Trend Development - Advantages of Nature

Advantages of Nature as Both Inspiration and Working/Designing Area 

As time pass by, nature is no longer be the first place for us to get an inspiration, instead, advanced technologies had replaced everything and gave big impacts to the next generations. Besides no longer as a resource, we also started our lifestyle by doing everything efficiently, which means we only refer to internet resources instead of going outdoor and find for good inspirations. As a result, there are less innovations which derived or took inspiration directly from nature which cause loosing connection to nature. Therefore, does it means sustainability is at risk?

Definition of Sustainability:

1. The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
2. Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Why is it important to have a connection with nature?

According to Edward O. Wilson, who introduced and popularized the biophilia hypothesis, conclude that all human beings and other living systems have an instinctive bond which were created from the time we born and continuously nurtured as we grow. Through this hypothesis, it shows that children are better able to concentrate after contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001) and that exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Pyle 2002).

By observing the result, we could see that there is a positive impact given by nature/ environment to children/human observation skills. In this case, improving human observation skills can be relate to human creative thinking process. According to Juliet Zhu, Professor of Marketing at CKGSB, explained how environmental factors such as color, lighting, and noise could affect our creative thinking process and productivity. 

1. Color (Blue vs Red)
   In the experiments, Juliet Zhu used red vs blue as the chosen color because some people were arguing that red tend to increase creativity and vise versa. Therefore, the result shows that blue helps people with increasing their creativity especially in designing because blue color is more likely to be an approach mindset, which make people to be more open-minded and risk taking. While red make people think of blood, emergency, stop signs, ambulance, which make people be more careful and vigilant in designing.
   
   
2. Lighting (Bright vs Dim)
   In the results, it shows that people who work in the dim/dark room are more likely to decipher images compared to those in the bright room because they are more open to new things.
3. Noise/sound
   Through the experiments, it shows that moderate sound lead people to think out of the box because the sound temporarily make us move from our task and we start to 'mind-wander', for instance, "Oh, what did I have for lunch? Can my lunch inspired me or solve this task?". Instead of being too focus into our task which make us narrow-minded and can't think out of the box, it's better to relax ourselves and think another things which might be a new inspiration. (mind-wander: task-unrelated thought)

From all these researches and experiments, we could see how nature/environment could affect human creativity in designing by only using simple factors which we could see and meet in our daily life. In a nutshell, working outdoor could boost our creativity. 

The Advantages of Using Nature as an Inspiration

A design discipline which look into nature as an inspiration is called as "biomimicry"

1. Nourish Curiosity 
   Give us opportunity to learn about life's water, energy, and material-use strategies
2. Give Permission to Play
   Based on some experiments, working outdoor in designing process boost creativity level
3. Disrupt Traditional Thinking 
   Starting by asking, "How nature would solve this challenge?", make us (designing team) to explore new solutions and brainstorm opportunities to solve challenges in new and innovative ways.
4.  Accomplish multiple objectives with a single gesture
   Nature has no one single-purpose tools, for instance, a tree. Tree provide shade/shelter through their leaves, generating water, and bark to transfer/protect water beneath the surface. Therefore, looking for inspiration from nature could lead us to create a multi-functional designs.
   
   
5. Adapt to context and climate
   Creating new design which could adapt to climate changes. This type of design actually has been created by the help of advance technology, but through nature, designers are trained to be more creative in order to reach that point with Eco-friendly materials and minimize additional cost.

Some example of designs inspired from nature:

A Wearable Planter

Designed by Colleen Jordan 

Picnyc Table 

Designed by Haiko Cornelissen Architecten (made of real grass)

"Suddenly spilling water becomes a necessity instead of a problem" 

- Haiko Cornelissen Architecten 

Dilston Grove

Designed by Ackroyd & Harvey

Living Wall

Designed by Jean Nouvel 

Leave T-shirt

Designed by Dave Rittinger

Interactive Cloud Lamp 

Designed by Richard Clarkson

One Pot, Two Lives

Designed by Sheng Zhe Feng & Ling Yuan Chou

Waterdrop Magnets

Designed by Appree

References:

1. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/11/losing-our-connection-to-nature-is-sustainability-at-risk/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-wandering
3. http://knowledge.ckgsb.edu.cn/2014/01/13/management/how-the-environment-impacts-creative-thinking/
4. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/9-benefits-blending-biomimicry-and-built-environment
5. http://www.boredpanda.com/nature-green-design-ideas/
6. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-4-1.jpg
7. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-4-2.jpg
8. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-1-1.jpg
9. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-1-2.jpg
10. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-24-2.jpg
11. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-14-1.gif
12. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-14-2.gif
13. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-14-3.jpg
14. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-26-1.jpg
15. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-5-1.jpg
16. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-5-2.jpg
17. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-9.jpg
18. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-17-1.jpg
19. http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-design-ideas-inspired-by-nature-2-17-2.jpg

Trend: Colour of The Year 2017 - Greenery

How Color of The Year was chosen?

