Ted talk reflections

William McDonough (green design)
1. ex. Of physical/social surrounding that needs Cradle to Cradle
  1. Single-Use plastics like eating utensils and take out containers. They are used to frequently and used for only meal, yet they are impossible to biodegrade
  2. Clothing is also imperative to solve because with all the chemical dyes and material, many pieces cannot be recycled. Just like single-use plastics, clothing is easily discarded as its value isn’t very high in America and the majority is left in landfills.
2. Reflection: McDonough implies that design is the first signal of human intention, so what is our intention? He starts with the intention to protect children of all species. He proposes that with Cradle to Cradle we can work to solve the problems of how everything toxic would be produced such as leather, paper, and rubber duckies. He also mentions Survival of the Fittest which encourages growth for good, so to best adapt and sustain the earth’s raw materials, we need to use materials with closed loops. Examples include Nike’s biodegradable sneakers, Gaps’ and Ford’s earth roofs, and building new housing in China. I was very impressed with the design of his new city in China, which the farms were on rooftops and the landscape was transformed into a green and welcoming place for people to live.
Suzanne Lee (kombucha leather)
1. Reflection: I had watched this ted talk with my Sustainable Systems class also as we were learning about Kombucha leather. Though there is a drawback of the material not being so withstanding, with more experimentation, a solution can be found in the near future! I cannot say the Kombucha leather would replace leather entirely as leather holds a cultural value and is a key trade commodity and an economic backbone for tourism like ancient tanneries in Morocco, but it can open our eyes to see what is possible. By growing Kombucha leather is that it only requires simple ingredients and a container box, compared to raising a cow, killing it, and undergoing a long arduous process to transform the skin hide. We can challenge how things are made and instead look to nature.
Janine Benyus (look to nature)
1. 2-3 pictures of surrounding objects that their design reminds you of nature:
2. Reflection: Everything amazing is natural by design in nature. Biomimetics ask, “How would nature solve this?” Examples include inspiration from birds that dive without a splash, sharks with denticles that avoid bacteria build-up, and an insect that drinks from the fog. These inspired fast bullet trains, hospital walls, and building surfaces. I was amazed to see how animals and plants are born with traits that protect and help aid them so effortlessly. It made me think about the discussion on global warming today; we argue that we need to take action to protect the planet. But in reality, it is to protect ourselves to be able to live on this earth. If we cannot sustain ourselves, the earth will still overcome and adapt.
Neri Oxman (intersection of design & biology)
1. Reflection: Oxman’s examples of how the skin is one material that both filters and protects clearly explained how nature uses one line, not separate parts of which we usually things should be made and function. Instead of adding more things, we should vary material property. We can think, “What if objects were made of one single material?” I was amazed at the Chastin paste made of crustacean shells, how flexible it was, and how it would nourish life in the sea and deliver nutrients in the soil to grow a tree. The silk-worm spun dome was also very mind-blowing. Oxman’s work really appealed to me because not only was it very resourceful and groundbreaking, she used this technology to create beautiful things that draw in audiences and inspires us all.
Leyla Acaroglu (disruptive design)
1. Reflection: Acaroglu stresses on system-based solutions at the first starting point of design. We need to look at something holistically, importantly the end-life. The design must consider functionality, as to how much we use something is what makes it sustainable. So by designing smarter, it prioritizes quality over quantity. So how can we develop products in a closed-loop? We need to consider material, how it performs and how it can be repurposed after it’s long life cycle. And by returning the product to the brand/manufacturer, we are like paying for the service or creating and recycling it, not solely the product.
Ergonomics & Design
1. Reflection: Ergonomics is about matching products and tasks with people. We need to think about how people think and interpret products to do the obvious. I relate to the video of the man frustrated with all the buttons, and it’s annoying because we lose features because we do not know how to use it. The problem can be fixed with research and detail of the design. When designing, we need to consider how we take up space and how the machine fits with us. The video mentioned anthropometry and I thought it was interesting how there exists a book that measured the data of human sizes and reaches. I wish there was more consideration of keeping an S shape vertebrae in chair designs because I slouch so much!
Images inspired by nature: