Bio-Inspired Messenger...

I was overlooking one of my coworker's shoulders to see what he was working on, and felt another great idea come to me for my supportive visual when I saw this image:















I mean, how awesome would it be to create a messenger with an interface like this?

Inspiration/Reason 1:
I'm currently working on the new Interface for the RTI website, and we will eventually have our own messenger system instead of iChat. So I was thinking that this building is very inspirational in the fact that each person who works here (at RTI) is on a different level with color-coded available/away as you can see above.

This is also a great interface for us, since we are in three locations...We can be all connected in one building as an integrated whole.

Reason 2:
I need good examples of bio-inspired design projects to use in my reference guide for designers, and think that this would be very relevant.

Don't Be Designer B.

Key Words:
+ Seductive


Key quotes/sayings:
+ Waste is lost profit
+ Look at the world as an engineer. How can you improve it?
+ Grow an industry through design
+ "The world we have is the product of our thinking." - Albert Einstein
+ There is hidden ugliness beneath the surface of almost all products.
+ Only 1 in 10,000 products is designed with the environment in mind.
+ Sustainability definitely impacts your design; you have to look at the materials that are available to you first, and then design with those in mind.
+ FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)
+ The majority of consumers seek to satisfy their personal needs before considering those of the planet;
therefore, companies fear in alienating their base consumers

This Weekend...

This weekend will be spent on my Working Outline and my first chapter!

YaY MLA.

Epiphany Rising...

I believe that I've finally decided on my supportive thesis visuals!

I just had an epiphany tonight about what I want to do for my supportive thesis visual: Since my topic argues how important and necessary it is to incorporate the use of Biomimicry into the graphic design process, I would love to create a kind of resource guide that designers can use. I know that not every designer's process is the same, so it is just to serve as a reference guide. I'd like to have example categories, like: environmental design, informational wayfinding, emotional branding and ID, creating a productive and effective workflow, and a few more. This guide will also cover things like certified materials, what it means to be "certified", printers, inks and so on.

Recommended Readings...

I was on the Biomimicry website today, and found a recommended reading list:



Biologic: Environmental Protection by Design. David Wann. 1990.
Guide to designing our way out of the environmental conundrum we are in by taking a system’s view of technology – asking, “how does it fit in?”
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997.
Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products.
Cat’s Paws and Catapults: Mechanical World of Nature and People. Steven Vogel. 1998.
Investigates whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much.
Deep Design: Pathways to a livable Future. David Wann. 1996.
A new way of thinking about design by asking: “What is our ultimate goal?” The idea is to produce designs that are sensitive to living systems.
Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004.
Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design.
Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change. Victor Papanek. 1984.
One of the world’s most widely read books on design. Author provides a blueprint for sensible, responsible design.
Design in Nature: Learning from Trees. Claus Mattheck. 2004.
Describes and verifies external shape laws in nature. Also explores self healing. Many optimization examples.
Design Lessons from Nature. Benjamin De Brie Taylor. 1974.
Describes strategies in the plant kingdom with some suggestions on their relationship to human designs..
Design with Nature. Ian L. McHarg. 1969.
A blend of philosophy and science, author shows how humans can copy nature’s examples to design and build better structures.

new office stuffff