LOOP

SCAD Lacoste
Biomimicry Spring 2015
1

Co-Authors
Daniel Cheon, Keith Costa, Paul Hawkins, Jackson Hedden,
Andrew Moore, Michelle Muller, Bailey Preib, Meghan Preiss,
Taylor Ross, Breana Russell, Yiran Wang, Jingya Zhang

Copyright 2015
Design Team:
Daniel Cheon
Keith Costa
Paul Hawkins
Jackson Hedden
Andrew Moore
Michelle Muller
Bailey Preib
Meghan Preiss
Taylor Ross
Breana Russell
Yiran Wang
Jingya Zhang

Design Charette Guest Participants:

Morgan Fromme
Katie Friedman
Katie Gibson
Mark Karrer
Ben Martin
Katie McCarthy
Emilee Prado
Zach Rabon
Lauren Weaver

Advisors:
Sherry Ritter, Scientist at the Design Table
Regina Rowland, Professor of Design Management, Biomimicry Specialist

Dedication
Our team dedicates this project and all of our findings to the locals of the Provence, France.

Acknowledgement
Our team is very grateful
To nature: Thank you for constantly showing us your beauty, and your To Florence Thurston: Thank you for guiding us and translating our
solutions to any problem we might face. Thank you for guiding us
protocols and interviews. Thank you for taking time to assist us in
through the entire process of our design.
organizing our events and ecological excursions.
To Regina Rowland and Sherry Ritter: Thank you for dedicating time
and energy, and for your perseverance, and leadership through this
project. Thank you for imparting confidence, enabling growth, and
helping us to better our skills in design and design strategies.
To Dayna Baumeister and Biomimicry 3.8: Thank you for providing
this fantastic opportunity to to learn from natures genius and become
certified in Biomimicry through this class. Thank you, Biomimicry
Institute, for your inspiration through the Global Design Challenge.

To the locals of Provence, France: Thank you for welcoming us into

your culture and region. Thank you for allowing us to dig deep into
our research and explore your place of pride and traditions.
To SCADs School of Design: Thank you for giving us this
opportunity to study and to be inspired in beautiful Lacoste, France,
and for the amazing research trip to the Milan EXPO to study global
food systems. Additionally, thank you for offering classes that allow us
to grow and learn to become the best designers in the field.

Table of Contents

Introduction .....................................................................................11
Meet the Team ..................................................................................12
Introduction to Biomimicry .............................................................18
Scoping Phase ...................................................................................23
Discovering Phase .............................................................................75
Creation Phase ...............................................................................104
Evaluation Phase .............................................................................134
Checklist ........................................................................................163
Appendices .....................................................................................166

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Introduction
This process book describes the work completed by a group of twelve
students, a professor and a biologist over the course of eight weeks in
Lacoste, France. It details the research, development and prototyping
of a concept addressing issues of food waste in open-air markets in
the Provenal Region of Southern France. The design team applied
the Biomimicry Framework and followed the Biomimicry Thinking
Design Process to develop a bio-inspired solution to address the
challenge of upcycling food waste.
The book is divided into sections based on the Biomimicry Thinking
Design Process. Each section covers a particular phase in this design
process including the scoping phase, the discovering phase, the creating
phase and the evaluating phase. These phases tell the story of the design
teams process of learning from nature through direct observation,
excursions to sites of interest, deriving relevant design principles from
the functions of various organisms, developing a prototype system to
address the design challenge, and evaluating the solutions adherence to
Lifes Principles.

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Meet the Team

Our transdisciplinary team thoroughly enjoyed learning the
Biomimicry Thinking Design Process together. We worked in a unique
situation during our semester-abroad adventure in France where
we lived and learned with each other 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Through our different educational backgrounds, our team had a variety
of thinking strategies.

Figure 1: The team learning about biomimicry while being immersed in nature. Authors image.
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Industrial Designers

Design Professional
Biomimicry Specialist
Furniture Designers

Service Designers

Design Management
Graduate Students
Biologist
Biomimicry Professional

13

Daniel Cheon

Keith Costa

Paul Hawkins

Jackson Hedden

I admire the little things, for example

listening to my favorite songs and
photographing things. I especially like
playing my clarinet with my imaginary
band without any care to what others
think. I like to spend time in the quiet of
the hills.

I like to play guitar and serenade wildlife.

I enjoy writing and working hard to
create something worth seeing. I find
peace in the Forest. I also enjoy being a
nerd.

I like to go hiking, camping, and do

watersports. I also love to explore and
travel. I enjoy making wooden bowties,
researching sunglasses, buying shoes,
driving my Jeep and hammocking. My
favorite location is the mountains on a
warm day after rain.

I enjoy hunting small to large things.

I love to build large structures through
blacksmithing and fabrication. Traveling
and going on adventurous excursions has
been and always will be my greatest form
of entertainment.

Service Design
Manila, Philippines
I am a tiger

Industrial Design
Princeton, New Jersey
I am a magpie

Industrial Design
Missoula, Montana
I am a grizzly

Figures 25, left to right: Daniel Cheon, Keith Costa, Paul Hawkings, Jackson Hedden. Mark Karrers images.
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Industrial Design
Hoover, Alabama
I am a wolfdog

Andrew Moore

Michelle Muller

Bailey Preib

Meghan Preiss

Outside of school I enjoy illustration,

woodworking, snow sculpting, rare
books, ancient history, film, traveling,
Mexican food, trip hop, swimming,
astronomy, jazz music, and comics. My
favorite place to be is in a canoe on a
river.

I enjoy finding tranquility as well as

excitement in competitive cycling. I am
a passionate cyclist because the sport is
entirely manpowered and it is thrilling to
be in control of something so foreign and
unique. My favorite place to be is any
body of water.

I enjoy going on midnight bike rides and

exploring areas in and around Savannah.
I also enjoy twiddling wood and making
stringed instruments while listening to
folk music and burning candles. My
favorite place to be is the woods of North
Carolina.

I love dancing to Beyonc. I love being

on a boat or in the water. I enjoy
spending time out in nature, frolicking
through flowers especially. I love to travel.
Experiencing new things and pushing
myself past my comfort zone is my
favorite thing to do outside of school. My
favorite place to be is the beach with my
toes in the sand.

Industrial Design
Rockford, Illinois
I am a bison

Industrial Design
Design for Sustainability Minor
Westport, Connecticut
I am a bird

Furniture Design
Huntersville, North Carolina
I am the rat from Fantastic Mr. Fox

Industrial Design
Service Design
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania
I am an elephant

Figures 69, left to right: Andrew Moore, Michelle Muller, Bailey Preib, Meghan Preiss. Mark Karrers images.
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Taylor Ross

Breana Russell

Yiran Wang

Jingya Zhang

My hobbies include sleeping, napping,

lounging, resting, hibernating and
designing furniture. It is my goal in life
to ensure that everyone has something
comfortable to sleep on. My favorite
place to be is in the Scottish Highlands.

Outside of classes I enjoy reading,

dancing, traveling, my cat and playing
soccer. My favorite place to be is the
beach where I am queen!

I like to make wool felt outside of school.

I am confident that I can make anything
with it! My favorite place to be is Tahiti
Beach.

I love taking photos, and traveling.

I never go anywhere without my red
hat. Cooking Chinese food and baking
desserts with my friends is one of my
favorite activities! I like spending time at
any waterside because I grew up in a very
beautiful seaside city in China.

Furniture Design
Fort Mill, South Carolina
I am a River Otter

Service Design
Interaction Design Minor
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
I am a Falcon

Design Management MFA

Shanghai, China
I am a dolphin

Figures 1013, left to right: Taylor Ross, Breana Russell, Yiran Wang, Jingya Zhang. Mark Karrers images.
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Design Management MFA

Dalian, China
I am a Giant Panda

Regina Rowland

Professor of Design Management and

Design for Sustainability
Certified Biomimicry Specialist
I am a whale
I enjoy traveling, meditation and
spending time in nature.

Figure 14: Regina Rowland. Mark Karrers image.

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Introduction to Biomimicry
Biomimicry is the conscious emulation of natures genius. It is an
interdisciplinary approach that brings together two often disconnected
worlds: nature and technology, biology and innovation, life and
design. The practice of biomimicry seeks to bring the time-tested
wisdom of life to the design table to inform human solutions that
create conditions conducive to life. At its most practical, biomimicry
is a way of seeking sustainable solutions by borrowing lifes blueprints,
chemical recipes, and ecosystem strategies. At its most transformative,
biomimicry connects us in ways that fit, align, and integrate the
human species into the natural processes of Earth (Baumeister,
2013).

Figures 1516, left to right: Biomimicry 3.8 DesignLens Collateral Toolkit. 2014 Biomimicry
Group, Inc. dba Biomimicry 3.8. Biomimicry Group is a certified B-Corporation.
Retrieved from: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/biomimicry-designlens/
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Essential Elements: Biomimicry Framework

The practice of biomimicry embodies three interconnected, but unique
ingredients; the three Essential Elements of Biomimicry represent the
foundation of the biomimicry meme. By combining the essential elements together, bio-inspired design becomes biomimicry (Baumeister,
2013).

The ethos element forms the essence of our ethics,

our intentions, and our underlying philosophy for
why we practice biomimicry. Ethos represents our
respect for responsibility to, and gratitude for our
fellow species and our home.
The emulate element brings the principles, patterns,
strategies, and functions found in nature to inform
design. Emulation is about being proactive in
achieving the vision of humans fitting in sustainably
on earth.
The (re)connect element reinforces the understanding
that, while seemingly separate people and nature
are actually deeply intertwined. We are nature. (Re)
connecting is a practice and a mindset that explores
and deepens this relationship between humans and
the rest of nature (Baumeister, 2013).

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Biomimicry Thinking
Biomimicry Thinking provides context to where, how, what, and
why biomimicry fits into the process of any discipline or any scale
of design. While akin to a methodology, Biomimicry Thinking is a
framework that is intended to help people practice biomimicry while
designing anything. These are four areas in which a biomimicry lens
provides the greatest value to the design process (independent of the
discipline to which it is integrated): scoping, discovering, creating, and
evaluating. Following the specific steps within each phase helps ensure
the successful integration of lifes strategies into human designs
(Baumeister, 2013).

Figures 1718, left to right: Biomimicry 3.8 DesignLens Collateral Toolkit. 2014 Biomimicry
Group, Inc. dba Biomimicry 3.8. Biomimicry Group is a certified B-Corporation.
Retrieved from: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/biomimicry-designlens/
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Biomimicry Life Principles

Lifes Principles are design lessons from nature. Based on the
recognition that Life on Earth is interconnected and interdependent
and subject to the same set of operating conditions. Life has evolved
a set of strategies that have sustained over 3.8 billion years. Lifes
Principles represent these overarching patterns found amongst the
species surviving and thriving on Earth. Life integrates and optimizes
these strategies to create conditions conducive to life. By learning
from these deep design lessons, we can model innovative strategies,
measure our design against these sustainable benchmarks, and allow
ourselves to be mentored by natures genius using Lifes Principles as
our aspirational ideals (Baumeister, 2013).

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Video describing the scoping phase accessed here:

https://vimeo.com/130186063
Figure 19: Vineyard in Lacoste, France. Authors image.
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Project Framing
During the scoping phase, the design team defined
the design challenge, researched and clearly
illustrated the context in which the design was to
succeed, identified the function the design needed
to fulfill, integrated lifes principles and a systemic
approach to sustainability into the vision for
the desired outcomes. During this phase, it was
important not to jump to solutions, but to keep
an open mind toward learning about the existing
problem and its dynamic in the social fabric, and
then to set the bar for the design challenge by
outlining the background, the context, the goals, and
constraints.

Figure 20: The view from the village of Lacoste, France. Authors image.
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Problem Statement
Food waste is occurring all over the world
which is a problem vis--vis the serious systemic
sustainability issues humanity is facing. With
this project, the design team focused on food
waste occurring in the open air markets in the
Provence, France the teams temporary location
during Spring 2015. We were looking for design
opportunities to turn this food waste into useful
products, services, or system.

Figure 21, left: Fish Vendor at the Apt Market. Authors image.
Figure 22, right: Fish at the Apt Market. Authors image.
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Opportunity Statements

Purpose of the Project

Initially, the scoping team thought about the below listed opportunities The focus of this project was to design approaches
for upcycling food waste at open air markets in
which guided the development of questions for the secondary and
the Provence, France, which occurs when vendors
primary research:
dispose of their unsold produce. The intent was to
design products, processes, strategic approaches,
There is an opportunity to design creative solutions to address
food waste elimination for and/or with the stakeholders in the
and/or entire systems whereby this waste would
be reused in a sustainable way. Our team intended
open-air markets of Provence, France.
for this solution to benefit people and the local
environment.
There is an opportunity to establish connections and cooperation
between market vendors in order to discover innovative strategies
for addressing food waste problems.
There is an opportunity to involve the community in supporting an
ecofriendly and sustainable way of life by directly participating in the
food waste solution.
There is an opportunity for education and creative engagement with
the food waste problem solution.

Figure 23: Fruit sold at the Apt Market. Authors image.

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Scope & Timeline

The scope of the contextual research aspect of this project was defined
as the study of the open-air markets in local areas of the Provence.
Some research has been conducted in Paris to compare urban and rural
settings of open-air markets. The main focus was food waste occurring
in the markets by vendors disposing of unsold meat, produce, oils,
baked goods, and fish. The time frame for this project was March 27
August, 2015.

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Figure 24: Time line of the work through all four stages including scoping, discovering, creation, and evaluation. Authors image.
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Target Audience
The target audience for this project includes all stakeholders that are
associated with open-air markets in the Provence, France.
Stakeholders were separated into three different categories:
Beneficiaries, including sellers and consumers
Administrators, including law enforcement and local businesses
Overseers, including farmers, fisherman, producers, government,
processors, distributors, transporters, health inspectors, and wildlife
authorities

Figure 25: Meat vendor at an open-air market. Authors image.

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Ecosystem Map + Secondary Research

This ecosystem map shows the relationships between stakeholders in
the context of local open-air markets and the inherent relationships
that vendors have with the other stakeholders. Local markets in
the Provence function as centers of a social network. Markets bring
together the stakeholders from the surrounding communities. In
France, this type of network can be found in the Provenal region as
well as in urban centers, such as Paris. The stakeholders within this
ecosystem facilitate exchanges between each other and cause the system
to thrive. The natural resources from the local environment provide for
this system. Farmers, fishers and herdsmen grow and/or harvest natural
resources, and the transporters and distributors are the bridge to the
market system at the core of the network.

Figure 26: Ecosystem Map. Authors image.

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Significance of the Project

The significance of this project is to create a full
life-cycle waste system for open-air markets so
that waste can be upcycled to serve new purposes
and stakeholder needs. Additionally this project
is focused on learning from nature and applying
natures genius to solving problems in human
systems thereby offering a model for natureinspired innovation. Since the project is designed to
benefit stakeholders and the natural environment,
the design team offers a unique approach for the
reduction of food waste that solves a practical
problem in the local environment, but can also
be extrapolated to other areas such as urban
environments.

Figure 27: Strawberries sold at the local open-air market in the Provence, France. Authors image.
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Research Methodology
The research methodology used in this project was a
case study. The design team used contextual research
approaches and looked through a series of lenses
including the biological lens to learn from nature,
and the ethnographic and participatory lenses in
order to learn about underlying beliefs and values,
and simulate first-hand customer experiences. The
geographic boundary for this case study was formed
primarily by the villages in the Provence near
Lacoste, France. Additionally research was conducted
in the urban setting of Paris.

Figure 28: The team collecting research about local goat farmer, Leopold le Chevrier. Authors image.
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Scoping Phase Initial Research Questions

Main Research Question:
Where in the Provenal Food System is waste occurring?
Sub Research Questions:
Who or what are the stakeholders?
What are the laws related to food?
Where is the food originating?
How is food processed, handled and stored?
How is food distributed and marketed?
How is food consumed in Provence?
How is waste managed in the system?

Table 1: The scoping phase initial research questions.

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Data Collection Methods

Interview Questions

Primary Research:

These interview questions were asked to each of the businesses the design team visited.
This list of questions ensured that the design team asked the same questions to each
business.

Interviews
Observations
Participatory methods (acting as customers)
Research Protocols
Consent forms were translated into French and
collected from each interviewee. A sample of this
form can be found in Appendix A.
Participatory Methods
The scoping team acted as consumers in the openair markets as part of their primary research. They
bought from a variety of market vendors and
interacted with the vendors personally, helping the
design team to better understand the processes of the
vendors and system in which they work.

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1. How long have you been working with food in this area?
2. What is your most popular/least popular item sold here?
3. Can you tell us about what local safety regulations are in place regarding your food
service?
4. How is your product produced? (If not explained enough)
5. In your opinion where do you think food waste occurs in the process and handling
phase of your food system?
6. Where does your food come from? Is your food locally grown or imported?
(restaurant)
7. On average what is the life span of your product before it needs to be consumed?
8. How/do you inform your consumers of this life span?
9. What are the distribution steps of your goods before placed on the market?
(Whose hands touch it/how long does distribution take/how is it transported?)
10. How would you describe your proportion size for most meals? (big proportions/
small proportions)
11. In the western world, food waste comes during the consumption phase in the food
system. How are you observing this from your consumers?
12. How do climate, and environmental conditions in the Provence influence your
product and your process?
13. What are the benefits and challenges of producing your product in the Provence?
14. Where in your process do you think you could be more efficient in preventing food
waste?
15. What measures are you already taking to limit waste?

Figure 29: Benoit Vincent explaining

how wine is made at the winery he works
at, La Coquillade. Authors image.
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Data Collection Sheets

Data collection sheets were designed and used by all observers so
that data could be compared easily (figure 30). Completed sample
data collection sheets can be found in Appendix B.

Figure 30: Data Collection Sheet created by the team. Authors image.
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Interviews
Four interviews were held from March through
April, 2015, with a local vintner, goat farmer,
olive oil and honey producer, and soap maker. The
scoping team also visited local markets such as Apt,
Sant Saturnin ls Apt, and Isle Sur La Sorgue. They
observed numerous vendors and consumers in
these open-air markets and took specific interest in
observing the sellers routine processes. Transcripts of
the interviews can be found in Appendix C.

Figure 31: Darnet Gerante, Cassis soap maker, explaining how soap is made from olive oil. Authros image.
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Location Map
Below listed map shows the locations where the scoping team conducted primary research. Geographically, the team researched areas in the
Provence, France, and they also took a short trip to Paris to compare their findings in the country to urban settings.

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Figure 32: Location map of the areas the team visited. Authors image.
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Observations Various Market Research Visits

Through a variety of market research visits, the scoping team gained
an understanding about installing, selling, and closing processes of
vendors at open-air markets and how and when waste occurs during
these processes by triangulating the findings with other forms of data.
Appendix D offers a consolidation of these personal observations.

Paul Hawkins
My experiences visiting the Provence open-air markets and the Paris
markets were enjoyable. Some of the markets were larger than others
but they mostly sold the same products, such as local produce, cheese,
meat, soap, lavender, scarves and other clothing, and jewelry. The
larger markets functioned as sort of outside stores additionally selling
shirts, dresses, jackets, hats, shoes and purses. All of the people that I
met were nice and helped me learn about the markets. The language
barrier was sometimes difficult, and the vendors would usually try to
understand me. As a consumer in the market, I bought what I needed,
but couldnt really talk to the vendors personally. Conversing with the
vendors is something that I observed the local consumers do. The locals
seemed to have relationships with the vendors, even if they only saw
each other when they were buying and selling food. As a consumer
in the market, I spent time in the cafes, bought bread and pastries
from the bakeries, cheese from the vendors, and browsed through the
artisanal products.

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Jackson Hedden
When I arrive in a local market in Provence, I only see a small part
of the market but as I continue inward I find it as a winding trail of
vendors. These vendors sell everything from food items to electric
shavers and some times counterfeit goods. The prices at the markets
vary from cheap to expensive, which allows me to find what I am
looking for at the price I want. The best things to buy at these markets
are fruits and vegetables, because they are locally grown and fresh.

Meghan Preiss
My experiences as consumer in the local food markets in the Provence,
France, were pleasant. I found that speaking to the local vendors about
their business was an uplifting experience. The vendors have great
connections with their customers, and even being a long time traveler
in a new place, they had a way of making me feel as though I belonged.
I found that vendors do not seem to advertise their merchandise nor do
they get offended when a customer goes to a different stand.

Breana Russell
During my visit at the market I became a stakeholder, more specifically
a consumer. The consumer is responsible for visiting the market in
their free time, and purchasing products being sold there. My first stop
at the market was the ATM, because I knew that most of the vendors
only take cash. I then headed towards the bakery to buy a loaf of
As a non-French speaker, I had a tough time making decisions, for
bread. I also purchased flowers, a wallet, and strawberries. I spent time
instance, I didnt know which cheese and sausage to buy because I
observing other consumers purchasing fish and meat, and talked to a
couldnt read the labels. Purchasing fruits was much easier. I could
simply pick out the ones I wanted, take them to the vendor with a scale few vendors.
where s/he weighed them. I would pay him according to what price
was displayed on the scale.
Keith Costa
Daniel Cheon
When I visited the Apt market, I browsed the goods with the intent of
making a purchase, and tried to put myself into an average consumers
shoes.

The transactions, in general, were quick and were almost exclusively

done in cash. Although we were in a relaxed European market, both
the vendors and the customers seemed impatient.

My personal experience of being a buyer at the market was very

pleasant. I feel like the vendors at the open-air markets are very
concerned with maintaining community values. I feel that, growing
up in the United States, buying and selling was a very cold practice,
but when I came to the Provence, I learned that the markets were part
of a citizens weekly endeavors. This meant that the vendors and the
costumers have closer relationships, therefore making a trip to the
market is less a necessity and more of a social function.

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Samples
In addition to their own observations at the markets directly, the
scoping team visited and interviewed several local producers, so that
they could learn about food growing, processing, and distribution, as
well as related waste generation in the Provence.

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Figure 33, left: Cherry orchard in Lacoste, France. Authors image.

Figure 34, right: Chantal Jullien talking about her olive business. Authors image.

Chantal Jullien
Chantal was born in the Provence, France, and her parents were
farmers in the area. She studied agricultural practice in a German
college, but decided to return to the Provence to care for her parents
and take over the family business. She works in the olive fields during
harvest, in the production facility during processing the olives, and in
the adjacent shop. In her spare time she likes to hike and rock climb.
Yes. There are definitely hygiene restrictions. When they were in the
mill in habath, it was very difficult to keep it clean. Now with this lab
it is a lot easier to keep it clean as well as the aluminum vats.
They heat this building and their house with the pit.

The design team visited Moulin a Huile Jullien, a traditional familyowned olive oil producer who grows olives and processes three different
types of olive oil. Each is harvested at different times between early
November and late December, and is processed right away or left to
settle for three to four days. The producer sells olive oil to customers
who come to the family store. She takes individual orders in addition
to selling the products in the store. The olive oil production process
itself has waste in its production, but it is immediately cycled back
into the system. The olives that grow there are combed from the
trees, pressed, and the pulp is separated from the water and oil with a
machine called a centrifuge. The water is then put back into the soil
for the trees and the oil is bottled. The pulp is separated, again, but this
time, the pits are separated from the pulp which is sold as a spread for
toast. The pits are processed into pellets for burning, providing heat
to the building as needed.
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Figures 3536: The scoping team listening to Benoit Vincent explain how wine is
made. Authors images.

Benoit is the manager of the local winery, La Coquillade. The scoping

team enjoyed the tour and learned about processes of making red, rose
and white wine. A short walk through the facility with the manager
revealed the process of grapes being stemmed and crushed, fermented
in large stainless steel containers, mixed, and put into oak barrels to be
aged. This process did not produce any obvious waste (similar to the
olive oil production) because the stems and skins are sent to a distillery
to be made into brandy, and nothing else is taken out. The oak barrels
can be reused, although this particular winery disposes of them after
I dont know if you have ever seen on the French bottles, theres a
woman and this is like a customs stamp. The stamp means we are okay 3 or 4 uses. The barrels absorb some of the wine and some of the
liquid evaporates, therefore small amounts of additional wine must be
with customs and the taxes.
added to ensure the barrels are filled as much as possible to minimize
oxidation of the wine as it ages. The inside of the barrels are charred
This is just organic waste. All the skin and stems we throw and we
before the wine is added. The extent of the burning imparts different
bring them to our distillery. We use them, so there is no waste in the
flavor dimensions to the wine.
wine.
Benoit Vincent
Benoit was born and raised in Limoges, France. His family enjoyed
traveling, and as a boy he liked looking out the window at the
vineyards. He studied chemistry in college and became interested in
how wine is made. He started working at La Coquillade and is now the
process manager overseeing the winery. He still enjoys traveling with
his wife and children, and does so often.

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Leopold Le Chevrier
The scoping team also visited Leopold, a local goat herder in the
Provence. The goat farm is located in a remote area in the mountains
and hosts 26 goats. The herder explained how he harvests the milk
from the females and demonstrated the milking process on a few goats.
Minimal and/or no waste occurred. Additionally, he keeps the goats
healthy with naturally occurring herbs. Leopold refuses to give the
goats vaccinations or medications, nor does he have them registered
with the government (a requirement for selling produce in a public
venue), and therefore is not allowed to sell his produce at the local
markets. Regardless, he has customers that come to him directly.
They are locals who may have allergies that are not activated through
Leopolds milk products, additionally, they find it important to have
natural produce and to know where their food comes from. The goats Figure 37, left: The team listening to Leopold Le Chevrier. Authors image.
Figure 38, right: Leopold Le Chevrier with one of his goats. Authors image.
are taken on daily walks in the mountains where they can graze the
varied natural vegetation. After the goats are milked, the milk can be
sold as is, or made into cheese. When there are too many young bucks
in the herd he sells them to balance out the milk-giving herd.
He says the goat tells you and not the computer or the modern books
as he put it, and he reiterated the fact that he only wants to work with
nature directly.
When you wake up in the morning its a new life. All over again.
I asked if we could buy it produced in the market..no because then
the government is involved. And they need to analyze and he doesnt
want to get into that.

Leopold was born in Belgium. Due to unfortunate family financial

issues he went into the military when he was 18. He was in the
military for 8 years until he settled in the Provence. He worked in the
construction business, but enjoyed being in nature, so he bought a few
goats and a friend let him use some of his land to herd them. Leopold
enjoys his days living simply and naturally with his goats and dogs.

57

Figure 39, left: Darnet Gerante showing his handmade soap. Authors image.
Figure 40, right: Soap made by Darnet Gerante. Authors image.

Darnet Grante
Darnet was born in Miramas, France, and enjoyed science classes as a
child. He later studied chemical engineering and became a high school
teacher. He settled in Cassis with his wife and had a family. He and
his wife started a hobby business together making soap. He enjoys
spending time with his family and going fishing with his sons.
58

The Scoping Team toured Darnets soap business at his home in

Cassis. During this tour the team learned about the process of making
soap with olive oil, and how to distinguish locally made Cassis
soap and other imported soaps by looking for certain ingredients,
colors and stamp markings in the soap for authentication. He gave a
demonstration of his pressurizing machine that heated and compressed
smaller soap pellets into an elongated loaf of soap that he then
chopped into individual bars. While the bars were still warm from the
pressurizing machine, he stamped them with his Cassis based company
logo guaranteeing that he made them locally. Darnet explained a few
of the regulations that soap makers must follow and where he gets
some of his ingredients. He did not have any byproducts from making
the soap, it was only an additive process therefore had minimal to no
waste.

59

60

Data Analysis - Affinity Diagram

The scoping team used an Affinity Diagram to organize all of the
primary research data they had gathered. Anything and everything
that was recorded, was put on the wall. The design team then created
clusters of documented information that related to each other in some
way. This strategy enabled the team to understand the information as a
whole and see repeating patterns and emerging themes.
Each cluster was then named and became a topic for further
exploration. For this purpose the data was reorganized to reveal
the groupings better. Additional observations of pain points or
misconnections were added, and the big picture was co-created from
there.
These Affinity Diagrams helped the design team to see the pain points
within the system that they were researching. These pain points lead to
discovering and confirming opportunities for design and innovation
in order to address the defined design challenge. Following diagrams
are attempts to make meaning from this big picture to further explore
possibilities.

Figure 41: Affinity diagram comprised of photos and Post-its notes of the scoping teams research. Authors image.
61

Data Synthesis
1. Journey Maps

Insight:
There is currently nothing
motivating consumers and
sellers to upcycle their food
waste.
No aspects of the markets are
designed to target children.
Figure 42: Journey map. Authors image.
62

How Might We?:

Opportunity:
How might we transform the
Creating a feedback loop with
consumer or seller experience
waste being returned to the
while participating in the market market for repurposing.
and, at the same time, or how
Creating a better experience
they upcycle food waste?
for kids by targeting them in the
design solution.
Collecting consumer and seller
waste for potential upcycling.

2.ERAF System Diagram

How Might We?:

Insight:
The products are passed through Create a new stall for producers,
such as a farmers market, that
several hands before they are
also attracts consumers to buy
sold to consumers.
directly from the producers.
The producers need the vendors
How might we design for the
to sell their food, and the
inclusion of children in the
vendors need food to sell from
markets, so that they have
the producers.
a place as a stakeholder in the
Most consumers are adults, and
market system.
they rarely bring their children
to the markets with them.

Figure 43: ERAF system diagram. Authors image.

Opportunity:
Educate consumers about the
production process of the food
they buy.
Provide producers a way to sell
their products to markets
directly which might be
more efficient and reduce food
waste during distribution and
transportation.
Encourage parents to bring their
kids to the markets so they can
also participate in the
community or educational
aspects of the markets.

63

3.Fish Bone Diagram

Insight:
How might we?:
At the end of the market day, all Create a system that weighs
waste is simply thrown, unsorted, the byproducts of processing, so
into the dumpster.
that users can utilize waste more
Processors have food
effeciently?
occurrences that are not
How might we construct
recognized as waste.
a framework to educate the
stakeholders where, how, and
Figure 44: Fish bone diagram. Authors imgae.
why food waste is occurring?
64

Opportunity:
Educate the stakeholders on
what constitutes waste.
Help artisans identify and
efficiently manage waste in their
system.
Have the markets segregate the
organic waste so that they may
be upcycled.

4.Tree Diagram

Insight:
Raw meat vendors bring limited
food to sell, thus sell out
everyday in order to limit the
amount of meat they must store
or throw away.
When raw meat is thrown
away with non-bio waste due to
improper sorting methods, it is
not efficiently composted.
Figure 45: Tree diagram. Authors image.

How might we?:

Create a package that can better
preserve meat?
Sort waste to eliminate the
accidental disposal of meat into
trash?
Create a system for raw meat
waste similar to produce
compost?
Create a more efficient method
of transporting meat so that it
stays fresh longer.

Opportunity:
More efficient packaging
Faster methods of
transportation
Add a raw meat sorting bin
A design option that
decomposes the raw meat

65

5.Storyboards

How might we?:

Insight:
While fruits and vegetables can How might we find a way to
be composted, most meat related dispose of meat and fish waste
waste is thrown out in
so that it can be upcycled into a
resource?
dumpsters.
Figure 46: Storyboard explaining part of the process of collecting the fish waste. Authors image.
66

Opportunity:
Find a useful outlet for meat and
fish waste, so that it can be
upcycled and turned into a
resource.

6.Semantic Profile

Insight:
The larger companies
are required to have more
government regulation than the
smaller businesses.
In the olive oil manufacturing
system waste is separated, so
that it can be upcycled and
reused in-house.
The winery, in comparison to the
olive oil manufacturer, sends
their organic waste off site to
be reused instead of upcycling
it within the factory, thus
wasting energy in transportation.

How Might We?:

Opportunity:
How might we keep our system A variety of systems that
separate waste creates more
in-house or local, so that we
options for upcycling waste.
dont need to send our waste to
other places thereby creating
more waste through
transportation?
How might we make sure
that our system is legal and
governmentally regulated?
How might we find new ways to
separate food waste so that it can
be upcycled into useful products
and/or materials?

Figure 47: Semantic profile. Authors image.

67

Findings at a Glance
Through research and observation, the scoping
team has discovered that within the open-air food
markets in the Provence, France, most food waste
is generated by the vendors discarding the meat
and old produce that is not sold. This fact was
also confirmed when the team researched open air
markets in Paris the problem was exasperated by the
larger amount of produce on the markets.

Figure 48: Seafood vendor at the local market in Apt, France. Authors image.
68

Opportunity Map

How might we...

- Create a package to preserve meat in a fresh capacity?

- Create a system for the disposal of bad meat so that vendors
can continue to sell.
- Sort waste to eliminate the accidental disposal of meat into the
trash in a way that is accessible so that it is widely used?
- Create a system of meat waste similar to produce compost.
- Create a system to transport meat live and slaughter closer to
the market.

Wa
Un ste
aw
are

O
Bu utd
a
M sine ted
od s
el s

Ex
Ec per
on ien
om ce
y
How might we...

Create a site for producers in the markets,

such as a farm day or festival, and invite
consumers to interact with the producers
and in activities to learn how to reduce
food waste.

al
se
Loc Reu
le&

INSIGHTS

cyc

Meat
Waste

m
ste n
Sy ictio
str
Re

- Create a modular system that weighs the

products and byproducts of food processing,
so that business owners may see if there
are any things being thrown away in a form
of waste?
- Provide a centralized rubbish system in
the food system that may or may not be
supplemented machinery?
- Construct a framework to educate the stakeholders
where and how there are food waste occurrences?

Re

How might we...

W
Edu aste
cat
ion

Meat Disposal

How might we...

- Keep our system inhouse,

so that we dont send our waste to other
places thus creating more waste through
transportation?
- Make sure that our system
is legal and governmentally regulated?
- Find new ways to separate
food waste to that it can be upcycled in a
greater number of useful materials?

te n
as tio
W ara
p
Se

te n
as tio
W ara
p
Se

How might we...

- Create a modular system that weighs the

products and byproducts of food processing,
so that business owners may see if there are
any things being thrown away in a form of waste?
- Provide a centralized rubbish system in the food
system that may or may not be supplemented
machinery?
- Construct a framework to educate the
stakeholders where and how there are food
waste occurrences?

Figure 49: Opportunity map. Authors image.

69

70

Conclusion to Scoping
Throughout the scoping teams research and observations in the local
open-air markets in the Provence, and Paris, France, they found that
most waste is occurring at the market from food vendors discarding
their unsold produce. The bio-waste of meat and fish is not being
used to its full potential. Through touring and interviewing local food
producers and artisans such as an olive oil manufacturer, winery, family
run soap operation, and a goat herder, the team found that businesses
are already attempting to take advantage of their waste and to reuse it
as a resource.
In conclusion and as a result of their research, the scoping team
proposed to design a system in the open air markets of the Provence,
France, that would not only address the originally defined need
for upcycling food waste in open-air markets, but also benefit the
stakeholders in some way. With this decision made they could clearly
define their design challenge.

Figure 50: Waste occurring at the market. Authors image.

71

Design Criteria

Design Statement
Our design must upcycle food waste from local open-air markets
in order to create value for stakeholders so that it is enthusiastically
adopted.
Project Vision
Our design enables people in open-air markets to upcycle their food
waste, it enhances the experience of children visiting the markets, is
also accessible to adults, repurposes the waste into useful products, and
leads to the experience of fun and to creative expression.
Lifes Principles
Four of the 26 biomimicry lifes principles are of particular interest for
this design:
Incorporate Diversity: Include multiple forms, processes, or systems
to meet a functional need.
Recycle all Materials: Keep all materials in a closed loop
Cultivate cooperative relationships: Find value through win-win
situations
Leverage cyclical processes: Take advantage of phenomena that
repeat themselves.

Figure 51: View of Lacoste Valley. Authors image.

72

73

74

Video describing the discovering phase accessed here:

https://vimeo.com/128544747
Figure 52: Field of poppies in Lacoste, France. Authors image.
75

While some may blend research commonly

in the discovering phase with the background
assessment of the scoping phase, we tease them
apart here to demonstrate the unique value that
biomimicry thinking brings to the research aspects
of the discovering phase... The general objective
of the discovering phase is to enter the realm of
divergent thought, where team members broaden
their perspectives to allow for a wide range of
ideas, inputs and influences...

76

While market research is often the driving

input into most design processes, most radical
innovations come from outside of the norm, be it
visions of a possible future, completely unexpected
connections and inspirations, or purely brilliant
insights. In many ways, biomimicry thinking best
serves radical innovation because natural models
generally arent standard sources, yet natures
strategies can provide very compelling future
visions and brilliant insights, proven by 3.8 billion
years of R&D (Baumeister, 2013).

