Abstract
Biomimicry is a discipline that seeks sustainable solutions in nature. The emerging discipline has the potential to become a leading approach for sustainable and resilient design. Drawing inspiration from the world around us, however, comes with many challenges for designers. Designers often follow a human-centric framework, known as Design Thinking, that often ignores limitations and opportunities of our planet. This research explores the impact of a tool that was developed by the author. The Life’s Principleʼs (LP) are a framework that describes the general patterns and characteristics of living things, and are written as guidelines to lifeʼs ability to thrive on the planet, while creating conditions conducive to life. For this new tool, the LPʼs were translated specifically for visual communication designers. The goal of the tool is to allow designers to tap into 3.8 billion years of research and development with minimal time investment. This research project explores the impact the tool has on decisions made during the visual communication design process by master’s and undergraduate students of the Visual Communication Design program at the Design School at Arizona State University. This study engages qualitative and quantitative research into reflections by the students. The research specifically investigates the question: “Can the LP-based tool bring about fresh ideas and improve the sustainability of a VCD design solution?”
Presenters
Michelle FehlerClinical Assistant Professor, The Design School, Arizona State University, Arizona, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Biomimicry, Visual Communication Design, Life-centered Design Thinking, Life's Principles