1. By noticing certain colors getting more attention in the fashion field

2. Travelling to different places, especially London, New York, Paris and Milan where you can see fashion on the street as the evidence of certain colors.

3. Up-to-date to the upcoming films/movies. In this case, they are focusing on what color and effects being used the most.

4. Up-to-date to the upcoming cars. "This is because when you talk about technology, you have to look at the finishes on cars because they are light-years ahead in the technology they use to create those colors. Once they get out there and people start to look at them, they say, "Wow, I'd like to have a lipstick in that color, I'd like to have a pair of shoes, I'd like to paint my living room that color.", said Leatrice Eisemen, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.  

"For the color of the year, it's rarely a new color because we're not inventing colors—we're just taking a certain amount of color and applying new finishes to it, like you do in the textile world" - Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Colour of the Year 2017 - "Greenery"

Concept of Color of the Year 2017 was about "environment". It signifies the beginning of fresh New Year; healthier food resolutions and growing vegetarian trends; grass and the outdoors during spring and summer. Basically, when we mention about environment, then automatically it will relate to the words such as go-green, nature, plant, Eco-friendly, recycle, etc. Apparently, by the advance of technology nowadays, everything was relate and take influence from the advance technology, which make a small possibility to have new upcoming trends or products which touch or inspired from nature. 

“At New York Fashion Week, the designers were explaining how we live in this modern world where technology will always exist, but there’s this need to turn to design to go to the opposite side, to Nature,”
- Laurie Pressman 

Through this "Greenery" colour of the yer 2017, it lead people to go back to the nature and produce new products or ideas base on Nature. Unlike the 2013 colour of the year "Emerald" which symbolized luxury, "Greenery" was focused on the opposite mood, minimalism. 
"Greenery" has been applied into the fashion runways, which can be seen at Gucci, Kenzo, Bagelencia, Michael Kors, Zac Posen, and Cynthia Rowley runways. 

Based on Colour of The Year 2017 "Greenery", eco-friendly related products (including fabrics) have been listed down under the topic of nature, which link back to our 2017 Colour of The Year.

1. Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo known as one of the most Eco-friendly materials on the market. The fast-growing grass makes this material favorable because it doesn’t need to be replanted, improves the soil quality, and can be grown without fertilizers or pesticides. Bamboo fabric also has a soft texture, therefore it suitable for baby clothing, bed linen, and towels. It is also moisture absorbent, hypoallergenic, and anti-bacterial.

2. Soy Silk Fabric / Vegetable Cashmere Fabric 

Advantages of Soy silk fabric: 

• derived from food production waste as it is made from the hulls of soy beans.
• light weight and silky soft texture, absorbs dyes quickly, and requiring less dye-stuffs.
• suitable for summer because of its excellent absorption qualities

3. Tencel Fabric

Tencel is a natural, man made fiber which is also referred to as Lyocell. It was made with wood pulp from sustainable tree farms.
Advantages of Tencel Fabric:

• Made from the natural cellulose found in wood pulp. The fiber is economical in its use of energy and natural resources, and is fully biodegradable.
• can be dyed to high quality standards.
• has natural breath ability and 50% greater moisture absorption than cotton.
• anti-bacterial.
• Soft, smooth, breathable, lightweight, create a nice drape.
• suitable for sensitive skin because of its wick abilities to keep the skin dry.
• resistant to wrinkles.

Disadvantages of Tencel Fabric:

• shrink in first washing, but retain its shape after that.
• more expensive than most Eco-fabric alternatives.

4. Organic/ Natural Cotton

• grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemical fertilizers.
• have a nice absorption of dye color 
• have the feel of linen
• anti allergenic fabric 
• smooth, light weight, reflects and absorbs light.
• offered in limited colors because traditional dyes are made from chemicals that must be avoided. 

5. Hemp Fabric

Advantages of Hemp fabric:

• Eight times stronger than cotton fiber in term of tensile strength.
• Exceptionally durable and strong Eco friendly fabric.
• Hypoallergenic and non-irritating to skin.
  (hypoallergenic: relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction)
• Able to kill staph and other bacteria that come in contact with its surface.
• UV and mildew resistant, absorbs moisture (suitable for summer, like linen and cotton).

Disadvantages of Hemp Fabric:

• wrinkles easily and scratchy
• not colorfast, so not rich in colors

References:

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/karenhua/2016/12/09/pantones-color-of-the-year-2017-greenery-symbolizes-a-fresh-start-fashion/#7dacbdf31cda
2. http://www.glamour.com/story/how-does-pantone-pick-color-of-year
3. http://www.liahren.com/product/pics/20151222/1450748017.jpg
4. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/5-eco-friendly-fabrics-to-have-and-to-hold/
5. http://www.ecowatch.com/7-eco-friendly-fabrics-that-will-green-your-wardrobe-1881821403.html
6. http://www.the-eco-market.com/hemp-fabric/
7. http://www.the-eco-market.com/tencel-fabric/
8. http://www.the-eco-market.com/soy-fabric/
9. http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3651461/pantone-coy2017-heroshot2-rgb.jpg