Ahead of an upcoming Melbourne Design Week panel discussion, Genevieve Brannigan sat down with Sally Evans, Director of Graphic Design and Product Development at Nexus Designs, to interrogate the role of bio-fabrication in design practice to create a better future for all.
1. In what ways do you think these products and technologies could help contribute to a circular economy and net zero goals" Why is this important"
I want to answer this by quoting Caroline Till from the UK based research and innovation studio Franklin Till whose work I admire. Sustainability has been the focus for the last decade, and a lot of companies and industries are only now taking it seriously, but Caroline has described it as, essentially, maintaining what we already have and only aspiring to the status quo. What she is telling her clients is that we can?t simply aim for sustainability? we need to encourage more proactive concepts of circularity, leaving no trace, and regenerative, putting back better. Bio-fabrication is a clear path towards circularity and regeneration. The natural materials people are experimenting with are innately circular, they come from the planet and can one day return to it if we design with that intent right from the start. Hopefully, by having these kinds of conversations and developing these new materials, we can work towards making things better for the future.
2. How are advancements in bio-fabrication technology influencing your approach to product design&...