BCI in Nature May 7, 2023

The Raptor Center

This past semester in my biomimicry program I was looking into how nature creates color. I did a lot of research and fell down even more rabbit holes looking at berries, flowers, birds, coral, sea anemones, algae, to name just a few things. The more research I did, the more complicated I seemed to be making it and the more complicated it felt. I wrote up pages and pages of notes, I created diagrams upon diagrams.

As I researched I started to lean more into birds and into their wings more specifically. Some were so bright and colorful, some even iridescent. Some more muted tones of brown. But how did that all work? How was that color created?

Before studying biomimicry, I never would have wondered. I would have just thought how beautiful the colors on that bird was. Now I wanted to know more. Because in order to find solutions to problems using on nature’s wisdom, you have to understand nature’s wisdom.

So, having done more research than I could store in my head and knowing that I was at a point in my learning where I needed to actually connect the dots visually, the family and I headed to the Raptor center here in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

It’s hard to explain how I would have experienced a place like this before I studied biomimicry other than I would have thought the birds were interesting and lovely. I probably would have noticed their shapes and maybe personalities and definitely their colors (as artists do).

But my experience this time was completely different. I was noticing how the claws were shaped and what they were made of and what their purpose would be in relation to eating/hunting/foraging/climbing. I was noticing how their heads turned, how deeply inset their eyes were, where their eyes were placed, how their eyelids were shaped and why they might be shaped that way.

Our guide was fantastic in their knowledge and I was soaking it all up and (amazingly) automatically thinking about how it could be applied to design over and over again! Whereas, previously I would have just thought it an interesting tidbit of knowledge.

And, of course, not forgetting my objective, I was able to get a closer look at the feathers and really see all the research I had done in action. I was able to listen to how some of the feathers make noise because of their shape and structure whereas some are nearly silent.

Beyond that, the Raptor Center also did speak about native habitats and Prairie Lands which also tied into other research I had been doing in sustainability and the effects of fossil fuels and mining, and reminds us once again that nature is an entire ecosystem. These birds aren’t just independent bits of nature. They are part of an ecosystem and we need all parts of that ecosystem healthy for them to thrive.

I walked away from the raptor center, realizing something had completely shifted this past semester. The first thing I said to my husband was that I wanted to find more places like this to visit this year. In the past I would have been inspired by their colors and shapes and would have imagined some sort of beautiful artwork (well, I still do to be honest because nature is beautiful). BUT, now the combination of the knowledge of the guides and seeing the organisms up close, with my studies in biomimicry have opened up a new world this past semester and I’m so excited to see where it takes me.

Biomimicry and Sustainable Design Reflection

“How does nature….”

I seems like such a simple question: How does nature…. Yet, before studying biomimicry, it’s a question I would never have used when looking to solve a question that wasn’t already directly related to nature. If I wanted to know how certain types of clouds appear in the sky, then it’s a question I would probably ask. But when trying to develop a system for running a business that thrives or when developing an idea for a new product, it’s definitely not a question I would have even imagined of asking. But, quite honestly, now I can’t imagine NOT asking the question almost right away. It now seems so obvious. Nature has evolved over 3.8 billion years. We spend countless hours, weeks, months, years looking for mentors and I venture to say nature is probably the most experienced.

At the very beginning of the semester I was struggling a bit with the word “innovation”. In the end, the innovation of the industrial revolution ended up not being so great for us and our planet. In my own artistic practice, I have been spending time looking back into more historical documents to find recipes for paints and textiles that didn’t involve chemicals or fossil fuel based ingredients, so the idea of innovation was a bit nerve wracking for me. I was more drawn to looking backward in order to go forward.

However, throughout the semester, what unraveled was actually a beautiful opportunity of ancient knowledge and hopeful, sustainable innovation. Yes, there’s knowledge and still opportunity in the wisdom of nature and also in some of these ancient arts, but there’s still opportunity to expand on those and innovate for what we need now that could even solve some of our current problems.

