LESSON 3.2: OBSERVING NATURE

Image courtesy of Stefanie Koehler, with permission.

Our ability to design products, processes, systems, and services that "fit in" with the natural environment is critical for the long-term success of the planet and its species - including us. Of course, it is also a profound way to design sustainably.

The first step in the process of understanding how to create truly sustainable designs is to understand the very environment that our designs -and ourselves- are trying to fit into and to discover an awareness of what is appropriate for that place. This means, we must go out into the natural world with a child-like curiosity and observe our surroundings as if for the very first time, with awe and interest. We need to figure out what is going on and, if we're lucky, why.

 

Function Lens

This week we will be focusing our nature observation through the function lens. What does this mean? It means trying to figure out what different organisms are accomplishing (FUNCTIONS) and how they are able to meet that specific function (STRATEGIES).

An example:
For example, we might see (and feel) that a plant has lots of spines. The spines are actually a strategy being employed by the plant. What function is being met by having spines? Think about it. It takes time and resources to grow spines. Why bother with this strategy? Don't worry if you don't know about biology just use your common sense and creative intuition. Look at the surroundings of the plant. What are some natural elements that the plant has to deal with to survive and reproduce? Cold, wet, dry, hot, all of the above? What might be trying to eat it? Really try to think out of the box. Why would this plant have spines? Perhaps to avoid being eaten (a.k.a. predator avoidance)? Or maybe to conserve water (less surface area than a big leaf, right)? In this case, the functions being met by the plant with spines may be: 1) predator avoidance and 2) water conservation.

Side note:
One fact that I am always awe-inspired about when it comes to nature, is that most design strategies used are multi-functional (e.g., the spines above...one design feature but meeting multiple functions). We'll come back to this idea later on but keep it in your "back-pocket" while you're exploring your place each week. Where do you discover multifunctional designs in nature?