sunday jan 20 2008

Today I posted my blog, and here are some previous notes that I've been keeping since late summer 2007:

Books I'm reading:
- Biomimicry, by Janine Benyus
- The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, by Michael Brower, PhD and Warren Leon, PhD
- The Craft of Research, by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams

Websites for my research + inspiration:
http://www.biomimicry.net/
http://cero9.com/ (a student's work from MICA, focusing on biomimicry and arch)
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/default.asp?s=&n=&i=&v=&o=&ns=0&uid=0&rau=0
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html
http://www.netdiver.net/
http://okaydave.com/
http://database.biomimicry.org/start.php
http://3cofgc.blogspot.com/
http://www.shelfimpact.com/archives/article_topics/packaging_design_trends/
http://www.packagingdigest.com/
http://www.eggusa.net/flash/

Videos for Inspiration:










Important points to cover in my research:
- What is Biomimicry?
- Has Biomimicry been used in graphic design before?
- If Biomimicry is to be used in graphic design, then what would it be called?
Biographics? Biographic Design?
- Who/what designers are looking to organisms and ecosystems for design inspiration?
- Where has Biomimicry been used, and how can it help my research?
- Who is my audience?
- How is my topic relevant to today's issues?
- Why do I think my topic is relevant?
- How can I respond to my audience's anticipated questions?

* As designers, we have a responsibility to create a better world through our way of communication, whether it's print or digital. Biomimicry is a new discipline that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and systems in order to solve our man-made, humanly problems. So, if biomimicry is used to solve problems in the structure of life in order to make our surroundings less problematic, more sustainable and green, then how can it be applied to a graphic designer's design process, and how will this effect the project outcome?

*the Vision: To naturalize biomimicry in the design profession in order to increase respect for our natural surroundings and to better our present and future.

*Focus: To create conditions that are conducive to life and our environment.

*Key words/ideas:
Photosynthesis
Natural Selection
Self-Assemble
Reusable
Self-Sustaining
Ecosystem
5 senses
Change the way we make materials, store information and conduct business
Systems Theory: How natural systems build up to a certain state to create systems
Green Chemistry
Time Degradation
Enhanced Sustainability:
- source reduction, material elimination
- energy reduction
- greenhouse gas reduction
- increased recycled content
- use of renewable recourses
- shipping and distribution efficiencies
- shelf impact