I started to not only see product design differently, but whole ecosystems differently. I was no longer looking at the future of just a painting, but at the future of spaces. With the work of other biomimetic engineers and architects and how they are reimagining sustainable spaces inspired by biomimetic design, it allowed me to contemplate what the roll of art would play in those spaces? That leads into what would art based on biomimetic design look like, which was the basis for my individual project for this semester. I imagined a Regenerative Art Piece to live in a sustainable designed building like an apartment building or hotel.

But that still wasn’t the end. Beyond that I still had to think of a bigger ecosystem. What sort of business framework based on biomimetic design would make these sort of art pieces AND how it would sit in the community?

The Life’s Principles also gave me a tool of measurement for designs going forward that I’m grateful for. Now, whenever creating something new, I have something to measure it against to know where it’s successful as far as sustainability and where it could be better.

As artists, we are very often inspired by nature in our work. But biomimcry is a very different way of looking at it. With a tool like this, it allows artists and designers to create work that is more conducive to life instead of something that maybe just looks like a forest but is potentially harmful to the environment.

This semester gave me the ability and the curiosity to look to nature for inspiration, to translate that into possible ideas and solutions and to give me another way to think outside of the box.

BCI in Nature April 22, 2023 Earth Day

Be, Contemplate, Imagine

I have been spending the past few days doing an large amount of research on the life cycle of acrylic paint all the way from how the very first raw materials are sourced to how it’s disposed of and where it goes. And if I’m completely honest, it’s got me down. And I mean REALLY, REALLY down. Over the past year I have done quite a bit of research on acrylic paint and the more research I do, the more disheartened and disgusted I get.

Although, I strongly believe that one powerful way forward for change is through education. How can we even want to make a change if we don’t truly know the impact of our choices? Another, is through reconnecting with nature. Somewhere along the way a lot of us have become disconnected and we’ve lost our curiosity.

So, on this Earth Day, I put my research to the side that was making me sad, and I headed outside. Nature showed up in a big way!

In my biomimicry project, I researched how perennial prairie plants, such as switchgrass, are able to regenerate the ecosystem they live in and how it’s becoming an important focus for regenerative agriculture. The plants are planted only once, they re-seed year after year increasingly benefiting the entire ecosystem. The alternative is planting annuals which only seed once, are harvested and then have to be replanted. This often disrupts the ecosystem and leaves the ecosystem out of balance and less healthy.

In an art studio, we can take this example into our art practice by going all the way back to the beginning of our design practice and looking at what sort of inputs we are putting into our art. There needs to be a system where we make intentional choices on the materials we are choosing in our art which will affect the end of life of our products. If the goal is to make art that doesn’t harm the planet or the people on it, then we need to be looking at what we are using to make that art.

I find it increasingly interesting how many artists create art to speak about environmental issues, but how so few actually consider how the art they are creating impacts the environment. Hopefully, creating new systems and processes inspired and measured by nature herself will really bring that connection full-circle.

BCI in Nature April 2, 2023

Be, Contemplate, Imagine

It’s that time of year in Minnesota where winter seems to want to hang on and spring wants to make its appearance at the same time. There’s still plenty of snow on the ground, especially after the snow storm we had two nights ago, but the sun is shining bright and the temperatures hint toward spring on the horizon.

You can hear the birds singing away while the snow melts off the trees and rooftops in the city:

For me, spring always brings a burst of inspiration. Nature herself gets energized too as the snow melts away revealing signs of life all around us! Every winter, ideas are like dormant seeds waiting to be released - and when spring arrives, they emerge in a flurry of passion.

One of these ideas that has been percolating over the winter is the question of how a painting can be something that lives on longer than one life cycle. Many (maybe all?) artists are inspired by nature. But yet, most all of us take little to no consideration of nature into our practice. We may have messages to share about nature. We may even want to tell the world how to treat the one planet Earth we have better. But, most all of us do not think at all about the materials we use in our works or what happens to the work we create when it has lived its intended life. The last thing we want to believe is that our beloved paintings are ending up in the landfills or that the materials we are using are contributing to global warming… but here we are.

