Bee Centered Design
Bees Need Awareness Too
Date
Jan 11, 2021
Duration
5 Days
Target Audience
The target audience for this project include urban dwellers in India, people who enjoy sweet desserts, individuals interested in conservation and sustainability, bee enthusiasts or people interested in learning about pollinating insects, educators or institutions promoting environmental education and local gardeners or horticulturists.
Project Brief
Most of India's information on pollinating insects is still insufficient to understand the state of bees in our country including their population, which begs the question of why and how they should be conserved. This project aims to change the outlook towards bees in the Indian context. Currently, many of us see them as pests, so through my product concept, I hope to make urban dwellers accustomed to the knowledge and existence of bees so they are not just tolerated but welcomed visitors to our gardens.
Team
This is an individual project and can be completed by designers with expertise in User Research and Conceptualization.
Deliverables
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Research conducted to arrive at the problem statement
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Problem Statement
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Product concept
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Visual designs for the sweet desserts and packaging
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Marketing materials to promote the product and educate people about bees
Design Considerations
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Provide sufficient proof from research to support the problem statement
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Consider the environmental impact of the product and packaging materials. Are they biodegradable or recyclable?
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Make sure the product is accessible to all potential customers, regardless of dietary restrictions or allergies.
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Ensure that the product and marketing materials provide valuable information about bees and their importance.
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Create visually appealing designs that will catch people's attention and make the product stand out on shelves or in online marketplaces. Develop a cohesive brand identity for the product, including a logo, color scheme, and tone of voice that aligns with the project's goals and values.
The Process & Outcome: Shy Guy
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The adventure began with me jumping headfirst into a jungle of information! I had to map out diverse information that could help me understand everything from pollinators to apiculture and ecosystems. It was like playing Jumanji, but instead of dangerous animals, I had to face facts and figures! Using Miro board made my work a lot easier and fun to do. Here's a link to my Miro Project and Documentation slides.
I used relevant research methods that align with the central question- "How might we speculate alternative and equitable more-than-human worlds for the pollinators(bees) while retaining or evolving their mutual relationship with nature and human, in the Indian context?" With my trusty notebook, sketches, and images, I conquered the wilderness of research and arrived at an insight that led me to create a problem statement - "Most of India's information on pollinating insects is still insufficient to understand the state of bees in our country including their population, which begs the question of why and how they should be conserved."
Later, I sifted through all my ideas and selected the best ones to turn into a tangible product concept. It felt like I was crafting the magnificent jewelry-like nest of solitary bees myself! I defined, sketched, and made tangible artifacts like package designs and a marketing strategy. The journey was tough, but I emerged from the jungle with a fantastic product concept in hand!
Learnings & Shortcomings
Throughout this project, I learned about what I know and what I didn't know about bees. Looking at the skills of a leafcutter bee, the skills that I possessed seemed to pale in comparison.
One learning I am going to take with me is Bee Centered design, as defined by Jesse Weaver in his article. Human Centered Design by definition is problem solving for humans, which reinforces the anthropocentric nature of humans. But is Human centered design the only right kind of design? Through the article I realized that design isn't meant to be centered around humans. Design should be all-encompassing and take various perspectives (not just humans, but other organisms as well) into account which makes it more complex. Sometimes we need to question whether we even need design intervention. And that's what I think Bee Centered Design is all about.
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