Introduction to the Presearch Process

As a result of the scoping phase, the function that
the design needed to fulfill and the vision for the
desired outcome had been defined. The design
statement and vision statement represented the
foundation for the scientific research and were
transformed into this biologized research question:

How does nature upcycle in order

to benefit the entire ecosystem?
Gaining inspiration from nature the design team
learned about emulating natures strategies for
upcycling waste. In order to grasp various functional
perspectives, different techniques were used to learn
from nature, such as the biological and the local lens.
The design team organized these observations into
function cards describing functions, strategies,
and mechanisms of different organisms from which
design principles were abstracted in order to emulate
natures genius during the creating phase and to
guide the design process.
Figure 53: Cherry trees blooming in spring in Lacoste, France. Authors image.
77

Using Biomimicry Taxonomy

In the Biomimicry Thinking Design Process it is
important to hold back on human cleverness
and to NOT jump to solutions too quickly, but to
patiently elicit natures secrets so that the design can
be informed by the strategies nature uses to solve
similar challenges. Using the Biomimicry Taxonomy,
the design team investigated methods for upcycling.

Figure 54: Biologist Sherry Ritter showing the class moss on a piece of bark. Authors image.
78

Discovering Natural Models

In the discovering phase the
design team examined the
ecosystems in the Provence, in
particular, they investigated how
nature manages nutrient cycles.
They explored models in nature,
searched for patterns and directly
observed natures functions.
Along with the primary analysis,
the team conducted secondary
research and utilized the expertise

and experience of the Scientist at

the Design Table, Sherry Ritter,
who supported the team during
the discovering phase.
To learn from nature directly, the
team explored various ecosystems
in the area as well as visited
lectures, watched documentaries,
conducted iSites, and participated
in nature excursions. Observing
nature gave the design team
first hand experience, while the
documentaries and lectures

provided an in-depth analysis of

the specific dynamics observed
in the local ecosystems. In
addition to group excursions,
each member of the design team
completed daily iSites, focusing
on personal reconnection with
nature and forming a respectful
understanding of natures
processes and interrelationships.
The team also utilized online
learning resources to deepen their
understanding.

79

80

Discovering Natural Models

(Continued)
Lenses are perspectives that
biomimics use in order to focus
their design process on a specific
point of view. Choosing a
particular lens allows designers
to view models and concepts
in new and different ways, and
understand them in greater
depth. The scientist-at-the-design
table was a powerful resource
as she clarified ambiguities, led
excursions, and provided new
perspectives. She led the team
on nature excursions and helped
explain the genius of nature.

In addition to the biological lens,

the team also incorporated a local
lens, focusing on the food waste
issues in the Provncal Region.
The design team explored various
environments, such as coastlines,
forests, and mountains, seeking
to emulate natures strategies.
While exploring these settings,
the team employed a functional
lens. The functional lens allowed
them to explore the strategies
and mechanisms that organisms
use to survive and thrive on this
planet. This exploration lead to
the design teams own abstracted
design principles that were used in
creating a solution.

Figure 55: The team exploring nature in Cassis. Authors image.

81

Researching the Natural World through iSites

iSites are activities to reconnect with and learn
from the natural world. They have been specifically
designed by the Biomimicry 3.8 organization to
structure the observation of nature through
particular lenses, such as the local lens, the
biological lens and/or the functional lens. These
activities required the team to explore and observe
nature sometimes quietly and other times in order to
find particular dynamics in the system facilitating
the reconnection to nature as well as the completion
of primary natural science research.
While the scoping team conducted primary and
secondary research in order to understand the

82

dynamics present in the human system that the new

design was to serve, the entire design team engaged
in the primary and secondary research of the natural
world, the various ecosystems in the local biome. It
is this particular natural science research protocol
that distinguishes the biomimicry design process
from other design processes. In fact, the Biomimicry
Thinking Design Process is a mixture of system
thinking, design thinking, and biology, and is firmly
grounded in a systemic sustainability mandate
another characteristic that distinguishes this
particular process from other nature-inspired design
processes.

Figure 56, left: A team member researching while being immersed in nature. Authors image.
Figure 57, right: A team member drawing. Authors image.
83

Sample iSites Activity

Shown is a sample iSite that the design team
completed. More such samples can be found in
Appendix E.

Figure 58: iSite sketch. Authors image.

84

Date: April 1
Location: Cottonwood and oak woods to the east of Maison Basse
Purpose: Understand systems and nutrient cycles
iSite: Web of Life Diagram
Instructions:
In a drawing capture how the diversity of species is found in ones
favorite nature spot and how they interrelate. Starting with a single
organism, consider the following key elements as a way to draw
connections between the various organisms and abiotic factors of the
webwhat is its energy source? What is it eaten by? Where does it get
its shelter? Does it give shelter? How expansive can the web grow?
During debrief, we will start with one persons web, and then ask if
anyone has one of the connections (e.g., a predator, a tree) within
his or her web. Keep going until all have shared their webs. Ideally,
this can be sketched simultaneously which would visually show the
connections.

Students Response:
We walked along the footpaths to a large field of grasses, flowers, and
trees. During the process, we needed to draw a web of life capturing
how the diversity of species found in my favorite nature spot was
interrelated. I found that the ivy grew and covered the cave by the
roadside. And I could see dead spider webs and trash, like glass bottles
in it. However, I could also find that the cave had a roof and some
mosses or fungi grew around the cave.
Reflection:
By observation from one organism I found that it was easier to
understand those relationships and make the web of life. I could see
the important life resources, such as sun, rain, wind, and soil. We
could not live without any of them, or the entire life system could not
work well. In addition, it was interesting that the ivy covered the entire
cave surfaces, so it provided a moist local environment together for
other organisms to survive, like mosses and fungi. At the same time,
the environment I chose had a special element, the impact of human
activity. The interrupting events were probably the reasons why there
was no spider and why the space was filled with dead spider webs. If I
could know the reasons, I would better grow my web and apply it.

85

I think that humans are part of nature and therefore

have a strong relationship with it. People can't escape
nature nor should they try to, but should instead
aim to live harmoniously with it.
Bailey Prieb

Researching the Natural World

through Field Trips

I expected a great view, and pine trees, and cold

wind and snow. I experienced a variety of smells.
The crispness of the air let a lot of scents through:
pine, smoke, burning brakes etc. I appreciated the
air quality. It felt cleaner.
Andrew Moore

In order to better observe natures

patterns, the design team took a
trip to Mont Ventoux, a mountain
in the Luberon Valley. The
team looked for similarities and
common arrangements in nature,
and documented them using
sketches and written observations.
The team compared patterns they
saw with other patches of nature at
different altitudes, noticing subtle
shifts as they climbed higher up
the mountain. Accounting for the
temperature drop as well as the
acceleration of the wind, the team
observed changes in the vegetation
and natural strategies at the top of
the mountain, in contrast to lower
altitudes.

Figure 59, left: Snow on the side of Mont

Ventoux. Authors image.
86

Sherry Ritter, the Scientist-at-theDesign-Table, led the team into

the forest behind the Chateau de
Sade in Lacoste, France. On the
designers first research excursion
with Sherry, she introduced the
idea of iSites and explained the
concept of natures functions and
strategies. The team was each
given a card with a function on
it, split into four groups that were
sent off in different directions
to seek organisms in a natural
environment that embodied
that function. The groups then
shared their findings and, through
discussion and demonstration,
took their first steps towards
understanding the genius of
nature through a biological len.

My relationship with nature is that

of a mentor. We live in a technology
oriented world, and many people
forget that all we have and all we
know came from nature originally,
including ourselves.
Keith Costa

Figure 60, right: The team exploring

Mont Ventoux. Authors image.
87

Researching the Natural World

through Field Trips
(Continued)

I consider myself to be a participant

in nature. Just like a participant in a
ballgame, there are times when I'm
directly interacting and I'm part of the
action. There are times when I'm on the
sidelines just observing as everything goes
on without me.
Taylor Ross

At Fountaine de Vacluse I discovered how

nature has so many hidden and intelligent
features for example how a tree has two
types of roots; roots that grow down and
roots that grow out. This provides them
with more stability! This would be a great
technique in the design world!
Meghan Preiss

Fontaine de Vaucluse is a small

town that is built around a crystal
clear spring in the Vaucluse
Mountains. The design team
began with a twenty-minute tour
of Lifes Principles, going through
each of the master principles and
finding organisms or systems that
met the chosen lifes principles and
sub-principles. This activity led
to a deeper understanding of the
relationships that organisms have
with each other.

Figure 61, left: The natural spring from

Fontaine de Vacluse. Authors image.
88

In order to practice observing

organisms, Sherry Ritter, the
Scientist-at-the-Design Table,
brought the team outside to the
cherry blossom fields next to
Maison Basse, a small building
low in the Luberon Valley in
the Provence, France. There, the
team was tasked with finding
an interesting organism and
documenting it in the form of
an iSite reflection. The goal was
to identify the organism, make
detailed assumptions about the
organisms strategies, question why
the organism had developed these
strategies, and then document
any questions about it. A detailed
sketch was also required along
with research of any questions that
came up.

Figure 62, right: Cherry tree fields in

Lacoste. Authors image.

Besides meeting some of our

most basic needs, nature relaxes
and refreshes us. Actually, when
thinking of those moments of
clarity, connection and peace as
accidental encounters with nature,
I feel that nature is deeply healing.
Jingya Zhang
89

Researching the Natural World

through Field Trips
(Continued)
After walking to a quarter mile
on a trail behind our building,
the design team was asked to
individually find organisms to
create ecosystem maps. The
task was to create a closed loop
ecosystem map, which the team
discussed upon during the debrief.
This activity explained how
nutrients in nature are upcycled
and how everything in the natural
world is reused.

Today I didn't really know what to expect

After today I can appreciate how influential the
characteristics of an ecosystems surroundings can be
on the organisms that flourish there.
Paul Hawkins
Figure 63, left: The pond near the teams
buildling. Authors image.
Figure 64, right: The team working in
class. Authors image.
90

91

92

Function Card Generation

The discovering phase activities conclude with the
creation of Function Cards, which are the outcome
of comprehensive analyses of specific organisms,
processes, or systems that fulfill the function
identified in the design challenge. The function card
begins with the common and scientific name of the
organism investigated, the specific function focus,
the strategy used to fulfill this function, and the
mechanism used for the strategy which is a more
in-depth explanation of the process of completing
this function. A design strategy is then abstracted
from the mechanism to

be used in the following creating phase. Function

cards also help to organize organisms into categories
so that designers can triangulate the findings and
confirm insights. The Biomimicry Thinking Design
Process as all design processes, is iterative, and the
design team moved back and forth between direct
observation and experience of reconnecting to
nature, formal scientific research, brainstorming and
prototyping, and constant evaluation against lifes
principles until they, eventually, arrived at a viable
innovation that fulfilled the design criteria at the end
of the creating phase.

93

Function Card Generation (Continued)

In the first round, 50+ function cards were generated. The main goal
was to research organisms that upcycle nutrientss.

94

Twenty-three organisms were then chosen and sorted into various

categories: effective communication, ecosystem service, community
cooperation, upcycling, breaking down waste, and energy efficiency:

Table 2: Function card matrix in various categories.

95

Function Card Generation (Continued)

During the design charrette, the team of designers and guest
participants concluded that bones and unusable meat scraps offered an
opportunity for upcycling in the open air market food system. At the
end of the day, vendors discard their food remains, and the design team
thought it would be beneficial to use that waste and return any profit
back to the stakeholders. On the next round of scientific research, the
design team chose a list of organisms that performed the function of
completely digesting and breaking down food.

The Mackerel shark digests food through the cooperation of churning

muscles and chemicals. The boubonnais gray rabbit consumes its
own fecal matter after defecating. The spotted hyena uses its uniquely
shaped molars to break down bone and other hard tissue in order to
digest the marrow and other nutrients more easily. The design team
found that organizing food waste in the market was a valuable area to
target. The prospective strategy was to take advantage of food waste
by designing a system that upcycles it and reincorporates it into the
market like nature does.

Table 3: Function card matrix of three champion organisms.

96

Champion Organism 1
Shown is a sample
Fuction Card that
the design team
conducted. More
such samples
can be found in
Appendix F.

Figure 65: Function card of Mackerel Sharks the team made. Authors image.
97

Champion Organism 2

Figure 66: Function card of Mackerel Sharks the team made. Authors image.
98

Champion Organism 3

Figure 67: Function card of Mackerel Sharks the team made. Authors image.
99

100

Conclusion to Discovering Phase

Throughout the discovery phase, the team was
challenged with viewing nature as a teacher
instead of a resource. The first step was to become
one with nature in order to appreciate it deeply.
The best way to do this was to be outdoors and
foster a personal relationship with nature. iSites
were used for recording observations through
descriptions, reflections, and sketches. The teams
time in nature furthered a collective understanding
of local organisms, and how they co-exist in their
environment.

A more informed research methodology emerged

during the second part of the discovering phase as a
result of the reconnection activities completed
during the nature excursions. During the discovering
phase, the design team studied nature as a master
designer and developed a whole new level of respect
for its genius. For each function card, it was
important that the function of the organism
described a way that nature upcycles its waste. Of the
billions of organisms that exist in the natural world,
sixty function cards were initially created, of which
15 moved forward into the next step and proved
invaluable for the creating phase. Of these 15, three
champion organisms eventually emerged as the most
useful for the actual design.

101

Figure 68: Function bridge. Authors image.

102

Biomimicry Thinking and the Function Bridge

The function bridge graphic on the left, illustrates
what is called the function bridge walk which
begins with a well-defined design challenge that is
to address a certain function in the human system
context that is researched and described during the
scoping phase. During the discovering phase this
design challenge is biologized in order to learn from
natures genius and find the strategies nature uses to
fulfill the defined function. On the way back across
the function bridge these strategies are un-biologized
and abstracted as design principles which then guide
the design process in the creating phase.
The discovering phase ended with very concrete and
more refined design criteria that were added to those
originally listed at the end of the scoping phase.
With these concrete instructions the design team
stepped into the creating phase, well prepared to
zoom into the core of the design challenge.

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Figure 69: Wine vineyard in Lacoste, France. Authors image.

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Introduction
The creating phase is the high profile piece of designing. It results
in a new human product or design. It involves creating something
new, putting things together in a new way, making, and inventing. The
ideation phase of creating traditionally involves incorporating research
results on how others have solved for that opportunity or challenge as
well as brainstorming new concepts..., Integrating biomimicry thinking
into the creating phase means being inspired by successes found in
nature, instead of relying on human cleverness alone. Biomimicry in
the creating stage models solutions after design principles abstracted
during the discovering phase and/or Lifes Principles (Baumeister,
2013).

Figure 70: The team exploring nature. Authors image.

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After having observed and learned from natural ecosystems,

the team derived design principles from the research conducted
during the discovering phase that then guided the brainstorming
and prototyping during the creating phase.
Described here are the experiences and insights gained from the
design charette, further discovery, collaborative ideation,
visualization, reframing, re-exploring and valuable feedback. In
addition, the entire design narrative including the refined system
context, mechanisms, and end product were added to the outline.

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Design Charette
A design charette is a way that expedites the creation
process and combines many days worth of work into
one session.
Once the first models were built, the groups began
to debrief their creations. The designers labeled
Our team started the design charette by
various elements of each concept with single word
introducing guests to the Biomimicry Framework
descriptions, first taking a round of objective
and Biomimicry Thinking Design Process, the
descriptions and then moving into subjective
Biomimicry Life Principles, our teams design
interpretations. Each group then revisited their
statement, design principles, and relevant function
concept to refine it so that it would be easier to
cards. Our team had multiple guest participants
understand. They also evaluated their designs for
from different disciplines to add new perspectives.
congruency with the design principles and the life
principles.
Our groups used a different color of
The participants were divided into five groups to
marker to signify the life principles that their designs
begin kinesthetic modeling. This phase was a silent
activity that allowed the group to formulate an initial were meeting. This step helped each group decide
how they could improve our design in order make
concept using the tchatchkas (small found objects
sure that the lifes principles were optimally applied.
from nature and the human world) that had been
This activity was followed by a storyboarding
collected previously and brought to the charette.
exercise.

Figure 71, top left: Team member explaining the function cards. Authors image.
Figure 72, top right: Team members building the first model. Authors image.
Figure 73, bottom left: A model from one of the groups. Authors image
Figure 74, bottom right: Team members labeling their model. Authors image.
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109

Design Charette (Continued)

Each group created storyboards to further refine their design system
through visual storytelling. The storyboards were meant to develop a
deeper understanding of the emerging prototype in its context, and
to clarify any ambiguities while highlighting any problems with the
design. Upon completion, each group checked its concept against
the Biomimicry Life Principles to confirm that the gaps had been
addressed in the updated design. Each group then presented their
storyboards in a gallery walk.
The group asked how might we questions that the presenters
were not meant to answer, but rather contemplate and possibly
incorporate into their design. Each group considered potential options
for products and services and analyzed ways in which the design
principles and functions were present. The team was then rearranged
into two groups of eight to discuss possible solutions based on each
smaller groups ideas. The group decided to focus on meat waste in the
market after agreeing that there was a design opportunity there. The

participants elected to perform additional research to ask how nature

would solve specific challenges regarding the problem of meat waste.
They also created additional function cards on the spot to help them
refine their ideas.
Part of the design charette was also to move quickly between
diverging and converging, and from 3D intuitive creating to 2D visual
thinking with the purpose of moving toward a workable prototype.
They brainstormed potential design solutions by drawing
them on a working wall and then thinking about how a four-year old
would solve this problem or what the anti-solution might be. The
team then regrouped into smaller teams again to develop more refined
concepts. At the end of the evening, each group presented a finalized
version of its concepts. Some groups combined ideas while others
changed their ideas completely. Once all of the groups had presented
their ideas, the participants had a short debrief and performed a
cathartic breathing exercise to mark the end of a long day and celebrate
their accomplishments.