However, spring doesn’t have an energy of doom and gloom. It’s energy is of inspiration, motivation and hope. This design project has had me looking to nature for solutions to this problem through the lens of biomimicry using nature to help find the solutions and what I’ve come up with is a Regenerative Painting that uses life-friendly materials, can live multiple lives with no waste and never touching a landfill. Beyond that, during its many lives it has the opportunity to build a thriving community of artisans all putting nature first and making their mark in the world of sustainable art.

With spring also comes a season of house cleaning, and with it often comes redecorating. What if this idea of a Regenerative Painting went beyond a painting? What if the curtains, pillows, rugs, bedding, chairs, sofas, headboards and other home decor items that are most commonly changed out could be applied to a Regenerative Design concept like this as well? How many more tons of trash could we keep out of the landfill and how many more artisans would be making a living doing what they love?

The Bio Polar Coat - A Challenge to Biology Design Spiral Exercise

This is the first spin around the Challenge to Biology Design Spiral (or the first three spins I guess you could say). The exercise was to design a coat, any coat. But living in Minnesota and it being winter outside, a winter coat was top of mind. Keeping in mind again that the reality of bring the design ideas to fruition wasn’t the purpose of the exercise. Instead, it was exploring the steps of the design spiral and getting a feel for how it works. That being said, I give you the Bio Polar Coat:

Sources:

Polar Bear: https://asknature.org/strategy/fur-absorbs-infrared-radiation-to-prevent-heat-loss/

Amoeba: https://asknature.org/strategy/cell-coat-provides-impermeability/

Antarctic Springtail: https://asknature.org/strategy/compounds-protect-from-extreme-cold/

Biology to Design Spiral

We spent some time in class exploring the Biology to Design Spiral.

What would it be like to see something in nature and be so inspired by it to create/invent something based off of it. Keep in mind that these ideas may be based in fantasy because this was just an exploration of how the spiral itself functions and not the actual plausibility of the design ideas. But here is what I came up with.

Life's Principles in Biomimicry and Design

I talk quite often with my artisan clients about SLOWING down in their design process. When we work from a place of stress and hurriedness we tend to make decisions that aren’t the best for ourselves, our work and our business. So, let’s take a moment to embody that moment of slowing down and let’s imagine being a little fairy, the size of an oak leaf, sitting on a mushroom in a green mossy forest.

What do you hear around you? Maybe the wind in the trees? Maybe other woodland life? Maybe a brook?

What do you see around you? I imagine bright lush greens, deep browns, and all kinds of lovely little flowers. A few ladybugs. Lots of moss and a little stream.

What do you smell?

Have you been in an area like this before? Maybe you can relate more to a tropical area or a coastal area? But I know you have been in those places where you can feel the life all around you, right?

Biomimicry is the idea that nature already holds all the answers and I’d be willing to bet, when you were in those places, surrounded by nature you could actually feel that, couldn’t you? We as humans like to think that we know everything, but nature has learned and evolved over centuries more than us humans, so I argue that we can learn a little something from it (well, a LOT of something). In the end, with humans in charge, we aren’t doing such a great job.

Life’s purpose really is to create conditions conducive to life. WOW! right?

There are principles in nature that exist to be true over and over again which therefore we can consider to be strategies (you know how much I love a good strategy) to apply for thriving. As artisans we can apply these strategies to our lives, our business, and our designs!

Organisms have evolved and adapted through centuries to continue to thrive even in changing conditions. Nature turns waste into food for something else and uses life-friendly chemistry (not toxic sludge). Nature uses cyclic processes where nothing is ever wasted.

We can use these principles to help us align our business and our practices (and our lives) with more natural practices and are more life-friendly AND that have already been proved to work.

For example: Artists tend to work solo. Some are successful and some are not, both in business and in their work. All holding unique knowledge and skills. How do we bridge that gap so that successful skills & strategies are shared and there is more success on the whole for artisans even when the world is changing, consumer needs are changing, and the economy is changing?

