by op.002 john moes, op.001 holly robbins and op.010 mark heminger

It seems each passing day brings with it a newly formed ecological thundercloud. The ice caps are melting, the topsoil is eroding, the oceans are warming, the rain forests are dwindling, the polar bears are drowning, the coral reefs are dying and the bees have left the beehive.

These disturbances are not problems. They’re symptoms. The problem is one of misperception. Namely, we perceive ourselves as existing outside of the natural world, when in reality we are inseparable from it.

Ours is a species 6.5 billion strong. Living, for the most part, in unchecked discord with our habitat. In virtually all aspects of our culture—energy generation, sustenance, housing, communication, travel, entertainment and more—we fail to factor in the source of our sustenance.

Cue the thunder.

We are not separate from nature and therefore must find a way to work in harmony with it. Given that we are a species capable of observing its relationship to and role within the larger whole, we do have the capacity to adopt a more successful strategy. We are consciously evolving individuals who can alter the course of humanity and the planet. 

In nature, success is determined by more than beauty of form or the maintaining of large populations. In order for something to be truly successful, and sustainable, it must also be useful to and compatible with the larger ecosystem. Success means elegant solutions that support and feed the whole. Clearly people's definition of success up to this point has been too narrow and needs to be broadened to include ecological compatibility for everything we do or create. Examples of this new holistic approach are already emerging with ideas such as triple bottom line accounting (TBL), cradle to cradle principles (C2C), and design for sustainability (DfS).

From a design standpoint, success can be measured against more than just meeting a client's objective; it can also be measured by how well the design integrates into nature's systems. Corporations, such as Interface, Wal-Mart and Aveda, are leading this transformation by starting to factor environmental impact into project success benchmarks in varying degrees.
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Working with nature and learning from nature go hand in hand. An increasing number of designers are adopting a nature-inspired lifecycle design model in which the entire life span of a package or brochure is considered. From resources and production to the point at which materials are reclaimed or composted, each step is analyzed and planned at the project's inception.

Nature-based design models are by definition open to feedback, adaptation and evolution. This means an organic, flowing system where input is encouraged and used to create better solutions. Practically speaking, this may include increased collaboration with clients, vendors, and suppliers throughout the creative and production process and a constant fine-tuning of ideas in reaction to feedback.

Observe.
Spend some time familiarizing yourself with sustainable principles and design strategies. Also, look into a few of the existing nature-based models, as well as the people and organizations putting these principles to use.
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Adopt.
Build a base of consultants, tools and resources. Include sources on lifecycle analysis, sustainable materials, processes, case studies, etc. Here's a beginner's list to help get you started.
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Evolve.
Incorporate the nature factor into everything you design. The following diagram depicts one possibility for an evolved, more holistic model. Feel free to adapt this model to your project's parameters and your own design process.
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Clients and designers will need to work together even more closely and collaboratively in order to achieve sustainable solutions that are both effective and accountable.
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Sustainable design requires that we broaden the definition of any problem to include criteria like; a sustainable lifecycle; efficient use of resources and fair trade and labor.
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The sustainable design process, such as the development of a new species to fill a niche in nature, is an organic one in which the initial idea constantly evolves in response to purpose, conditions and feedback.
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Join the evolution.
The Nature Factor is a call for an evolved design model and is really just a first step. We hope that this will serve as a catalyst toward continued discussion and development of a new, practical model for design that includes nature as an important factor. We would love to have your input.
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Sources:
1. > ODO eco-design toolkit
2. > Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) Design Guidelines for Sustainable Packaging
3. > Cradle to Cradle (C2C)
4. > The Moderns (Their multidisciplinary "idea circle" approach is designed to create holistic design solutions)


©2008, Organic Design Operatives (ODO). version.1.0. Updated 02.2008.