Figure 75, top left: Team members explaining their groups concept. Authors image.
Figure 76, top right: Another team explaining its groups concept. Authors image.
Figure 77, bottom left: Team members regrouping and discussing their progress thus far. Authors image.
Figure 78, bottom right: Team members checking their concept against the design principles. Authors image.
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Figure 79, left: The team zooming in on one concept. Authors image.
Figure 80, right: The team explaining its new function cards. Authors image.
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Design Charette (Continued)

After choosing to focus specifically on meat and fish
waste, the design team decided to research additional
organisms. The team looked specifically at organisms
that swallowed food whole or crushed up and
digested bone as well as other matter that is difficult
to break down. The design team brainstormed
organisms that met this criteria which included
plants, bacteria, and animals. The group split into
pairs to perform the necessary research. Eight new
function cards were created and were added to the
discovering phase where all nature-related
research is consolidated.

Our team learned that many organisms incorporate

both chemical and physical breakdown processes and
that several organisms used repetitive and rhythmic
actions to break down food matter. The team then
narrowed the organisms to the mackerel shark,
hyena, and paper wasp, which offered the three
strongest strategies. When developing the function
cards, knowledge of specific physical structures and
strategies were essential to both metaphorically and
literally emulate the organisms successes. With these
new function cards, it was possible to design a form,
process, and a system that properly upcycled meat
waste.

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Final Sketches of Concepts

After narrowing the scope of the design specifically to meat and fish
waste, the team decided to also design a product from the upcycled
material as well as expand their thinking to fulfill one of the original
aspects of their design challenge the integration of their design into
a whole system that adds value for the stakeholders. The design team
wanted the process to be mechanical (using no or low energy) as well as
visually appealing, interactive, friendly, and fun.
The design team began researching for what purposes meat and bone
could potentially be used. There were many possibilities such as
chalk, fertilizer, and even food. The design team also thought of more
innovative ideas even if it was unclear how to achieve them. Some of
these ideas included an artist product line, 3D printable material, and
building/carving blocks. The team was initially leaning towards chalk,
but the concept then turned into an entire artist line. The bone could
possibly be made into paintbrush holders, pencils, and chalk. The meat
could be turned into color die and possible paper.

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Figures 8187, left to right: Final sketches of the teams concept. Authors images.
115

Final Sketches of Concepts (Contimued)

However, after feedback from an interdiscipliny critique that involved
students and faculty, and due to the inability to figure out how the
waste would specifically be turned into these artist products, the design
team decided to take a few steps back and develop new concepts as well
as revisit old ideas. After more research, the team found it plausible
to mix bone with biodegradable plastic that could be used in a 3D
printer. The materials needed to make the bone plastic were common
items, which the team could obtain and actually experiment with.
Although turning the meat waste into an innovative product that
would have made the bone appealing, the team realized that they were
actually creating more problems in the big picture, and remembered
that the best use of the waste would be giving it back to the earth. They
decided the meat would be turned into fertilizer and sold back to the
farmers.

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After finalizing the new product concepts, the design team focused
on the whole system and designed a closed loop system. The market
produces food waste when the food is not sold, or not eaten, it
simply rots away in the trash containers, not separated from the rest
of the trash. In the design solution, the food waste is collected from
the vendors who would have a share in the meat-waste processing
company. Having a share in the company creates incentives to
donate waste as well as might bring monetary gain from the products
the company sells. Th e team then decided to continue working with
bone material.

Figures 8889, left to right: More sketches of the final concept. Authors images.
117

Synopsis of the Final Design

The design team gained inspiration for the break down mechanisms
from the hyena and mackerel shark due to their efficiency at breaking
and digesting bone. Attention was paid to integrating physical and
chemical breakdown processes. The team modeled separate mechanical
devices after each function.

with a 3D printer, production machines to process meat and bone

waste, and interactive activities to both learn and contribute to the
community-based nutrient upcycling process.
The team set the goal of the innovation to be engaging for children
and accessible to adults, while also enabling educational and creative
opportunities. Since every part of this system is essential for the overall
success of the project, the parts and their functions must integrate
effectively across the whole.

The breaking-down waste process begins with food waste entering the
first device. There, the meat is separated from the bones and taken to
a factory where it will be turned into compost bricks that go back into
the earth as fertilizer. The bones are further ground up into a powder in
the second device.
Materials and energy are either readily available or created onsite.
The fabrication materials are made up of waste from the market, and
The bone powder is then mixed with biodegradable plastic and turned potentially also the surrounding areas.
into a substance that can be used as material for 3D printing. The 3D
printer creates products at the companys stand at the market where
The name of the innovation system as well as the company is Loop.
they are also sold. This innovation would be located in a centralized
In summary, Loop breaks down waste, creates two separate materials,
location at each of the Provenal markets that would also include a
provides nutrients to the earth and produces products that involve both
multi-part and multi-function center for education and production.
vendors and visitors.
This station would include three parts: the vendor stand integrated

Figure 90: Possible products the creation team thought the waste could potentially be turned into. Authors image.
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Figure 91: Loop System Diagram. Authors image.

120

Design Details
The first device was modeled after the sharks
stomach, a ribbed structure which includes digestive
enzymes. The meat and bones would be deposited
into a two-layered cylinder that has shark-inspired
enzymes in the bottom. The inner cylinder has small
holes that function as a porous filter. As the meat is
separated from the bones by the enzymes, it turns
into a paste and seeps into the outer cylinder. The
cylinder and the spiraled ribs rotate during the entire
process, moving and churning the meat within the

enzyme bath, similar to the sharks digestive system.

The rugae chamber has a failsafe strategy. Anything
that does not belong in the machine or cannot be
broken down stays in the main chamber with the
bone and can be filtered out once the process is
complete. This failsafe prevents a careless individual
from destroying the mechanism by placing
something in the machine that it cannot break
down. The name of this device is the Loop Tube.

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Design Details (Continued)

The design team gained inspiration from hyena
teeth to break down the remaining bones. The
way the bone-crushing device works is through a
fluctuating cam shaft design powered by children
pedaling tricycles. The name of the bone-crushing
device is called the Pupcycle due to a combination
of the words upcycle, tricycle, and pup (a common
name for baby animals) and the effectiveness
of this name will need to be tested in each cultural
context where the innovation will be stationed. The
Pupcycles are modeled after the animals from which
the design team gained inspiration for the design of
this system. The team also developed a water-based

vehicle that functions as a pedal boat for markets

that have a water source in order to better integrate
the Pupcycles with the existing context. As the
pedals turn, spring-loaded pistons are activated that
replicate the hyenas teeth. The device has several
rows of retracting, nesting teeth that fit together
like puzzle pieces. The modular nature of the teeth
allow dull teeth to be replaced without replacing
the whole jaw. The repetitive crushing motion of
the pistons break down the bone until it becomes
a powder. The bone powder is then ready to be
processed to the next phase.

Figures 9294, left to right: Rendering of the pupcycle shark boat" and a "hyena pupcyle. Authors images.
122

123

Design Details (Continued)

A wind turbine takes advantage of the high winds
of the Provence and powers the machine when wind
is available. The team incorporated a biomimicryinspired innovation from the company WhalePower
into the prototypes turbine design. If the wind dies
down, the machine can still be operated by hand.
Additionally, there is a viewport allowing market
visitors to watch the process directly and learn about
how biomimicry-inspired concepts are applied in
this process.

After the meat is removed from the bones and

turned into a paste, the material is dehydrated using
solar energy and manufactured into bricks that can
potentially be utilized for fertilization and fuel. The
fertilizer is sold to local farmers and goes directly
back into the ecosystem. The fuel blocks are sold
to local power companies that provide energy for
the market towns, providing the electricity used by
the booths. Cultivating cooperative relationships
is important to keep everything within a closed,
collaborative loop.

Figures 9596, left to right: Renderings of the wind turbine Loop Tube. Authors images.
124

125

Design Details (Continued)

The design team also gained inspiration from the
paper wasps process of combining other materials
with its saliva to make its hive. To emulate this
chemical process the bone powder is combined
with biodegradable plastic and formed into a spool.
The biodegradable plastic is comprised of glycerin,
corn starch, water, and vinegar which are abundant
ingredients found in markets and pharmacies.
The biodegradable plastic acts like the tree fibers
the wasp combines with its saliva for strength. The
result is a biodegradable bone plastic filament that
can be used in 3D printers. Ideally, the printer

would run off the energy created by the fuel blocks

that are integrated into the local electric grid. The
printer would be used to print desired items in the
Provenial Region such as wine stoppers, bottle
openers, toys, and dishware. The visual rendering
of these items would incorporate the animals that
inspired the design in the first place. The stand at
the market would sell the 3D printed items and also
have a 3D printer onsite to educate customers about
the opportunities this technology offers.

Figure 97: Rendering of a 3D printer and its different parts. Authors image.
126

127

Design Details (Continued)

The design team recommends to incorporate
a customizable option for the markets such as
changing the animals that sit on top of wine stops.
It would also be possible to hold design competitions
in which the winners design would be printed.
Within the scope of all the Provenal markets,
there would be a shared database in which favored
configurations and products could be reshuffled.
This reshuffling would allow the product selection to
improve based on surveys about customer needs and
wants. Additionally, in the design of some of these
printable products, the team suggests to include info
about the organisms featured in the products and

128

also about biomimicry in order to spread awareness

of nature as a model, mentor, and measure.
All the products created from these devices are
biodegradable and can easily be recycled. Potentially,
the products could also be taken back to flow
back into the processing system. Of course, the
products would need to be durable for as long as the
customers want to use them.

Figures 9899, left to right: A concept for the 3D printing system that would use the bioplastic to print custom products. Authors images.
129

130

Issues to be Solved
There were still some issues that the design team was unable to solve,
such as due to the limited amount of time as well as the lack of
chemistry/engineering backgrounds. The first unsolved topic was
exactly how many people would be needed to run the whole system.
Would there be included employees working the stand, collecting
the waste, transporting the waste, and the business aspect needed for
running the system? What would be the business model for such a
system?
Another area that needs further exploration is the exact chemistry
behind the biodegradable bone plastic. The specific amounts of each
ingredient as well as the knowledge about how long it would take to
biodegrade are unknown. Furthermore, the design team is unsure how
the biodegradable bone plastic would react to other substances such as
wine. Additionally, the team does not know where the specific enzymes
needed for the processing would come from. For the stand specifically,
there would need to be some sort of power supply to operate the 3D
printer. In addition to specialists in logistics, business development,
chemical engineering, the team would also need to engage mechanical
engineers for designing the wind-powered mechanism.

Figure 100: Open-air market in Apt, France. Authors image.

131

Conclusion to Creation Phase

The original ideas conceived during the design charrette provided
the foundation for the final design. Instead of only creating a device
or product, the design team ended up combining the concepts that
emerged during the design charrette and created an entire system.
Through designing a system, the team was able to look at the bigger
picture and think of every part involved as opposed to zeroing in on
only one aspect.
By combining and developing the original ideas from the design
charrette, the design team created a concept for the development
of a company that utilizes a closed loop system for its operations
and involves the community in a business relationship with the
vendors. The vendors own a share of the company profits, which
provides incentives for them to contribute their food waste but also
creates motivation to support the company. In summary, food waste
is collected from vendors at the market, the waste enters the Loop
Tube where meat is separated from bones, the meat is removed and
solar-heated to make fertilizer blocks, the fertilizer blocks are sold

132

to various farmers who may have been involved in producing the

meat the vendors sell (closing the first loop), the bones are put into
the pupcycles and broken into a powder that is then mixed with
biodegradable plastic to be used in a 3D printer that prints products
sold at the market (closing the second loop). Further, the biodegradable
products can be recycled and/or directly fed back into the system, for
instance, shredded to be added as an ingredient in the plastic-making
process.
Without re-evaluating the design mid-way, the team would not have
met the biomimicry standards and would have ended up creating
more problems than solving them. During the design process, the
design team re-visited lifes principles and design principles multiple
times, and the evaluation team aided greatly in this endeavor. The
design has successfully incorporated many of the 26 Biomimicry Life
Principles. There are still issues that need further investigation, testing,
and development, but overall the innovation matured into a plausible
design solution for meat waste occurring in the Provinal markets.

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Video describing the creating phase and the evaluating phase accessed here:
https://vimeo.com/129718413
Figure 101: A sign along the road in Lacoste, France. Authors imgae.
135

Introduction
The Evaluating Phase consisted of cross checking
the bio-inspired design against each of the 26
Biomimicry Life Principles, and making sure
that the prototype truly addressed the original
design challenge and that the project as a whole
fulfilled the project vision. The evaluation
team identified problems with the design and
substantiated those claims with possible solutions
that further incorporated processes in nature. This
phase included the revisiting of the Creating and
Discovering Phases, and furthered the collaboration
of the whole design team to address blind spots and
missed opportunities. While there was a substantial

evaluation effort constituting its own phase in the

Biomimicry Thinking Design Process, evaluation
not only took place at the end of the design process,
the team evaluated against life principles, design
principles, and the original design brief throughout
all phases. The life principles, in particular, provided
a way to assess the strengths and flaws of the
prototype throughout various stages of development,
as well as offered a structured way to create solutions
to improve the design.

Figure 102: A field and house located in Provence, France. Authors image.
136

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Nature and Lifes Principles

The team aimed for the design to meet at least 75% of the twentysix life principles. After careful analysis, the team concluded that
the prototype met thirteen life principles completely, met six life
principles to a more limited extent, and failed to meet seven life
principles, totaling a ratio of 19:7 or 73%. By choosing the open-air
market as the main source of food waste, the design team had the
advantage of creating a design that would live outdoors. The team
pushed to create a solution to the design challenge that would bring
together the stakeholders within the market. The design teams goal
was to create a system that upcycles food waste produced by meats in
the open-air market in a way that would be enthusiastically adopted
by the community, involving both sellers and consumers and other
stakeholders in the system. The design team drew inspiration from
nature where there is no waste. In order for the design to mimic nature
it had to take waste and use it in a nutrient cycle that formed a closed
loop. The product created from upcycling food waste would need to
loop back into the market system and/or back into nature.

Figure 103: A team member working in nature. Authors image.

139

Lifes Principles

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140

In order to organize the life principles by how applicable they are to

the design, the team chose to color-code them. The colors chosen
were Green, Yellow, and Red. A life principle that holds a green label
has been fulfilled completely by the design without any reservations
and is often times included in the four main life principles that the
team intended to include in the LOOP system. A yellow label means
that the life principal was filled to somewhat of a lesser extent. This
includes room for improvement, perspective evolutions to the design
and unknown factors. If the life principle is given a red label, it means
that the design does not fulfill the criteria of the life principle. The goal
of the evaluation stage is to amend the design through communication
with the other three phases to get as many green and yellow labels as
possible. The goal is to get 75% of the life principles to be green or
yellow.

141

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is a certified B-Corporation.
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Evolve to Survive
The product system is designed so that it can,
evolve further, based on feedback from customers,
but the product itself cannot evolve on its own. In
the designed 3D printing system life principles are
used as benchmarks in a more literal way in that
the 3D printer can create almost anything up to a
certain size. The devices that break down the meat
and bones use energy sources from manual labor to
function in a specific location. Depending on where
the market is located the devices for processing the

142

waste is fitted for water or land in terms of how

Loop is operated, but that is the extent of a possible
change. However, the wind turbine cannot be moved
from location to location and depends solely on the
weather. Not considered by the design team was
the use of other than meat waste, but the design
could certainly evolve to use other organic material.
Additionally, this design has the potential to evolve
into a bigger industry that could bring about a
more sustainable future for the open-air markets of
Provence, France.

Replicate Strategies that Work

Integrate the Unexpected

Reshuffle Information

Upcycling nutrients has been a successful

practice in nature for 3.8 billion years,
and that is why the design team chose to
use it as an inspiration for the prototype.
In order for the design to upcycle waste
it must first break the waste down. The
emulation of specific repeated natural
strategies for breaking down organic
material came from the hyena and
mackerel shark. The ability for the hyena
to break down waste depends on the
shapes of its teeth and the force used to
bite them together. Loop mimics these
strategies. In order to separate meat from
bones the design team emulated the
digestive system of the mackerel shark.
After this chemical process, the waste
is then utilized in the same way a paper
wasp would combine it with life-friendly
elements to create a building material.

The margin for error of the machine is

great throughout the steps of dividing
waste. The prototype is meant to separate
the meat waste leaving bones that can be
ground into powder. The proper process
depends entirely on what the customers
and vendors throw into the drum. If an
anomaly like a plastic bag or piece of
paper is introduced, ideally, the multichambered design would simply leave it in
the container, therefore not allowing it to
proceed with the process. The devices are
designed so that differentiation between
meat and anomalies is possible. However,
the method of acquiring enzymes
remains an open question. Without the
incorporation of specific enzymes, foreign
objects could compromise the structure
of the bone dust and therefore lead to a
malfunction in the 3D printer.

The reshuffling of information occurs

during the 3D printing which allows
some flexibility for the final products.
When the customers ask for specific
shapes to be printed at the 3D printing
stall, a customizable variable is added.
Furthermore, the 3D printer is designed
in such a way that it can adapt and change
based on the wishes of the consumer,
which, though not a new innovation,
contributes to the changing inventory of
the shop.

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Adapt to Changing Conditions

Adapting to some changing conditions is possible
with the Loop because operating functions can be
changed based on weather and environment. The
markets of Provence, France, move from town to
town, therefore presenting different environments.
For example, the Pupcycles are designed to be used

144

by children on both land and water. The design

includes a series of redundancies in its operating
mechanism. When there isnt wind to power
Loop, there are games for children to play that will
manually power the design. Though there are many
steps put in place to ensure the success of the design,
it is far from foolproof.

Incorporate Diversity

Maintain Integrity Through Self-Renewal

The design includes multiple forms and

processes to meet the necessary function.
The multiple forms in this process include
unique interactive designs that engage
the consumers at the market, as well as
manage the food waste. Furthermore,
the design incorporates many different
demographics, from children to the elderly,
in ways that are both fun and interactive
and educational. The different methods of
creating the bone dust are geared towards
children, while the products at the end can
be geared towards both, children and/or
adults.

When the mechanism works, it requires

manual assistance, the design does not
include self-renewal options. Although the
design lacks the ability to self-heal it does
have the feature to have individual parts
repaired if they become damaged. Such
limiting factors include any malfunctions
that are connected with a mechanically
driven, multi-step process.

Embody Resilience Through Variation,

Redundancy, and Decentralization
To avoid making the mechanism
completely reliant on one method there
are various strategies for how each step can
be accomplished. The design incorporates
a variety of steps that break down bone
waste, including the Pupcycles, which are
located in different areas of the market.
In addition, a variety of strategies for
powering the separation process of the
meat and bone waste are being used,
which include an interactive game that
manually powers the machine, and a wind
turbine that operates the device when
there is enough wind to do so.