The answer lies in Evolve to Survive: Replicate strategies that work

What does that look like in nature? The chimpanzee

“Even without intent or instruction, simply providing the tool for the job is a form of teaching. But adults aren’t only out to teach. They’re still trying to feed themselves as well, so these teacher-mothers approach the termite nests prepared. Instead of losing their utensils completely, the adults have a backup plan: sometimes carrying multiple tools or dividing their own herb stems in half lengthwise to make two useful tools, so both teacher and student can catch a meal. Teaching through sharing has led to developing efficient new strategies to both spread the lesson and minimize impact on the teacher. It fosters sustainable ways to fulfill the demands of less skilled community members and multiplies learning opportunities." "These patterns suggest that chimpanzee communities can maintain more complex tool use patterns when the teaching effort or teaching willingness is relatively high." (from asknature.com) This tells us that passing down skills and knowledge is important so as an artisan you might want to consider teaching you skills, writing a book, creating a blog and maybe most importantly creating an apprenticeship program. Or, if you aren’t ready to be the teacher, maybe you need to look for a mentor who can teach you the skills you might be lacking.

Here’s one more: Birds

"Birds evaluate external threats, their previous success, and the success of others in determining where and how to build their nests. Many species, like kittiwakes and piping plovers, will adjust their nesting sites year to year based on their own reproductive success. If a bird fails to produce young that survive to the fledgling stage, the following year it will build a nest much farther away, whereas a successful bird will stay in roughly the same area.

Even more interestingly, birds who fail to breed will peek at their neighbors’ nests to help them decide where to build next. A study showed that piping plovers with unsuccessful neighbors chose sites 34 times further away the following year compared to birds with successful neighbors.

Once a site is selected, the building of the nest begins and involves an equally complex decision-making process. The color, size, and sturdiness of chosen building materials can all be influenced by a bird’s experience and observations. In one fascinating study, zebra finches were forced to build a nest with material of a color they did not prefer. If they went on to raise chicks successfully, the following year they chose to build their nest out of that same color material, despite having other initially-preferred colors at their disposal." (from asknature.com) For whatever reason, we like think we can figure it out on our own. Maybe it’s pride, maybe it’s stubbornness. But nature has learned over centuries that the best strategy is to learn from those who have had success and those who have failed! The key here is community. You need to have people around you doing the things for you to learn from. Again, artisans tend to works solo and it’s impossible to have people to learn from if you are working by yourself all the time. Find a community of artisans who are thriving and be a part of the conversations. What can you learn?

Slow down. We have a planet beyond the brink and the decisions we make DO make a difference. It’s worth taking a day (yes, more than a few moments because this really deserves your time) and really looking at how your business sits within your community and looking at how your designs are making an impact. Is it breathing life and giving life? Is it creating conditions conducive to life? Would the fairy-you be proud?

Evaluating a Product using Life's Principles

For this assignment we used Life’s Principles to evaluate a product design.

Is the Design Locally Attuned and Responsive?

Is the Design Resourceful? The design is resourceful in that the entire shape is made of the same materials with the exception of the sealing ring, it makes use of materials which would be considered waste and does not use any fossil fuel based materials. Coffee grounds needed for the design are already processed from farm, into coffee in local coffee shops and resulting into used grounds in the cycle before getting to the company.

The opportunity for sustainability is to reuse a material that would otherwise be thrown out, and to create a product that would replace a single use product popular in today's culture: the single-use to go coffee cup.

Does it leverage feedback loops? Their system is built to be very hands on and with open communication through all levels of the system. It’s a very small and hands-on company at all levels. They recently turned their office space into a local coworking space and are using their products in the space to get immediate feedback as well.

When it uses materials, are the materials locally available and abundant? They collect used coffee grounds using a social bicycle company from local partners and cafes in Berlin “paying special attention to origin as well as fair, social & transparent cooperation with farmers & traders” (quote from their website). Materials processed, cups created and shipped all from Berlin.

Does the design integrate cyclic processes?

Are processes cyclical? The cups use recycled materials: coffee grounds in particular. This helps the coffee shops deviate waste from landfills. But, the cycle is not closed for the cup itself. The EOL for the coffee cup is an incinerator for the moment (in the EU). There is an opportunity here for the cup to be broken back down and repurposed since it is made from all of the same materials, aside from the sealing ring which is easily removable.

