Designing for the planet rather than just humans requires a new way of thinking. The Design Museum in London tackles the science and art of «More Than Human» design.
Most products are designed for humans. Electronic devices, houses, furniture, cars and fashion are all designed to make our lives easier or more interesting, but they usually don’t take other species into account. There are some exceptions, though. For example, products made with mycelium benefit the planet as a whole and not just the people who use the products. And gardens, which used to be designed only for humans to enjoy, are increasingly taking pollinators into account as well. Designing for the planet rather than just for humans requires a bit of a different way of thinking, and often taps into the latest science as well.
In 2020, artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg was commissioned by the Eden Project to design something for their gardens. The Eden Project educates people about plants and nature through their biospheres and outdoor areas. To fit in with the theme, Ginsberg worked on making a garden for pollinators, using an algorithm that designs custom pollinator gardens for different locations. The garden design tool can show what the garden would look like to humans and to pollinators, like bees, which see colours in a completely different way.