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is a certified B-Corporation.
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Be Locally Attuned and Responsive

The design was created to foster community values
and collaboration between market vendors and
customers and to contribute to a more sustainable
open-air market system. The stall with the 3D
printer was specifically designed to fit into the
environment attuned to the existing market system,

146

while introducing an element of sustainability.

The open-air markets in the Provence are a
social experience for many of the customers.
Therefore, it was important for the creative team
to generate a design that would fit into the
existing market dynamic.

Leverage Cyclical Processes

Loop leverages cyclical processes
by using the energy produced by
wind turbines, as well as manual
power. The wind turbine takes
advantage of the frequent strong
wind in the Provence, and uses
it to power the devices. Also,
pedestrian traffic at the market is
utilized as a failsafe for the wind
turbine. On days when there is
limited wind, there will be a game
that the children of the market can
play on the meat waste drum that
will serve as a power source.

Use Readily Available Materials

and Energy

Use Feedback Loops

The customization aspect of the

Readily available energy is used
prototype is an example of a
to power the devices that break
feedback loop because Loop does
down materials, such as wind
not have a set-end product. The
and mechanical energy. The
bioplastic 3D printer is designed
final product will be made from
to print anything within certain
available material mined from the size parameters, thus stakeholders
existing meat waste in the market. can bring in their own designs
or drawings to contribute to the
vast inventory of products. In this
system the consumer can take
part in innovating, creating, and
designing shapes to be printed.

Cultivate Cooperative Relationships

The prototype was designed
as a system to benefit multiple
parties in the market, cultivating
a cooperative relationship. Such
relationships emerge from vendors
contributing their food waste and
the customers benefitting from the
products and amenities that go
along with the installation of the
prototype. Vendors and consumers
can eliminate their meat trash in a
community-friendly way. Loop is
family-friendly and helps foster a
positive environment.

147

Figure 108: Biomimicry 3.8 DesignLens Collateral Toolkit.

2014 Biomimicry Group, Inc. dba Biomimicry 3.8. Biomimicry Group
is a certified B-Corporation.
Retrieved from: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/biomimicry-designlens/

Intergrade Development With Growth

The design is a system that incorporates the
opportunity for both growth and development in
accordance to supply and demand. Currently, there
is not an existing popularized system to upcycle
meat waste at open-air markets, therefore making
the prototype a new and innovative addition to the

148

market environment may spark new developments

aligned with it. Such new developments could
possibly include expansion from meat waste to other
waste processing, positive relationships between
vendors and consumers, an introduction to 3D
printing and its uses, and a more family-accessible
market experience.

Self-Organize

Build from the Bottom Up

Combine Modular and Nested Components

Though the decomposing processes work

on their own, collectively they require
management. For example, the 3D
printer is able to run autonomously, but
the vendor in charge of the bioplastic
products must program it first. The
vendor is another outside contributor
to the organization of the system.
Therefore, each element of the system can
contribute to self-organization, as it can
run autonomously, but the whole process
cannot run independently. However, if
the community gets behind this concept,
they may want to develop a self-organizing
system for pick-up of waste and redistribution of products made from the
waste. The potential is there, but currently
not considered.

The 3D printing aspect of the

prototype uses additive manufacturing,
which is the process of forming a
shape. It does this by laying down
thin layers of plastic on top of one
another to build upward. In addition,
the prototype emulates the system of
upcycling, which takes waste, breaks
it down into its basic components
and builds it back up into a valuable
resource.

The prototype functions in a fluid manner,

progressively moving from simple to complex.
In the beginning steps of the process, waste
components are gathered that would otherwise
be discarded. This simple component is
then broken down using natural methods
demonstrated by the modular hyena-type
teeth that can be replaced if worn down.
Once the waste is broken down it can then be
upcycled as a bioplastic material used for 3D
printing.

149

Figure 109: Biomimicry 3.8 DesignLens Collateral Toolkit.

2014 Biomimicry Group, Inc. dba Biomimicry 3.8. Biomimicry Group
is a certified B-Corporation.
Retrieved from: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/biomimicry-designlens/

Be Resource Efficient (Material and Energy)

The design team drew primary research from the
markets, using the area and its citizens as a target
demographic for whom to create the prototype.
Utilizing the opportunities presented by the local
markets, the team was able to glean important
information about food waste patterns in a more
specific area. One of the many opportunities that
came from this decision was the ability to conduct

150

primary research within the area. The insight

received from this research helped the team focus on
the opportunity to use meat as the chosen resource
to be upcycled (meaning the design emerged from
local circumstances and needs). Along with this
research, the designs inspiration for how to power
the mechanisms skillfully takes advantage of the
locations high winds and available mechanic energy.

Use Low Energy Processes

Use Multi-Functional Design

Recycle all Materials

Fit Form to Function

Low energy processes are utilized

during the entire breakdown
process of the design. Temperature
is not a factor in separating the
waste or in breaking it down,
however, high temperatures are
necessary for the 3D printing
process. All of the devices, other
than the 3D printer, are powered
by wind and manual labor, which
are feasible low energy processes.

In order for the prototype to meet

multiple needs it would need to
be designed to process more than
just meat waste. However, the
prototype is designed to handle
several kinds of meat and bone
waste in one elegant solution.
After the waste is broken down,
it can serve as a multifunctional
material that can meet multiple
consumer needs through 3D
printing technology.

The project vision for this

prototype includes the importance
of upcycling food waste to create
a full cycle within the market.
The only materials being used for
the product are meat waste and
bones that otherwise would have
been discarded in an unsustainable
way. The product will also be
biodegradable so that it can be
returned to nature as nutrients.
However, the Pupcycles, 3D
printer, wind turbine, and any
packaging material will not be
biodegradable and more than
likely these things will also not be
made of recyclable material.

In order to begin upcycling,

the waste it is put into a device
that separates bone and meat
emulating the digestive pattern
of the shark. When the bone
is extracted, it is put into the
Pupcycles. The Pupcycles are
responsible for breaking down
waste and are shaped like the
hyena and the shark in order to
attract a younger demographic
of market visitors. These
transportation devices break down
waste using hyena shaped teeth
to crush the bones. Therefore, the
designs inspiration stems from the
need to break down food the same
way the hyena and shark would
shaping form to function.

151

Figure 110: Biomimicry 3.8 DesignLens Collateral Toolkit.

2014 Biomimicry Group, Inc. dba Biomimicry 3.8. Biomimicry Group
is a certified B-Corporation.
Retrieved from: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/biomimicry-designlens/

Use Life-Friendly Chemistry

The prototype employs many sustainable methods
for upcycling food waste, but Life-Friendly
Chemistry is more of a perspective goal. Ideally, the
prototype would use life-friendly enzymes, similarly
to the Mackrel Shark, to break down the meat and
isolate the bones, but that still remains to be fully

152

developed. The chemicals used for the 3D printing

process as it currently exists are toxic and
are harmful to the environment. The design team
intends to use Life-Friendly Chemistry for this
design, but still needs to develop the details.

Break Down Products into Benign

Constituents

Build Selectively with a Small Subset

of Elements

The intent is to find ways of recycling

the product so that its components break
down into benign constituents. Ideally,
the material would be a mixture of bone
powder and other natural substances such
as starches and glycerin. Again, these
are ideas that have not been tested and
the design team needs help with further
development.

Theoretically, the elements used to

separate the waste would only be
natural enzymes (harvested or grown),
and a limited number of organic
ecofriendly chemicals would be used
to create a biodegradable plastic. This
intent still has to be developed with
the help of chemical engineers.

Do Chemistry in Water
Water could have been an element to consider,
however water takes much longer to break
down waste than the chosen life-friendly
enzymes, and would not be strong enough to
break down waste or bone. The life-friendly
enzymes are water based, but that is the extent
of the connection. Therefore, because the
design needs harsher elements, water was not
utilized for the upcycling process, but is used
when the product is broken down naturally
at the end of its life span. The process of
isolating the bones from the leftover meat will
be ideally accomplished using life-friendly
enzymes based on those found in a sharks
stomach rather than harsh chemicals.

153

Evaluating the Fulfillment of Abstracted Design

Principles
At the beginning of the creating phase the team
had brought fifteen design strategies to the Design
Charette to work with. After the charette, only
one of these original principles made it to the next
round, which was:

The need for a breakdown function moved the

team to do further research, and create two new
design principles that deal with breaking down
waste and are incorporated into the final
prototype, which were:

Our design should use a protein to mix with a

fibrous material to create a lightweight
waterproof building material, so that one can
upcycle biotic materials to create ecofriendly
building materials.

Our design must be able to crush hard

natural substances by using concave and
convex shapes.

This design principle adheres with the original goal

of upcycling food waste, which still remains as the
prime objective. However, in order for nature to
upcycle nutrients, there is a process that transforms
waste into a useable nutrient for another organism.

154

Our design must incorporate both physical and

chemical processes to break down waste and
have the potential to store or expel it, so that
the resources are either processed, maintained,
or expunged.

What would nature do?

Nature would utilize a system that takes the waste of
organisms and makes it useful for others as nutrients,
putting waste in a cycle similar to that designed
for this prototype. Nature would make sure that
this system is not using anything other than readily
available resources. For example, organisms only
use force and natural stomach acids within them to
break down every part of their food leaving no waste
behind besides fecal matter. However, in the natural
world, the fecal matter is put back into the nutrient
cycle. For example, plankton eats whale feces to take
advantage of the plentiful nitrogen found in that
kind of waste, which is needed for survival. In return

for the nitrogen from the whale, the whale eats the
plankton, which, in turn, will be transformed into
feces expelled into the water column yet again,
and this continues the looped cycle. In the worlds
unsustainably designed food system, efforts have to
be made to target one point at a time. In the case of
this prototype, the most efficient way to upcyle waste
is to create an interconnecting cycle forming a closed
loop to benefit all stakeholders within the market.

155

What would nature not do?

Nature would not need to create something new
in order to break down waste. There is already a
perfect nutrient cycle that uses all waste as a valuable
nutrient for other organisms in the system. Nature
would not create something that only brings profit
into the market. Furthermore, nature does this
process at a slower pace and is able to adapt to
changing conditions without reliance on human
interaction.

156

How does the design deviate from nature?

Why?
The design deviates from nature in a number of
ways. After collecting the food waste, the process
of breaking down the waste into usable building
material for the prototype imitate natures genius.
The concept deviates by using the broken down
waste and upcycling it into a human product.
The deviation begins by using food waste to create
a plastic-like material. Although the material will
be made of bone, vinegar, water, cornstarch, and
glycerin, nature would not produce a bio-organic
plastic as a material. The plastic will be used for a 3D
printer, which will fully rely on computer operation.
In turn, this computer-operated machine will also

need to be powered with electricity, unlike some

of the other parts of the design that are solar and
manually powered. Another deviation is that the
3D printer stall will be made of metals and woods
in order to conform to open-air market standards.
Although we have created a system that eliminates
food waste, the waste is not put back in the system
in a way that brings nutrients to other organisms in
nature unless we consider bio-degradeable materials
nutrients in the system in a metaphoric way. The 3D
printed end product is created simply for the seller
to benefit from financially and motivate them to put
their waste into the system.

157

Sustainability
However, 3D printing is gaining popularity and
the currently used material for 3D printing is
highly toxic, so is the process of printing. If this
innovation led to ideas and subsequent innovations
for using trash (even beyond meat) to generate 3D
printing materials, it would represent a significant
opportunity for eliminating the toxic 3D materials
and products that are currently on the market.

158

Business
Opportunity
This chart shows
the process of
evolving our
design into a
real business
opportunity.

Partners

Activities

Value

Local market sellers and

buyers.
Distributors and
manufacturers for 3D
printers.
French governmental
bodies.

Exchange of waste.
Designing and
purchasing of goods.
Use and disposal.

Environment
Education
Local quality assurance
Standardized quality of
manufactured goods.
Customer co-creation.
Support of local artisans.
Potential for local
economic stimulation.
Biodegradability and
disposability.

Resources
Meat and bones waste.
Other necessary materials
to make printable plastics.
HR for promotion, sales
and design.
Market stall and printer.
Energy generation.

Cost Structure
Variable costs:
HR
Energy and fuel
Purchased materials

Stakeholder
Relations
One-on-one customer
interaction ensures high
touch customer relations,
increasing value.
It is a design firm as
much as a product sales
firm, as we will be selling
designed, personalized
plastic based products.

Distribution
Channels
The business works in a
specific situation. It must
be compartmentalized by
handling manufacturing,
distribution and sales.

Stakeholder
Segments
We target consumers and
families of middle income
and higher. Our products
can serve as both utility
and novelty products and
can target both local and
tourists. Word of mouth
and internet based viral
marketing could attract
more customers. Utility
is offered through the
product itself. Single
manufacturing line (design
to 3d printing) can satisfy
all demands making the
process viable in the fixed
cost department.

Revenue Streams
Fixed costs:
Maintanence
Marketing
Branding/IP
Sunk cost:
Transportation and distribution
Manufacturing line
Other capital and equipment

Sale of goods.
If the business grows, it is possible to consolidate manufacturing into
factories and expand by partnering with distributors and establishing
boutiques around France and even around Europe. Mass quantities may
be exported through DHL or other services. Once we secure consumer
segment and profitability, we can proceed to opening up sales online. On-line distribution to unknown customers without established
customer base can be risky and costly.
159

Member Check
A Member Check is a form of getting feedback
directly from the stakeholders for whom the team
designed. The findings are presented to these
members in order to confirm the meaning-making
of the data and/or to be lead to re-investigate the
completed data interpretation. In this case, the
design team not only presented the data maps, but
also the emerging prototype to gain insights from
stakeholder responses.
Through the member check, our team gained
insights about how the locals would respond to our
design. Their reactions were overwhelmingly
positive, they stated how the learning opportunities
would be greatly appreciated by not only the adults,
but also by the children. They are excited about
having the children involved in the market and
experiencing new technologies like 3D printing.
Florence Thurston
Florence Thurston was born in Versailles and lived there until she
moved to Paris to finish high school. After graduation, Thurston
moved to North America and studied Education and Spanish at the
University of Idaho. Thurston then moved to Savannah, Georgia, and
taught French and Spanish in a private school until she returend to
France in 2013 where she is in charge of SCAD students coming to
study in Lacoste. As an educator Thurston enjoys learning, traveling,
cooking, foreign languages and spending time with friends.
Figures 111113, left to right: Representative stakeholdes. Authors images.
160

Laurence LHtellier
Laurence was born in the Provence, France. She studied Chinese in
Aix en Provence and traveled to China, Kunming and Yunnan after
completing her studies. She then worked in Ireland for five years at
the French Embassy where met her husband. She then moved back
to France where she worked real estate for another five years, had
two daughters and became a stay-at-home mom for two years. She
learned about SCAD and decided to accept an Administrative Manager
position at the Lacoste campus. In her spare time she enjoys painting,
which she has exhibited in both France and Ireland.

Jolle Olivier
Jolle was born in Orange, Provence, France. She studied tourism
and worked in hotels and restaurants as a manager. Most of her time,
she spent situated in a lovely environment such as the seaside or the
mountains. She has been working with Sodexo in Lacoste since 2014 as
an Assistant Manager. She currently lives in Carpentras, which is about
45 minutes drive from the village of Lacoste. Jolle enjoys nature, loves
and practices modern dance, as well as running. Additionally, she used
to dive and likes to snorkel.
161

Conclusion to Evaluation Phase

The team reviewed the prototype as a biomimetic
design. This process consisted of comparing the
design to the twenty-six life principles, and honing
in on the main five that were targeted earlier in the
process. Natures genius is complex, and the team
understood how challenging it was to mimic nature.
The prototype is designed to take waste and upcycle
it into another sphere, eliminating waste in a way
that nature would, and in a way that creates value
for other stakeholders in the system. The demand
for 3D printed objects such as wine stoppers within
the market is a questionable aspect of the design but
the team hoped that this idea was something that
could be changed based on stakeholder demand. For
that reason, the end product is customizable by the
consumers. Regardless, the design team also hopes
that they have made a small contribution to the
development of safe 3D printing.

162

The design team also double-checked against the

design principles and the original scoping document.
The team accomplished the process of upcycling
waste in a way that carries the potential to be
enthusiastically adopted by stakeholders. Powering
the process with readily available resources, such as
wind and manual labor, forced the team to think
outside of the box to find sustainable energy sources.
Through this entire process, the team broadened
their horizons to all the aspects of how nature
performs functions and also contributes, at the same
time, to fulfilling the needs of other organisms in the
local ecosystem. While many questions remain open
at this time the team is confident in having created a
prototype for upcycling meat waste in open-air
markets that can benefit stakeholders and the Earth
through biomimicry.

Figure 114: The team reevaluating the

design. Authors image.
163

Open Questions and Next Steps

Loop is a system that was designed to mimic natures strategies in
order to create a sustainable way to upcycle meat waste. However,
despite drawing from only nature, the system itself leaves open-ended
questions that need to be addressed with the help of experts from
various disciplines. To begin, this prototype still needs to be tested,
but once that is accomplished many of these unanswered questions
re-emerge.
Mackrel Shark-inspired drums function is to separate meat from bones
using life-friendly enzymes, however there is still a question about how
to harvest (or generate) the specific necessary enzymes, and if those
enzymes will be able to not only separate meat from bones, but also
separate meat and bones from any anomalies that may be introduced
into the drum. The question remains whether or not the bone waste
harvested from a day at the market would be enough to support the
proposed system, and how it could be expanded to make it work if
there wasnt enough raw material.

164

Loops system is sustainable, but the elements of the system potentially

need to be constructed of metals and plastics to ensure longevity and
strength. The option exists of using recycled materials to create the
drum, wind turbine, and Pupcycles, and even the 3D printer, but
the strength of these materials still remains an open question. The
substance itself needs to be crosschecked with a chemical engineer
to make sure that it is completely biodegradable, and not in any way
harmful to the environment.
Another open question is the financial feasibility of this prototype. It
is still unknown how much money this prototype would take to build
and to maintain, and whether or not the introduction of it into the
market economy could effect it negatively in any way.

165

166

Figure 115: The team researching an open air market in Provence, France. Authors image.
167

Appendix A
Consent Form (Blank English and French copies and signed copies)

In English
168

In French

Examples of signed consent forms

169

Appendix B
Data Collection Sheets

170

171

Appendix B
Data Collection Sheets

172

173

Appendix C
Transcription of Primary Interviews

174

175

Appendix D
The team completed additional primary research during a week in Paris
at the end of March.