Does it integrate local feedback loops? The design itself remains very much unchanged. The intent is for the design to remain timeless with the form following function. “If you rely on timeless & long-lasting products you have to make less, often exhausting purchasing decisions. Less cheap products that are poorly produced just for a short hype time flood our markets and landfills. So what is timeless and lasts for a long time makes us happier, it protects our resources and produces less waste.” (quote from the website) That being said, they do take feedback from their consumers and have recently made a lid that enables them to completely seal the cup if needed.

Is the design resilient?

Can it withstand disturbance while maintaining function? The design is very tough, like a plastic. It is food safe, and dishwasher safe. I’ve dropped mine many times and it has not broken. It does show signs of wear after time, but it has not affected its functionality.

Does it heal after disturbance? The only piece that seems to have a possibility of faltering is the seal. It’s possible the sealing ring could not work, but it is designed quite tight. The company does offer a free replacement if one is needed.

I have heard various statistics of how coffee growing regions are being affected by climate change, so if we imagine that coffee becomes scarce, that would affect this company's supply chain and design dramatically. Fortunately, this company has already begun diversifying their designs and started incorporating beechwood from landfills in their coffee cups as well.

Are there opportunities for cross-pollination and mutation? The coffee cup may have been only the beginning. This company is already using the same technology (ingredients) in making the coffee cups and has created the Coffee Watch. It would seem idea generation is ongoing.

Does the design optimize rather than maximize?

Does it integrate multiple functions? It is a cup for drinking a beverage. It also keeps your hands from getting warm or cold depending on what’s in the cup. The shape of the ridges on the cup gives you a comfortable grip. The tapered shape of the cup makes it able to fit in a cup holder in a car. The lid on the cup keeps it from spilling easily. The seal keeps the lids on the cup and the beverage from leaking out the sides when the cup is tipped. The flat bottom allows it to sit solidly on a flat surface.

Does it recycle all materials? Is it recyclable? It is made from recycled materials, but it is not yet recyclable. From what I can tell from their website, the idea is to be able to recycle their cups into new products eventually. It is meant to be reused over and over again instead of the more common single use to-go coffee cup, so longevity was the primary focus.

Does it perform functions with minimal material and energy? The cup itself uses no energy (no heating or cooling elements). The company itself uses local partners and bicycle delivery systems, and focus on “short green routes”. They also have many steps of their production that are completed by hand.

Does the design use benign manufacturing?

Is it made from life-friendly materials? “No harmful particles released even through wear or washing” Ingredients from their website: used coffee grounds, biopolymers, wood, starch, cellulose, natural resins, waxes and oils. Based on renewable raw materials and free of binding agents with crude oil base (per their website).

Is chemistry done in water? I don’t have information on this.

Are processes done at ambient (local) pressures and temperatures? I don’t have information on this, other than that many steps are completed by hand.

Does the design leverage its interdependence in the system?

Does it foster symbiotic, cooperative, community-based relationships? It is created to be part of a social system. The creators work with local partners for used materials, and for the creation of the product. Beyond that, they work with local social enterprises for printing, delivery, and shipping. The coffee shops and cafes that supply the coffee grounds also sell the coffee cups (thus closing their own loops on circularity). They have even added a local coworking space into their office space for other local social enterprises. The joy of coffee is a fun thing that binds them all together. The company remains small and invested in relationships which also strengthens their feedback loop and idea generation. The success of the company builds the success of all the other local businesses involved.

Does it foster emergent relationships? I think it’s worth exploring why I, a person who lives in the US, has one of these cups if the company is Berlin based to answer this question. Although this company is hyper-local focused, they will also create branded cups for companies (with a large enough order size). Shakespeare & Company, having their foot in the sustainability door and having a coffee shop in Paris was one such company who ordered branded cups to sell in their coffee shop. I happened to buy one while I was in Paris because a reusable coffee cup is an easily understandable product and something that is becoming quite universal. I knew what it was and how to use it, and it was something I could use in France or in the US. But it was cool and unique enough to be made out of coffee and no fossil fuels that I found it really interesting. I think their product is unique enough that it’s bringing people to them.

