Eco Pioneers

The Eco Pioneers route brings you a selection of highlights curated from the DDW virtual programme. Find out how designers design with, for and against the forces of nature.

As the boundaries between design and science increasingly blur, find out how biology is being harnessed to create products, processes and environments in synergy with the natural world. These technological advances call the ethical role of the designer into question. Where do we draw the line?

In this virtual route, designers reflect upon how the human presence affects nature and vice versa. It’s time we realize once again, we are actually part of nature. Projects on this route show us how we can live more in symbiosis with nature and all of her ecosystems. For instance, what does the communication between trees teach us about the state of the forest? Designers critique our production processes and material choices and present us alternatives like re-ming or living materials. Cleverly designed products could even change our openness to the range of food we eat, improving the biodiversity of species.

Want to find out more about the interplay between design and nature? Tune in for the Eco Pioneers Talk on Wednesday the 21st of October on DDW TV! Next Nature Network will discuss the topics of future fossils, what footprint do we leave behind in the Anthropocene?