingNapier postgraduate student at Edinburgh The kit you in way. Hold on to the pictures! is part of any Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about TAKE NATURE AS MENTOR - For this secondofpart, please taking inspiration from nature for the purpose solving complex take problems. inspiration from nature. Now it is time to let your human creativity flow! Create something (it can be anything that in fromtake objects totime solutions for complex problems) Please a little to complete the three tasks enclosed youyour to be moreback sustainable in any way.email You can thisinspires kit & send results to Theresa via this address: use any of the materials in this kit. You can also include any other resources. Sketches, sculptures or prototypes theresa.kraler@googlemail.com there is no right or wrong outcome!
G w y
Thank you very much and- remember, is no right or wrong NATURE AS CHANGE Please writethere a brief explanation wayoftowhy do this just haveinspires fun andyou doto whatever right! your-creation be morefeels sustainable.
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T t c f i u a t
Hello! Tasks
- Firstly, thank you for taking this the wee12 exercise! th - Please complete the following three part tasksinuntil July - -
- Please
ThisGET cultural probeBY kitNATURE was designed by take Theresa Wiesinger, a INSPIRED - Please ten pictures postgraduate student at Edinburgh The kit naturalUniversity. that inspires with your mobile phone of anythingNapier is part of any Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing you in way. Hold on to the pictures! natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about taking inspiration from nature for the purpose solving complex TAKE NATURE AS MENTOR - For this secondofpart, please human take problems. inspiration from nature. Now it is time to let your creativity flow! Create something (it can be anything Please a little to complete the three tasks enclosed that in fromtake objects totime solutions for complex problems) thisinspires kit & send results to Theresa via this address: youyour to be moreback sustainable in any way.email You can use any of the materials in this kit. You can also include theresa.kraler@googlemail.com any other resources. Sketches, sculptures or prototypes there is no right or wrong outcome! Thank you very much and remember, there is no right or wrong NATURE AS CHANGE - Please write a brief explanation way to do this - just have fun and do whatever feels right! of why your creation inspires you to be more sustainable.
G w y
T t c f i u a t
N o
Tasks Hello! th - Please complete the following three part tasksinuntil July - - Firstly, thank you for taking this the wee12 exercise!
- Please
INSPIRED - Please ten pictures ThisGET cultural probeBY kitNATURE was designed by take Theresa Wiesinger, a naturalUniversity. that inspires with your mobile phone of anythingNapier postgraduate student at Edinburgh The kit you in way. Hold on to the pictures! is part of any Theresa’s dissertation research, which is addressing natures role in design, also known as Biomimicry. It is all about TAKE NATURE AS MENTOR - For this secondofpart, please taking inspiration from nature for the purpose solving complex take problems. inspiration from nature. Now it is time to let your human creativity flow! Create something (it can be anything that in fromtake objects totime solutions for complex problems) Please a little to complete the three tasks enclosed inspires youyour to be moreback sustainable in any way.email You can this kit & send results to Theresa via this address: use any of the materials in this kit. You can also include any other resources. Sketches, sculptures or prototypes theresa.kraler@googlemail.com there is no right or wrong outcome!
G w y
Thank you very much and- remember, is no right or wrong NATURE AS CHANGE Please writethere a brief explanation wayoftowhy do this just haveinspires fun andyou doto whatever right! your-creation be morefeels sustainable.
N o
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T t c f i u a t
Probe Kit Results - Consumer 1
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 1
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 2
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 2
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 3
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 3
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 4
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 4
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 5
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Probe Kit Results - Consumer 5
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