176

Rue Cler Market

Rue Cler Market

Keith Costa

Andrew Moore

What I learned from todays market research in Paris is that the vendors
dont pack up the stalls until they absolutely have to. There is a larger
amount of people in the markets, and it is in the vendors' best interest
to stay open longer so that they can make more sales. This action could
lead to more waste because the market vendors overestimate what they
can sell and overstock their stalls. Therefore they have left-over produce
that wont be sold and is wasted as a result. That being said, however,
the vendors typically had more facilities for saving food than the ones
in Apt.

I spent an hour and a half at the Rue Cler market hoping to watch
their process for closing down. The market was scheduled to close at
6, and I set up a space to watch them around 5. The stalls seem to
be mostly extensions of the stores rather than independent vendors.
I waited until after 6:30 and did not see them close, and speculated
that since the stalls could be brought in to the store that they could
stay open as long as there was business to stay open for. Small garbage
trucks stopped by frequently to take garbage from the stands. We
noticed that it was the same garbage man each time.

Figure 116: Rue Cler Market in Paris, France. Authors image.

177

Market near Hotel Latin

March ave du president Williams/Johnson

Andrew Moore

Daniel Cheon

Due to fortunate timing a few of us were able to see the open-air

market near Hotel Latin close down for the day. We observed them
stacking up the empty cardboard and wooden boxes and emptying
unsold food into a green garbage truck. The entire process took less
than an hour and soon after we had gotten there, they were sweeping
the remains of the day off the street. The garbage truck seemed to be
specially designed just to help clean up markets.

What I learned from todays market research in Paris is that unlike

Provence, there are rubbish bins and dumpsters everywhere. This
particular market was a very long stretch beside the centre of the
avenue, both lines of stalls, each other in a pretty tight proximity
(approx. 4 to 5 meters).

Figure 117: Market near Home Latin in Paris, France. Authors image.
178

As soon as the market started closing, the sellers packed their things
and threw out what they could no longer sell into the dumpsters,
generating quite some waste that was not recycled or reused in any way.
It took the market vendors just a few minutes to pack up and leave.
I am not sure if it is because the clean up is unsightly or because the
sellers want to get out of there.

Figure 118: March ave du president Williams/Johnson in Paris, France.

Authors image.

Saxe-Breteuil Market

March Maubert

Keith Costa

Daniel Cheon

What I learned from todays market research in Paris is that just a

simple city street can also function as a small market. It had a couple
of fruit vendors between cafs and restaurants. There was a lack of
vendor-consumer relationships. Consumers did not peruse or socialize
with the vendors whatsoever. Sales would be made quickly and without
speaking. This could have been because it was a larger city with more
tourists and not as many locals returning to the vendors, or simply
because anonymity comes easy in cities.

What I learned from todays market research in Paris is that the

produce being sold in the markets is impeccable.

Figure 119: Saxe-Breteuil Market in Paris, France. Authors image.

Figure 120: March Maubert in Paris, France. Authors image.

I visited March Maubert right next to our hotel, and saw that the
produce they were selling was all clean and fresh. It is almost granted
that a large portion of the produce is not pristine, but I had to stop
and wonder where the not-so-good-to-sell produce ends up. Some may
go into processed food business, but I doubt that about all of them.
I spoke to a local tour guide and he said that a lot of the produce in
Parisian markets is purchased wholesale in a place called Chateau
Rungis.

179

Appendix E
iSite Descriptions

Date: April 1
Location: Students choice of location
Purpose: Connecting to nature, learning to observe
iSite: Basic Observation: Quiet Your Cleverness and Forget What You
Know
Instructions:
The most basic way to observe nature is to simply sit in a natural
setting for twenty five to thirty minutes. Find a comfortable place to
stand or sit. Do not pick a cultivated garden; try to find a more natural
setting where, for example, a plant is growing because the conditions
are right, not because a gardener put it there and cares for it. A bee
visiting an orchard is acceptable, but the orchard plant itself is not.
The first ten minutes pass relatively easily, as theres a lot of new
organisms to look at. The next ten minutes often get challenging; one
may find their mind wandering and their body feeling fidgety. Stick
with it. If one pushes past those distractions and remain in place for
the rest of the time or even longer, it is amazing what is revealed in
this deeper state of observation. After the twenty five to thirty minutes
are up, take at least ten minutes to write down the observations and
reflections about the exercise. At this time, one may take photos and/or
sketch.

Figure 121: Sketch of iSites: Basic Observation. Authors image.

180

Some questions that can be asked during or after the experience

might be:
What operating conditions (or context) are organisms contending
with in this environment? For example, around Lacoste, seasonal
changes and wind are part of their context.
What are some adaptations (behavioral or physiological strategies) one
sees as a response to the context?
What relationships does one see?
Does one notice any patterns?
Students Response:
On a small walk up the mountain I decided to stop off in a small
field and sit to calm my cleverness. I observed the white dots on the
branches or tall grasses and small plants. Upon looking closer at these
dots I realized that they were small snails climbing to the tops of the
grasses. I am in a somewhat open field and the trees that are here do
not seem to have any of the snails on them. There does not appear to
be a minimum or a maximum height that the snails will climb except
that they do not like the trees. The highest snail that I see is maybe one
meter off the ground.

I thought perhaps they wanted to warm in the sun. Maybe they need
water and they collect the due in the morning.
As I sat there longer I started to think more about the snails and how
they got there and where they came from. How did all of those little
snails get to the top of the hill? How do snails reproduce? What do
they eat and how do they collect water? Do they like the sun or the
shade?
Originally I thought snails needed to be by the water to survive.
I would have never thought I would find so many up on this
mountainside.
After some research that I conducted upon returning to the studio,
I found that snails could mate like any other organism and lay eggs
although some have both reproductive organs and can reproduce
asexually. I also found that they tend to live on the south facing sides
of mountains and they eat vegetation. Some snails drink water, others
absorb water and others get the moisture through the vegetation they
eat.

I picked up one of the sticks with a snail on it and observed it in my

hands. I noticed some thin webbing on part of the stick above the
snail. I thought it might have been the remnants of an old spider web.
The snail had attached itself to the stick by some sort of thin wall over
the opening of the shell that the stick was included in. I thought it
might have been to protect the snail from losing moisture but I still
could not figure out why the snail had climbed up the branch in the
first place.
181

Appendix E
iSite Descriptions

Date: April 19
Location: Cedar Forest above Bonnieux
Purpose: Search for patterns in nature as indications that some
strategies are particularly valuable because they are found in multiple
habitats and multiple types of organisms.
iSite: Rapid Sensing
Instructions:
This iSite will take place in three locationsone will be done at a
close scale, within a few feet, another will be at a distance of five to
ten meters, and the third will be at an overlook where the observer
can see at least one kilometer away. At each site, set a timer for 30
to 60 seconds. Hit start and make a list of as many spontaneous
observations about the environment around, using all of the senses.
When the timer goes off, look back at the list. How many observations
did the list have in total? Are they totally random or related? Does one
have a tendency to notice certain things about the environment around
them or rely on a particular sense?
Move on to the next site and repeat, and then again for the third site.
Reflect on whether any differences were noticed in the tendencies
depending on scale and/or experience doing the previous site.

Figure 122: Sketch of iSites: Rapid Sensing. Authors image.

182

Students Response:
For this iSite, we ventured into the Cedar Forest near Bonnieux. In
three sessions we have observed the surroundings in timed intervals
and at different distances from close to far. Initially we observed
within a few feet then moved onto ten meters and finally ended with
observing over one km away. We paid attention to which of our senses
were active during the observation and if the observations correlated at
all.
Observations:
Close-Up
On/Around the Cedar Tree
Lichen + Moss along bottom/ one side only
Long seeds scattered about ground and bark
Piles of broken branches
Flat stone fragments
Piles of wood chips
Gray bark
Five to Ten Meters
Dense Forest Scene
Thick brush
Multiple species
Natural pathways
Scattered seed pods
Cedar saplings in brush
Plants grow at angle
Wet topsoil
Holes in stones

One Kilometer
Mountain Ridge
7 Peaks
Rounded mountains
Many leaf colors
Windy
Tops of cedars have flicks
Winding road
Rocky mountains
Cedars among other trees
Reflection:
Initially there seemed to be little correlation between the observations
in the close-up scene. There were natural elements juxtaposed with
tampering by outside forces such as people. Looking at the forest scene
I noticed a bit of a correlation between the observations as all of the
plants in the ecosystem adapt and cooperate together to the conditions
of the climate. In the far-off view of the mountain range scene the
landscape works together. Throughout this observation process, sight
was my primary tool but through other senses. I noticed the fresh scent
of the trees and the trickling of the raindrops on the soil. This iSite
has emphasized the importance of observing at different distances,
magnification, and scope. I can take this method into research of
various subjects.

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iSite Descriptions

Figure 123: Sketch of iSites: Urban Bio-Walk. Authors image.

184

Date: April 12
Location: Town of Cassis
Purpose: Discover organisms that have found a way to survive in an
urban environment.
iSite: Urban Bio-Walk iSite

Reflection:
For my two organisms I decided to choose the duck and ivy growing
on the side of a wall. I choose these two organisms because of how
common they are in wild life and in urban life. One can find vines on
almost every tree observed, and I found the vines on almost every wall
in Cassis. Ducks are also very commonly seen near any body of water,
and today, I experienced them in a man-made pond located in the
middle of a park in Cassis.

Instructions
Walk through an urban area for at least twenty minutes and make a
list of all the living organisms found. Try to differentiate one species
from another on the list, even if they cannot be identified. Sketch at
least two of them and write a reflection on what was observed. In your
reflection, compare what you observed to some of the wild places we
visited in Lacoste.
Students Response:
Today we took a trip to Cassis and were told to walk through the
urban area of town for 20 minutes and make a list of any organisms we
found. My list included dogs, pidgeons, trees, shrubs, bushes, seagulls,
ducks, flowers, ivy, colored trees, ants, and people, of course. I wrote
few descriptions for each organism, just basic details, and where I was.
We were next asked to pick two organisms from our list and sketch
them out first. After we sketched them we wrote a reflection about our
organisms and compared them to the animals in the wild.

185

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iSite Descriptions

Leaves are divided for

better resistance to wind

When palm tree grows and leaves die the

leaf steams embed themselves into the
bark increasing stability and protection

Figure 124: Sketch of iSites: Lifes Principles Search. Authors image.

186

When palm leaves die they drop and

provide nutrients to the soil below

Students Response:
Organism: Palm Tree
The palm tree at the Fontaine de Vaucluse has been integrated into
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse
the surrounding environment by gardeners rather than growing on its
own. The leaves are not like other leaves where they are all together, but
Purpose: Learn about Lifes Principles and recognize them in nature
fanned out so the wind can easily move through them. Imagine if it
was one big leaf, it would get torn off from the wind since it is so big.
iSite: Lifes Principles Search
When a leaf dies as the tree grows, it is incorporated into the trunk/
bark of the tree. This is an effective way to recycle materials for the
Instructions:
Start with a 20-minute Lifes Principles tour with the scientist who will protection of the trunk its main source for the leaves energy. The
go through each of the Master principles and find organisms or systems dead leaves then fall off and decompose into the ground below, offering
that meet those principles and/or their sub-principles. This activity will another source of nutrients for its soil.
help everyone to become more familiar with the principles, and offer
Reflection:
opportunities for asking questions. All participants should have with
The palm tree uses its cycling of materials in a very elegant way and
them the list of Lifes Principles and their short definitions.
maximizes its energy in a wonderful way that I can learn to use in my
Break into four teams of three (for twelve people). Each team gets a set design work. When one thing dies it, in turn, helps its creator.
of Lifes Principles cards, one per person, each card showing a Master
principle and its sub-principles. Participants will have thirty to fortyfive minutes to find organisms or systems that meet the Lifes Principles
on your cards (one organism or system for each card), sketch them,
and write down why one thinks the organisms or systems meet those
principles. Teams need to remember where the organisms or systems
are because they will not leave the cards there.
Date: April 4

The debrief involves taking a tour of each groups findings and

discussion.

187

Appendix E
iSite Descriptions
Leaves split in half every time
the plant grows

Thick stems for stability and to

efficiently absorb salt water

Figure 125: Sketch of iSites: Genius of Place. Authors image.

188

Date: April 12
Location: Beach at Cassis
Purpose: Observe an organism or system and identify function and
strategy, then as a group discuss Lifes Principles, design principle, and
who would care about this strategy.
iSite: Genius of Place

Students Response:
Strategy: Absorbs salt water and protects itself from the harsh ocean.
Function:
Protects The organism grows in large bunches, in between rocks,
and has very thick internal stems for extra support from the push/pull
of the waves.
Absorbs The thick leaves/steams are designed so they can make the
most of an abundant element, water. The plants excrete salt through
their leaves and leave a salty film on the exterior. The flexibility of the
plant helps when the water rises and sways the plant without breaking
it.

Instructions:
Emulating lifes designs may result in designs that are sustainable,
but arent necessarily inherently so. However, if the team mimics lifes
principles, then all designs follow the functions as life does, sustainably. Design Principle:
Rather than resisting a persisting conflict, embracing it and using it
To mimic these principles, all must understand them. This exercise
hones the observational skills needed for abstracting design principles towards your advantage results in a more profitable outcome.
used for emulation.
Lifes Principles:
1) Use Readily Available Materials: The plant uses salt in the water that
Begin by observing something in the surroundings. See if you can
is always going to be a readily available resource.
observe the strategy employed by the organism or system. Talk with
2) Combine Modular and Nested Components: The bunching in
others in the team, discuss with a biologist and research. Once the
strategy has been discerned, abstract the deep principle used. Then refer groups makes for improved protection against the elements, plus helps
to capture nutrients more effectively.
to the lifes principles and identify the specific principles exemplified
3) Fit Form to Function: The density/thickness of the plant makes for
by this strategy. When you are done, join with the design team and
take the group to the site and give a comprehensive lesson on what was better holding of water and support.
found in the research process.
Who would care about this? Purification, desalination, and water
recycling plants/factories/organizations.

189

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iSite Descriptions

Date assigned: March 30

Location: Students choice of location
Purpose: Continue with understanding function, start finding
strategies and learning how to describe them.
iSite: Crafting Design Strategies
Instructions:
Read Methods: Crafting Design Strategies (http://toolbox.biomimicry.
org/methods/crafting-design-strategies/) in the Biomimicry Global
Design Challenge Toolkit and complete Exercises 1 and 2 (only parts
1-3). As explained in class, all will have to register for the Challenge to
get access to the toolkit.
After completing Exercises 1 and 2, do this next part:
Go outside and find an organism to observe. Pick one where you
can feel confident about the function of what you observe about the
organism (for example, one becomes confident that the function of a
brown insects color is to hide from predators).
Write down the function and describe the strategy that the
organism uses to accomplish that function. Describe the strategy
as completely as possible in approximately one to three sentences,
using only observation skills. In the description, include everything
that is relevant, such as colors, sizes, angles, sharpness, position, etc.
Remember, it is acceptable to guess. Sketch the organism and label it
as necessary to understand the strategy.

Figure 126: Sketch of iSites: Crafting Design Strategies. Authors image.

190

Next, try to find another organism that must meet a similar function
and describe its strategy and how that strategy is different from or the
same as the first organisms strategy. No sketch is needed, but feel free
to provide one.
Students Response:
At the beginning of the spring quarter, I saw the firebugs here several
times. It made me feel curious. I usually see them on gravel roads
when it is sunny. Those firebugs I saw here in Lacoste were around ten
millimeters. They were strikingly red with a black head, they also had
a black triangle and the two large black round spots on their backs.
Their wings seem to be reduced and non-functional. The bugs may not
be able to fly. I tried to walk faster behind them, but they did not fly
away. I was so impressed with firebugs color. I thought the function
of the color is to communicate, eat something else! I taste terrible
which is to protect them from predators. This reminded me of another
related organism, ladybug. I thought the function of ladybugs color is
aposematic, where color is used to send signal of toxic contents. In this
way, some tiny predators, like small birds will try to keep away from
this kind of food. Especially, if it is colored, black or vibrant red. Even
though ladybugs are found in many other colors, such as pink, yellow
and more. However, occasionally, I saw the firebug again near an ant's
nest after rain. It wanted to enter the nest, while the soldier ants alerted
the colony to the presence of a stranger and kept it from gaining access
to their nest. I was shocked that the tiny ants, which looked even
smaller than the firebug, could be so brave and organize themselves in
such an effective way. And at last, the firebug ran away in a hurry.

Reflection:
Through the biomimicry learning process with our scientist, Sherry
Ritter, I felt that I began to be more and more familiar with how to
observe and learn from nature. By doing these iSites and comparing
them, I built my understanding of the relationships among different
organisms. And I also figured out how to get inspired by nature
through observation and exploring the web of life. Additionally, I also
conducted online research to confirm and/or learn more about my
observations.

191

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iSite Descriptions

Figure 127: Sketch of iSites: Natures Patterns. Authors image.

192

Date: April 5
Location: Mont Ventoux
Purpose: Search for patterns in nature as indications that some
strategies are particularly valuable because they are found in multiple
habitats and multiple types of organisms.
iSite: Natures Patterns iSite
Instructions:
In this iSite, look for patterns, defined as recurring forms or strategies.
Recurring patterns are often an indicator of especially effective
solutions to natures challenges. This definition of pattern may be
different from other definitions that might be used in design, so be sure
to understand this particular definition.
At the first stop, look for and record at least three patterns found
in multiple organisms or systems. This means three patterns, each of
which is found in multiple organisms or systems (that is, at least
three). Patterns might include structural angles, distribution systems,
edges, curves, gradients, and others.
These should be patterns that one can see, hear, or feel. Describe each
pattern using words and quick sketches.
At each subsequent stop, record whether each of these patterns shows
up again, and try to find at least one additional pattern that is not
noticed at any other stops.