Kaffeeform is already doing so many amazing things with their products. Some recommendations I would have would be the following:

1) Looking at their current EOL (End of Life). As it stands, they are still in a traditional linear model with the EOL being an incinerator. Continue looking into ways to break down their design and break it down into either a new cup, or a completely new product. The next step would be thinking through the collection process.

2) Continue to research ways to leverage diversity using the same technology but with different recycled materials. Beechwood is already one way to step into a different material to be reused. I could see this sort of material being used plates and bowls (homeware) as well, doing away with plastic dishware in the home and making it more portable than the more common ceramic style. Imagine being able to pack up your own dishware for a quick meal in a park with no special gear needed!

3) Feedback loops: make it easy for customers to give feedback by putting a feedback widgit on your website for customers to tell you what they think of their new cups or ask questions.

4) In regards to the design process: Consider showing the behind the scenes of how the cups are made. You don't have to share all the proprietary secrets, but your consumers care and truly want to see how "green" the process can be.

5) Opportunities for cross-pollination: Considering this is a hard wearing material that is made for being on-the-go, and uses plant-based materials it would seem that there could be ideas for collaborations with outdoor companies.

BCI in Nature January, 2023 Lake Harriet

Be, Contemplate, Imagine

Sunday, January 29 3pm pm. 4 degrees at Lake Harriet

Armed with a bigger scarf and some warm coffee, I headed out to Lake Harriet today. Another super cold day with a bit of wind and lots of sunshine. I walked out onto the edge of the lake. It’s obvious the lake has frozen over by the footprints on it where people have walked from one side of the lake to the other. I take some time to take it all in and hear a plane fly over head, a woodpecker in the tree nearby, the snow crunching under my feet again, and my own breath breathing heavy trying to keep me warmer in the cold weather.

What systems can I identify around me? Even though the lake is frozen, there’s definitely an aquatic system under there and it must still be thriving as evidenced by the ice fishing house out on the lake. There’s a deciduous tree system with roots that are dormant for the winter, but who are still supporting woodpeckers and even giving squirrels a home for the winter among other animals I can’t see today I’m sure. I heard another bird or two while I was listening so there must be a communication system among the birds, likely helping each other stay alive through the cold months. There’s a weather system: clouds, sun, wind, air. There’s a seasonal system that is currently in it’s winter season where nature it’s playing its role to prepare for spring. Then there’s me. A human system, trying to stay warm, move blood, and breathe (all systems in themselves). Beyond nature, there’s an aviation system and a city and neighborhood system in the distance which is all part of this Minneapolis ecosystem.

BCI in Nature January, 2023 Harriet Rose Gardens

Saturday, January 28 4pm pm. 6 degrees at Harriet Rose Gardens

I learned today that I need wool socks and I need to wear boots that go higher than my ankles if I’m going to be “off roading” on these BCI adventures! Today was really cold and there were very few people out in an area that usually has quite a few people out enjoying the outdoors. It was also VERY quite. There’s little to hear in my audio recording other than the wind, myself breathing and the crunch of the snow as I walk.

I have lived in Minnesota most of my life, but I never really grew to LOVE the snow. But it does have its function. I found this article from Envirodad who explains that “Farmers need snow to blanket their fields so that when it all melts in the spring, their fields are properly irrigated and ready for planting.  A lack of moisture in the soil right from the outset is very problematic and can force farmers in severe situations to either reduce their plantings or in a worst case scenario, not plant at all.”

In Minnesota, we are fortunate to be one of the sunniest states in the winter and we all are very aware of the physical and mental health benefits of sunshine in the coldest and shortest months of the year, and the snow reflects that sun giving us an extra dose of light!

Humans have layers of muscle and fat to keep them warm but there are several different kinds of strategies in nature to keep other organisms warm. Did you know that Polar Bears have see-through hairs that help trap light and heat?! With all the sunlight we get in Minnesota, someone should come up with coats that mimic this function… at least!