Thesis Question: How might we use biodesign as a tool now and in the future to design sustainably and regenerate anthropogenic catastrophes? How does a non-human life enter the conversation?
Designer Bio:
Hello! My name is Carolyn Fernandes, and I’m a fifth-year industrial and interaction design student from Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Growing up in the mountains, I developed a love for skiing and a profound connection to the wilderness that surrounds me. Alongside my primary focus on design, I’m also pursuing majors in environment, sustainability and policy, and Spanish language, literature and culture, with a minor in sustainability in design. As a designer, my passions lie in product design, biodesign, accessible design and design research, with a hint of speculative design or design fiction. Guided by empathy for all living beings and a life-centered approach, I aim to create designs that leave a lasting, positive impact on our planet.
Project Description:
As the world confronts pressing environmental challenges, traditional design practices are proving unsustainable. Our current systems have contributed to ecological damage that leave polluted environments uninhabitable. This calls for design that minimizes harm and actively regenerates nature. Biodesign draws from nature’s strategies. Through observing nature as a model, we can design products, cities and systems to be more sustainable in the future.
- Biomimicry as a Foundation — Biomimicry is the practice of learning from natural forms, processes and ecosystems to create designs that address human challenges.
- Sustainability in Design — Sustainability in design emphasizes creating products, systems and environments that eliminate waste and reduce resource use while promoting regeneration and longevity.
- Nature and Culture — Human culture has been intertwined with nature from early survival practices to modern advancements. As we face ecological crises, we must examine how human behavior impacts the environment.
As the term ends, I am synthesizing my research and focusing the design solution on a specific problem. The future for this project can take many paths, including designing a product-service that creates a circular economy, designing a product for major polluting companies to regenerate harmed ecosystems, creating a series of speculative futures and products to force the audience to question today’s actions, or creating a speculative device that would give the environment a voice to speak on what harms it and be included on decision-making processes. The essential idea will be centralized soon.
Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, thoughts or advice!