Debrief at each location so you can see the breadth of the patterns.
However, at subsequent stops, the goal is to look for additional
patterns new to the list.
Students Response:
Intro: For this iSite we took the van to Mont Ventoux and stopped at
three sites in increasing altitude as we approached the summit. At each
site, we exited the van and went into the surrounding environment
to look for patterns. When we went to the next site we compared the
patterns to see if we observed anything new.
Observations:
Originally looking at tree stumps, I looked to see if the center or rings
had anything to reveal. The tree centers were consistently off center.
They did not lean into any particular direction. After realizing this,
I noticed that a lot of the organisms were growing in circular or ring
patterns. Oak shrubs were growing around the trees in rings. The
dandelions petal structure was also circular. At the next site I noticed
several flowers that were bulbous and spherical, again referencing the
circular pattern. At the mountain summit, the foliage would grow in
large, low, circular patches. It appeared cultivated or landscaped but
it was natural. Reflection: In this iSite I learned a lot about expanding
my observations to see how organisms and their processes correlated
with others in either the same or other not connected ecosystem. I took
away a greater understanding of how nature works in similar patterns
regardless of location, but will adapt in more specialist ways to the
certain ecosystem it resides in. This methodology could be very useful
when comparing very different climates and locating similar patterns.

193

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iSite Descriptions

Date: April 6
Location: Students choice around Maison Basse
Purpose: Observe a living system and identify adaptations, functions,
and who might be interested in learning from that organism or
ecosystem. Research further and write the biological strategy and
design principle.
iSite and Exercise: Observing Selection Pressures
Instructions:
Part 1: Go for a walk with your nature journal. Find one organism
that intrigues you. Observe some of the strategies/adaptations it has to
survive and thrive within the abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living)
conditions that the local habitat poses. Draw an organism, and label
the adaptations observed and how they are adaptive (for instance, what
abiotic and biotic selection pressures come to mind that might have
driven the evolution of each adaptation). What are the functions of the
adaptations? Who might be interested in learning from one or more
of these strategies? Additional research might need to be done on the
organism later, so write down any questions that come up. If you are
uncertain about the nature or name of the organism, take a photo and
research later and/or ask a biologist.

Figure 128: Sketch of iSites: Observing Selection Pressures. Authors image.

194

Part 2: Using the information gained from your April 6 iSite

(Observing Selection Pressures), perform research on the strategy that
most closely relates to the challenge of waste in the food system of
Provence. If there is not enough information about the organism, try
to find information about another organism that has a similar strategy.
Visit the organism again if required. Describe the strategy in as much
detail as can be found, following a design principle based on the
biological strategy.

Who might be interested? Designers who want to use the method of

two in one for designing products or services. People who want to
understand how wind carries.
Questions to consider:
Why is the stem thicker on the white flower?
What other plants use this two-in-one method when trying to
reproduce?

Students Response:
I came across the last growing stage of a dandelion. After it buds, it
blooms into a yellow weed flower with pollen for thriving bees to carry
away and pollinate other flowers. After it flowers it turns into a white
flower completely different from the yellow flower it started with.
It does this so it can spread its seeds. The sprouts are made up of tiny
fuzzy ends and are attached to the bud center allowing for the wind to
carry them away.
Interaction with abiotic (non-living): wind and water and other natural
elements.
Interaction with biotic (living): other organisms using the flowers for
food, such as insects who are attracted to the flowers for the nectar and
pollinate in exchange
It starts its flowering early on in the spring in order to optimize
pollen generation, then while spring arises it uses a different method
of spreading. Since the wind picks up in spring and most plants start
growing, the dandelion thrives again with the light white flowers.
195

Appendix E
iSite Descriptions

Figure 129: Sketch of iSites: Biological Lenses: Local Lens. Authors image.
196

Date: April 20
Location: Pont Julien

After seeing several species in a particular place, one might start to

notice some patterns. Pay attention to these patterns, as they may be
design principles for the region.

Purpose: Begin to understand the abiotic and biotic factors that drive
adaptations in organisms and the system within which the organism
lives.

Exercise:
Identify a partner with whom you have not yet interacted. Together,
choose one organism to discuss. Something thats stationary or not
moving very fast will work best. First, spend some time identifying
iSite: Biological Lenses: Local Lens
interesting features, behaviors, habitat, the ecosystem, the context,
and dynamics in which that creature evolved. Use inductive reasoning
to put together what one observes and determine what one does not
Instructions:
Critters adapt and evolve within the context of their local environment. know. Together, discuss observations and then begin to sketch out its
As kids, we often learn about specific creatures and their cool features, system. The more elements discovered, the better. Think about the
such as an elephants trunk, a jackrabbits ears, or the fluffy seeds from needs of the organism: shelter, food, water, communication, mating,
a cottonwood tree. Eventually bits and pieces of their ecosystem enter predators, abiotic conditions over time, cooperation and competition,
the dialogue: elephants live in herds, jackrabbits live in burrows, and
etc. Here is a sample for the elephant. Everything within the circle
cottonwood trees tend to grow along rivers and streams.
is directly observable; outside the circle is the context in which the
elephant has evolved.
In other words, much of what we learn about nature is learned out of
context, outside of the system in which it exists. In taking life out of
Reflection:
context, we forget that there is context and that it is context that molds Tadpoles stick together in case of an attack, just as humans and various
the organism, fosters or inhibits different strategies, and allows life to
other organisms do. They are beginning their growing phase so they
continue.
have very large fins to swim away from predators. Perhaps they try to
mimic tiny rocks in order to hide more efficiently.
The purpose of this exercise is to develop the ability to identify the
abiotic (physical) and biotic (living) factors that drive adaptations in
various species, and to begin to consider the system within which an
organism exists: What resources are available in this region? How much
water? How much sunlight? What are the dominant wind and weather
patterns? How do the local organisms filter water? Store water? Build
shelters? Stay warm? Stay cool? Respond to wind? Avoid wind?

197

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iSite Descriptions

Date: March 30
Location: Forest at Chateau above Lacoste
Purpose: Use observational skills to identify organisms that are doing
certain functions. Get to know local organisms that meet functions of
interest.
iSite: Function Junction
Instructions:
Break into four teams of three (for twelve people). Each team gets a
set of Function cards, one per person. In addition, upon receiving a
blank card on which the team should write a function related to the
design challenge. The group will have fifteen to twenty minutes to
find organisms or systems that meet the functions on the cards (one
organism or system for each card), sketch them, and write down why
the organisms or the system meets that function. Teams should leave
their cards near the organism or system, being careful to anchor them
so they do not blow away. If you are in an area where there are lots of
other users, such as in a park, just remember where the organisms or
systems are.
The debrief involves taking a tour of each groups findings and
discussion.

Figure 130: Sketch of iSites: Function Junction. Authors image.

198

Function should match the design challenge. Here are the functions
related to food waste challenge:
Communicate
Transport materials or nutrients
Cooperate
Break down living materials
Capture, absorb, or filter
Cycle nutrients
Protect from living entities (fungi, microbes, animals)
Protect from loss of liquids
Protect from high or low temperature
Send signals
Use feedback loops
Each group also got this one: Come up with another function related
to the food system

Snail Shell:
The shell of a snail is structured in a spiral, so the snail can slink down
into the cavity of the shell for protection. The pressure of the snail in
the shell allows for better support and reinforcement. Snails have a
hard door that seals the shell shut. The shell is continuously growing in
the golden rectangle pattern.
Reflection:
On our trip up to the castle and in the woods I would have normally
just walked around not taking advantage of the elaborateness of the
structures and cycles of nature. They were there all around me, I just
needed to open my eyes and mind to appreciate the collaborative
nature of how all the organisms function together.

Students Response:
Function card: Protect from living organisms
Protect:
A natural response to predators of any sort is to protect oneself.
Protection can be in the form of structure surrounding an organism,
such as a shell.

199

Appendix F
First Batch of 26 Function Cards

200

201

Appendix F
First Batch of 26 Function Cards

202

203

Appendix F
First Batch of 26 Function Cards

204

205

Appendix F
First Batch of 26 Function Cards

206

207

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

Sirieix, L., Grolleau, G., & Schaer, B. (2008). Do consumers care

about food miles? An empirical analysis in France. International
Journal of Consumer Studies, 32(5), 508515.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2008.00711.x

Ecosystem Map Secondary Research Resources

Individual Secondary Research Annotated Bibliography

Perry, K. (August 6, 2014). Mass. to make big food wasters

lose the landfill. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/
thesalt/2014/08/06/338317224/mass-to-make-big-food-wasters-losethe-landfill?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_
campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140807

Meghan Preiss

Heien, D. (1983). Productivity in U.S. food processing and

distribution. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 65(2),
297302.
Deaton, A., & Pxson, C. (1998). Economics of scale, household
size, and the demand for food. Journal of Political Economy, 106(5),
897930.

208

Parfitt, J., Barthel, M., & Macnaughton, S. (2010). Food waste within
food supply chains: quantification and potential for change to 2050.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
365(1554), 30653081.
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0126
I found many charts on food waste in Europe in this article. I found
what food is wasted the most and why it is wasted. It also includes a graph
that shows that most food thrown away is still edible. I think this source
will be useful when focusing on food waste.

Bulkeley, H., & Askins, K. (2009). Waste Interfaces: biodegradable

waste, municipal policy and everyday practice. The Geographical
Journal, 175(4), 251260.

Bhunnoo, R., & Benton, T. (March 30, 2012). Global food systems
and UK food imports: Resilience, safety and security. Global Food
Security. Retrieved from http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/assets/pdfs/gfsand-uk-food-imports.pdf

Markham, D. (December 3, 2013). Restaurants and groceries can

turn food waste into fertilizer. Retrieved from http://ecopreneurist.
com/2013/12/03/startup-helps-restaurants-groceries-turn-food-wastefertilizer/

In this article, I found statistics on food waste. For example, 60% of

food waste in the UK occurs when people think the food has gone bad but
is still edible. It also states that in the UK, roughly one third of the food
bought is thrown out and wasted.

Ilbery, B. (2012). Interrogating food security and infectious animal

and plant diseases: A critical introduction. The Geographical Journal,
178(4), 308312.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00483.x
This article found in SCADs library database talks about the diseases
that animals and other plants are bringing into Europe. It states that these
diseases are directly related to the production of food. This source is useful
because while reading it I was thinking about the flies that infect the olives
and the olive trees. These diseases and infections are causing a great amount
of food waste in production.

about how distribution should be kept to a minimum distance to keep the

food safer. I believe this information is important research in our project
where we talk about transporting food and how to eliminate waste.
Keith Costa
Bulkeley, H., & Askins, K. (2009). Waste interface: biodegradable
waste, municipal waste and everyday practice. The Geographical
Journal, 175(4), 251260.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2008.00310.x

This article is about the steps being taken to make waste management
more sustainable in a more municipal capacity. It also describes that the
Lee, R., & Marsden, T. (2009). The globalization and re-localization
management side of the waste problem is also important, and that there are
of material flows: Four phases of food regulation. Journal of Law
workshops being instilled to train managers to run their municipal systems
and Society, 36(1), 129144. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467in a more sustainable way. This information is important because it shows
6478.2009.00460.x
that there are steps being taken on a high level of management to bring the
In this journal I found statistics relating to where a majority of groceries waste system to the more sustainable future.
were being purchased. This information is useful because it states that a
IEHIAS. (n.d.). Defining the stakeholders: an example from
majority of food in Europe is being purchased at grocery stores and the
agriculture. Integrated Environmental Health Impact Assessment
percentage of grocery store sales grows every year.
System. Retrieved from http://www.integrated-assessment.eu/
Link, A., & Ling, C. (June 18, 2007). Farmers markets and local food guidebook/defining_stakeholders_example_agriculture
systems. Retrieved
This website describes all of the stakeholders that are involved in
From
food production, beginning with the farmers and describing the various
http://crcresearch.org/case-studies/crc-case-studies/farmers-marketschannels that food needs to go through in order to finally make it to the
and-local-food-systems
consumer, even showing the sides that are not as obvious, such as health
inspectors. This is important to the design team because it shows the various
In this article, there are many case studies relating to the open air
markets. This article focuses on how to make the markets more sustainable. different, and sometimes unexpected, stakeholders that need to be accounted
for.
It talks about food stability and focusing on locally grown food. It talks

209

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

Commonwealth of Australia. (Feb 25, 2015). Summary of stakeholder

feedback in response to the Issues paper to inform development of
a national food plan. Retrieved from http://www.agriculture.gov.au/
ag-farm-food/food/publications/national_food_plan/issues-paper/
summary-of-stakeholder-feedback?wasRedirectedByModule=true
This website talks about the specific stakeholders that participated in
the development of a national food plan, showing that the stakeholders,
primarily those before consumers, are responsible for creating a plan that
consumers would accept rather than relying on the consumers to choose
what they will or will not follow. This information is pertinent because it
illustrates everyone involved in the food waste system.
European Commission. (2012). Fighting food waste: co-operation
with stakeholders. - Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/
food_waste/eu_actions/stakeholders/index_en.htm
This article talks about specific stakeholder groups, who are in charge
of deciding the fate of food waste. They talk about the laws that are put
in place and need to be taken down in order to create a system where food
can be donated and reused without being in violation of anything. This is
important because it shows the laws that are being put in place to create
a sustainable system for food waste, as well as the laws that need to be
followed to introduce a new system.
210

Goodland, R. (1995). The concept of environmental sustainability.

Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 26(26), 124.
This article is useful because it describes the political side that is
preventing sustainability from becoming a more mainstream practice. It
also describes the fact that sustainability cannot be enforced, but rather
needs to become something that is habit for the citizens, therefore becoming
more of a habit than a hindrance. This information will be helpful because
it shows that there is a need for social change rather than material change.
Paul Hawkins
Breen, S. (2010). The mixed political blessing of campus sustainability.
PS: Political Science and Politics, 43(4), 685690.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049096510001022
Many Universities and colleges are taking part in the sustainability
trend. Sheryl Breen explains in this journal article that colleges are getting
on the bandwagon of sustainability. They are advertising as green campuses
and pulling new admission students, and receiving government funding. It
could be good that education about sustainability is taking hold in colleges
and universities. This journal article could be a good source if the design
team decides to not only educate children in the markets but also try to
educate students of all ages.
Reid, A., & Petocz, P. (2006). University lectures understanding of
sustainability. Higher education, 51(1), 105123.
DOI: 10.1007/s10734-004-6379-4

This article helps to explain how sustainability is perceived by a variety

of university students in a variety of fields. Sustainability needs to be part of
all education on a global level. Finding new ways to increase sustainability
is dependent on how many people with different backgrounds are educated
about sustainability. This site emphasizes the importance of teaching
sustainability in the educational system. This is in congruence with the
design teams thoughts about making the market place a place of education,
learning and fun. This source has been referenced 33 times already and was
written in 2006.
Christie, M. (2004). The cultural geography of gardens. Geographical
Review, 94(3), iiiiv.
DOI: 10.2307/30034273
Dooryard gardens or house-lot gardens are popping up all over
the world. The research in this article uses quantitative and qualitative
research methods. The author of this journal article explores gardens and
the community and culture around them. This could be a great resource
for how the design team can encourage a sustainable lifestyle. Gardens can
bring a sense of stability to a household or family, and family is one of the
key points of the design teams food waste sustainability design. This journal
article is less scientific then the others listed here but could give the design
team some good insight into the culture for which they are designing.
Buol, S. (1995). Sustainability of soil use. Annual Review of Ecology
and Systematics, 26(1995), 2544.
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.es.26.110195.000325

Without nutritious soil, farmers cannot grow healthy crops. Soil needs
essential elements to produce crops sustainably without depleting the quality
of the soil. Approximately 17,000 types of soils have been classified in the
United States and have different properties depending on their geographic
location. Understanding these differences can help farmers to grow the right
crops based on what types of nutrients are naturally in the soil. This article
also outlines the functions of soil in an ecosystem. This can be of use to the
design team by giving some insight into why soil is important and how
they can incorporate it into the design. This could also provide insight into
how the design team could take the biomaterial they upcycled and use it to
create super nutrient soil.
Holloway, L., Cox, R., Kneafsey, M., Dowler, E., &Tuomainen, H.
(2006). Managing sustainable farmed landscape through alternative
food networks: a case study from Italy. The Geographical Journal,
172(3), 219229.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2006.00205.x
In the Abruzzo National Park in Italy, an alternative farm is managed
by way of an international network. This farm allows costumers to adopt
a sheep and receive products from the farm. This farm is partially funded
by the Italian government for its sustainable practices and has customers
around the world. This farm management plan could be a great inspiration
for the design teams management plan. This could give them ideas on how
to encourage consumers to participate whether they are local or not and
how to broaden the knowledge of the upcycling effort that is taking place to
minimize food waste in France and around the world.

211

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

Yiran Wang
Gray, N. (April 28, 2014). Insect economics: Insect production could
utilize global food waste to produce nutritionally better protein.
Retrieved from http://www.foodnavigator.com/Market-Trends/Insecteconomics-Insect-production-could-utilise-global-food-waste-toproduce-nutritionally-better-protein
In the article, Insect Economics: Insect production could utilize global
food waste to produce nutritionally better protein, Professor Arnold van
Huis highlights the contributions that insects provide for food systems.
There are large populations of people that eat insects for their nutrition
instead of more common meats. He talks about feeding the insects with
food waste, creating a complete cycle and more value. This can benefit the
economy. This article is relevant because it talks about a sufficient way of
upcycling food waste in a way that could be easily adopted and utilizes
insects to do the work.
Gray, N. (April 23, 2014). We have to do more to reduce waste as
an industry, warns Leatherhead expert. Retrieved from http://www.
foodnavigator.com/Market-Trends/We-have-to-do-more-to-reducewaste-as-an-industry-warns-Leatherhead-expert

212

In the article, We have to do more to reduce waste as an industry,

warns Leatherhead expert, Steven Osborn asks the general population to
look at waste systems in a more positive light. He talks about how there are
so many ways waste management can be used to create value, even if that
fact is overlooked in other fields. He says that if food production companies
look at food waste as less of a burden and more of an opportunity, they can
create value by upcycling it and create a more sustainable company as a
result. This article is important because it highlights the ways in which food
waste can be converted into value for customers and vendors.
Monaco, E. (September 3, 2014). 3 Food waste facts about Frances
ugly produce campaign. Retrieved from http://www.organicauthority.
com/3-food-waste-facts-about-frances-ugly-produce-campaign/
Intermarche, the third largest supermarket chain in France offers an
outstanding business strategy to sell ugly fruits. Often times, unattractive
food is not sold because it does not look edible, but this chain has tried to
emphasize the importance of not wasting food just because it doesnt look
good. The create unique characters for this food so that they are looked at
as fun alternatives, which in turn stimulates the consumption of them.
This article is important because it identifies a serious problem in the
supermarket system, but also outlines a fairly effective solution that one
chain is employing to amend it.
Parfitt, J., Barthel, M., & Macnaughton, S. (2010). Food waste within
food supply chains: Quantification and potential for change to 2050.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
365(1554), 30653081.
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0126

This article outlines the various steps that are required to limit food
waste. It talks about how there has been a massive surge of post-consumer
food waste in developed nations, which is not a result of limited awareness,
but rather limited awareness to the severity of the problem. The article
also talks about limited government intervention and support of the
food industry to try and push across more sustainable methods such as
biodegradable packages. This article is important because it illustrates the
present issues that plague the food production industry, and shows what
needs to be solved to create a more sustainable future.
Sirieix, L., Grolleau, G., & Schaer, B. (2008). Do consumers care
about food miles? An empirical analysis in France. International
Journal of Consumer Studies, 32(5), 508515.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2008.00711.x
This article talks about the findings of a focus group whose task was
to analyze Food Miles which is the amount of time it takes to get food
to a consumer after it has been produced. They are used to assess the
environment impact of transporting food, including global warming. The
article also talks about how there is an unfortunate habit of consumers to
ignore where their food is coming from and how it got to them. This can
lead to environmental issues as well as a lack of sustainability in the minds
of the customers. This article talks about the importance of the middle man
in food production, and how, when the middle man is ignored, there can
be serious waste related consequences.
Breana Russell
Link, A. (June 18, 2007). Farmers market and local food systems.
Retrieved from http://crcresearch.org/case-studies/crc-case-studies/
farmers-markets-and-local-food-systems

Food systems have several stakeholders carrying through the process such
as farming, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing,
consumptions, and disposal. Each one of these has their own set of
stakeholders within their own individual process, however regarding the
food system stakeholders, we only need to include the main processors.
Food systems are also influenced by social, political, economic, and
environmental contexts. Humans are the hands behind the scenes of systems
labor, education, and research. This source is helpful to our project because
it lists every stakeholder within a food system and the outside influences
affecting the system as well.
Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UCDAVIS. (n.d.). Stakeholders.
Retrieved from http://asi.ucdavis.edu/research/ss/stakeholders
This website provided a bubble diagram of stakeholders. The center
bubble diagram is Stakeholder the outside bubbles were customers,
suppliers, employees, members, consumers organizations, standard agencies,
local communities, and the government. The website describes the inter
connections of individuals, groups, and organizations. Furthermore, the
bubble diagram stresses the importance of external stakeholder agencies,
customers, and the government and how they align with internal
stakeholders. This source is helpful to our project because this gives us a
skeleton of how to organize our stakeholders into a diagram that is easy to
understand, and the importance of each level not just listing them out.
Baardseth, P. (2007). Food for life: Innovation network including the
stakeholders in the value chain input to WP11 nutrigenomics and
society and WP12 commercialisation. Genes & Nutrition, 2(1) 9192.
DOI: 0.1007/s12263-007-0023-8
213

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

Allen, P. (2010). The fight over food: producers, consumers, and

activists challenge the global food system. American Journal of
Sociology, 115(4), 13171319.

This article in the American Journal of Sociology reviews the

importance
of stakeholders within a food system to prevent future crisis.
This article shows recent research of relationships between stakeholders in a
food system, and its benefits for the foods nutrition and health. When they This writer feels as though our food system is headed towards a crisis with
the way we destroy our resources and environment in food production.
say stakeholders, they are referring to government, consumers, industry,
Obviously the destruction she is talking about is coming from our
retail, and research team that go in the system. Through this research new
stakeholders, which she has talked about in every paragraph. This article
discoveries have been made about regulations such as labeling and health
brought fresh information about a bigger problem at hand and how
claims. This source is helpful to our project because it gives us insight on
how important cooperative relationships within a food system can be for the biomimicry can maybe help to fix these issues within stakeholders. This
article also goes into detail about main industries in different countries,
stakeholder and the product.
including France, and what these stakeholders do to distribute food. This
Smith, W. D. (1998). Urban food systems and the poor in developing source is useful for our project because it breaks down where in the food
system stakeholders are creating problems, which helps us focus more directly
countries. Transaction of the institute of British Geographers New
on where food waste is occurring in the system as one of those growing
Series, 23(2), 207219.
issues.
DOI: 10.1111/j.0020-2754.1998.00207.x
This journal entrys main focus is on less developed countries around the
world, and why they are failing in food production. The article emphasized
that the main issues in starving countries were their lack of interconnecting
local, regional, and global levels. This article to be very important to
research that is pertinent when dealing with open-air markets in Provence
because of their dependency on local and regional interconnections of
stakeholders. Without them the business around the markets might fail
because they would not have time to tend to their product, and go out and
sell it. This source is useful for our project because we are dealing with a
complex system that needs every step and we can understand the importance
of this comparing our flowing system of stakeholders to a failing one.
214

Andrew Moore
Leib, E., Ferro, J., Nielsen, A., & Nosek, G. (2013, September
1). The dating game: how confusing food date labels lead to food
waste in America. Retrieved from http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/
foodpolicyinitiative/files/2013/09/dating-game-report.pdf
This article summarizes the problem of food waste caused by unclear
food labels. It posits that the convoluted system of use-by, best-by
and expired-by labels cause more confusion than clarity and should be
replaced with a standardized system. It gives a concise history of food labels
in the United States and overview of the various laws in different states

applying to food labeling and suggests that a unified system would reduce
food waste. Coming with the stamp of the Harvard Food Law and Policy
Council on the report adds a lot of weight to the Natural Resources Defense
Councils report. The report is professionally put together and highly
polished and comes with its own extensive bibliography of sources. Given
its relevance to how large volumes of food waste are created because of small
design changes in packaging, it seems that the information in the article
would be valuable for helping the design team understand what needs to be
part of the final solution for the design competition.
Markham, D. (January 9, 2013). Startup helps restaurants and
groceries turn food waste into fertilizer. Retrieved from http://
ecopreneurist.com/2013/12/03/startup-helps-restaurants-groceriesturn-food-waste-fertilizer/
This article describes a food waste disposal system developed by former
Microsoft employees called the Harvester (or the Zero Waste Nutrient
Recovery System) that allows restaurants to turn up to 4000 pounds of food
waste per day into nutrient rich liquid that can be further refined into
agricultural fertilizer. While the website itself isnt particularly academic,
the information it is providing is particularly relevant to the design teams
potential solutions for Provences food waste problems. The Harvester system
addresses many of the same problems being tackled by the Biomimicry and
Contextual Research classes, so understanding how it works and the context
in which it was created is important.
Perry, K. (August 6, 2014). Mass. to make big food wasters
lose the landfill. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/
thesalt/2014/08/06/338317224/mass-to-make-big-food-wasters-losethe-landfill?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_
campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140807

As part of Massachusetts efforts to reduce waste by 80% by 2050, the

state will be banning establishments that produce more than a ton of food
waste a day (supermarkets, hospitals, schools etc.) from sending their waste
to a landfill. The waste material will instead be donated to a composting
facility. This plan is intended to reduce dependence on landfills, which
are no longer financially attractive and certainly arent particularly
eco-friendly. The article itself is not from a scholarly journal, but it is
from a journalistic source (NPR) and reports on what is happening in
Massachusetts impartially. Massachusetts efforts at solving this problem
may be applicable in France and therefor may be useful to the design team
in creating a meaningful solution for Provence.
Bulkeley, H., & Askins, K. (2009). Waste interfaces: biodegradable
waste, municipal policy and everyday practice. The Geographical
Journal, 175(4), 251260.
This journal article focuses on new public policy regarding
biodegradable waste (including food waste). Efforts are being made
to divert biodegradable waste away from landfills. The article posits
that much of this policy does not adequately challenge the publics
current understanding of waste management and that in order to enact
institutional change and make waste management more sustainable, the
context in which waste is generated (how people make waste) needs to
be understood and considered. This article focuses mostly on food related
policymaking in the United States, and is thus only tangentially applicable
to French food systems, though if the design teams intent is still to expand
a successful system outside of France, having a thorough understanding
of food law outside of France will become necessary. There may also be
legislation related suggestions for American food policy that could be helpful
to French markets as well.
215

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

Heien, D. (1983). Productivity in U.S. food processing and

distribution. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 65(2),
297302.
This journal article focuses on how food processing and distribution
affects agricultural productivity. The article breaks down the entire
agricultural sector into individual goods (beef, lemons, carrots etc.) and
measures their output. This article is focused mostly on yearly output
of American food producers and may provide a valuable baseline for
comparisons with French food systems.
Cheon, Jin-Young
SEMMARIS. (2011). Rungis international market annual report
2011. Retrieved from http://www.rungismarket.com/documents/en/
Rapport-annuels2011/Rapport_marche_2011_EN.pdf
The report reveals several useful pieces of information. For instance, it
states that approximately 60,000 metric tons of food waste is generated
in the market each year. Furthermore, it gives a breakdown figure of
the amount of different kinds of goods traded in the wholesale market.
The report stipulate that 56% is fruits and vegetables, 20% Meats,
12% seafood, 4% dairy, and 8% deli. Since this is the breakdown from
an enormous wholesale food market, it may be safe to assume that it is
quite close to a breakdown in a national scale. This report yields some of
216

the cultural aspects regarding the food system, in addition to figures and
estimates on the different kinds of foods being commonly traded and the
size of the economic market.
Huyghe, C. (August 1, 2012). France. Country pasture/forage resource
profiles. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/
Counprof/France/france.htm
There are many agricultural techniques that lead to losses that are often
overlooked by farmer. The concept of abundance can promote wastefulness.
With meat and dairy production constantly on the rise, the environmental
issues that go along with that also rise. Also, farming practices that lead
to deforestation are not sustainable solutions. This report confirms some
concerns and suspicions regarding the French agriculture, and opens up
options for opportunities to upcycle food waste into agriculture.
Food and Agriculture Organization of The United States. (n.d).
Country profile: France. Retrieved from http://faostat.fao.org/
CountryProfiles/Country_Profile/Direct.aspx?lang=en&area=68
The population of people who work in the agriculture industry
is in decline, but the amount of production continues to rise due to
unsustainable methods of farming. The idea of cash crops can prose a
threat to long term food security. Also the reliance on imports is not cost
effective and harmful to the countries food economy. This source is a
descent background reading for future references, with no data point with
significant correspondence with our particular study.

Shaw, H. (2006). Food deserts: towards the development of a

classification. Geografiska Annaler B Geografiska Annaler, Series B:
Human Geography, 88(2), 231-247.
DOI: 10.1111/j.0435-3684.2006.00217.x

Jackson Hedden

The prevailing mental attitude of the consumer becomes the dominant

influence over their food purchases rather than what foods that household
might physically be able to access. and in less well-off households,
avoiding food wastage is more important than buying healthy foods that
will go to waste. Healthy lifestyle is a luxury; and where most people in the
county are well off, the culture of prioritizing health over material efficiency
may promote wastefulness to a degree. (e.g., making plenty of food, and
not eating all of them for calorie control) The negative correlation between
healthy lifestyle and food wastage is an important aspect of food culture
that cannot be neglected. This article is an excellent economic/quantitative
assessment of this reality.

This article explains the impact that food consumption and production
have on the environment. It states that food systems need to become more
sustainable in order to meet the needs of the worlds growing population.
Food sustainability can be effected through the products that consumers
buy. As a result, a local consumer can effect the global food system. If
overconsumption in Europe can be reduced, there will be a direct health
benefit for the population. Changing the consumption habits of developed
countries to reduce waste and overconsumption will lead to increased food
availability in developing countries. Food sustainability is the effective
use of resources at a rate that the Earth has the capacity to replace.
Overproduction, waste, water consumption and biodiversity are just a
few of the concerns that must be addressed as we work toward a globally
sustainable food system. This article references and illustrates reasonably
trustworthy sources of information, which can be utilized to make a better
product. This article is valuable as it directly examines the sustainability of
the current European food system.

Deaton, A., & Paxson, C. (1998). Economics of scale, household size,

and the demand for food. Journal of Political Economy, 106(5), 897930.
Increase in household size may promote bulk-buying to save costs (Bulkbuying food is significantly more feasible when there is a large enough of
household with high enough quantity of food demanded). Expenditure per
capita in households seems to remain mostly constant, but spending habits
alter depending on the family sizes. This article, particularly the concluding
section, confirms or denies some of our assumptions in behaviors regarding
the consumption stage of a food system.

European Commission. (2015). Sustainable food. Retrieved from

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/food.htm

Searchinger, T., Hanson, C., Ranganthan, J., Lipinski, B., Waite, R.,
Winterbottom, R., . . . Heimlich, R. (December, 2013). Creating a
sustainable food future: Interim findings. Retrieved from http://www.
wri.org/publication/creating-sustainable-food-future-interim-findings

217

Appendix G
Annotated Bibliography

The world needs to find a balance between producing an increased

amount of food for a growing population while reducing the environmental
impact of that production. These challenges can only be met through
change in the food system. Population and its steady increase, make
food sustainability unachievable if production continues with the same
methods. Food sustainability can only be attained by decreasing unhealthy
food consumption by industrialized nations, increasing food production
on existing land, and by reducing the environmental impact of this
production. By minimizing the over consumption of food by industrialized
nations the populations of these countries will have subsequent health
benefits. There has already been a movement toward healthier eating habits
which has reduced the amount of beef consumption. By choosing a healthier
diet food and weight related diseases are reduced. This also results in an
unexpected gain for food sustainability. Protein rich foods can become more
accessible for low consuming nations.
Farming smarter can be achieved through the use of technology, seed
selection, aiding underproductive farms, farming the same land more
frequently, improving soil and water management and expanding crops to
low carbon-degraded land. Efficient grazing of livestock and rehabilitation
of deforested areas can also impact production while reducing the
environmental impact. Applying sustainable methods to one of these items
will not have much of an impact, but applying sustainable practices to
all of these issues can have a great impact in providing sustainable food to
populations around the globe.
218

Geislar, S. (May 8, 2015). Does size matter? Measuring the impact of

scale in US agriculture. Retrieved from http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/
articles/does-size-matter-measuring-impact-of-scale-in-agriculture/
Locavores, is a new term coined to describe the movement of
individuals wanting to know where their food comes from. Small-scale
farming is assumed to be better than large scale farming, but this cannot be
supported by current research. According to Steve Sexton, Assistant Professor
in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, changing large
scale mono-crop farms into locally grown multi-crop farms would result
in a 20-40% greater use of land, fertilizer and pesticides. The perception
in sustainable farming that smaller is better is not necessarily true, but no
real conclusions can be drawn because research has only been done with
regard to large producers. Small scale farmers have drains on their limited
resources that large scale producers are more financially able to bear. Small
scale farmers usually cannot afford to file all the paperwork necessary to
call their product organic, though it may be more organic than the food
that is labeled organic. Even though research may not be able to prove that
small scale farming is better, it is still a growing section of the agriculture
market. Some people just want to know where their food came from. The
future of agriculture will most likely consist of a mixture of both small
and large farms. This article is very important in understanding that food
sustainability can be achieved in many different ways.
Portman, A. (2014). Mother nature has it right: Local food advocacy
and the appeal to the Natural. Ethics and the Environment, 19(1),
1-30.
DOI: 10.2979/ethicsenviro.19.1.1

Food sustainability is a political agenda. What food is good and what

food is bad? The type of food that the consumer chooses to buy and to eat is
a moral choice. Ones food choices have not just economic, but political and
moral significance. The consumer plays an active role in the agricultural
process through their food choices. The consumers money can go to quantity
and convenience in the case of large agribusiness or their money can go to
quality and health which is locally produced or natural agriculture. This
article is important in that it addresses the underlying philosophical view of
food that exists for everyone and can explain why consumers feel compelled
to make the local or natural choices when it comes to food purchasing. It
explains that food choices affect the individual on a moral level.

must be addressed but the supply chain must also be altered. Global
contracts do not always supply food to the area most in need as financial
considerations must be made. Governments find it difficult to coordinate
the entire cycle from farm to mouth. This article clearly examines the
aspects of food insecurity and the major players in the food security cycle.
Along with the coordinated efforts that must be undertaken to create
sustainable food systems and eliminate food insecurity.

Lang, T., & Barling, D. (2012). Food security and food sustainability:
Reformulating the Debate. The Geographical Journal, 178(4), 313326.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00480.x
Food insecurity is when an individual lacks sufficient physical, social or
economic access to safe and nutritious food. This is an agenda for the 20th
century politician and it is important due to the increasing population that
will experience food insecurity. Dealing with hunger and crisis of hunger
around the world is a large part of the UNs responsibility. In 2007, the
UN decided to give additional funding to meet the needs of current hunger
such as more help in managing the food production and storage of food,
and that increased production of food would be facilitated in order to
respond to the worlds growing food insecurity problems. The price spike of
2007 set off a food insecurity crisis that has continued to grow. Producing
more food is the simple answer, but not as easily achieved as one expects.
Population continues to grow and at some point production of food in the
current manner will not be sufficient to feed everyone. Farming methods
219

Appendix H
References

Baumeister, D., & Tocke, R. (2014). Biomimicry resource handbook: a

seed bank of best prac-tices (2014 ed.). Missoula, Montana: Biomimicry
3.8.
Bees, hornets and wasps. (n.d.). Got Pests? Retrieved May. 6, 2015,
from http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/bees-wasps.htm
Dr. Neil Canter. (2009). Humpback whales inspire new wind turbine
technology.Tech Beat, Retrieved from http://www.stle.org/assets/news/
document/techbeat_tlt_12-08.pdf
John, L. G. (1989) Carnivore dental adaptations and diet: a study
of trophic diversity within guilds. Carnivore Behavior, Ecology,
and Evolution. (Part III). Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/
chapter/10.1007/978-1-4757-4716-4_16
Martin, R. (n.d.). No guts, no glory. Biology of Sharks and Rays.
Retrieved May. 6, 2015, from http://www.elasmo-research.org
education/white_shark/digestion.htm
Willsher, K. (2015, May 25). Man who forced French supermarkets to
donate food wants to take law global. The Guardian. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/25/french-upermarketsdonatefood-waste-global-law-campaign?CMP=share_btn_fb
220

Appendix I
List of Tables

221

Appendix J
List of Figures

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Lets remember: Life creates conditions conducive to life,

...and so should we.

232