who: The highly stressed out 9-5er employee
where: Open plan office.
why: ....in an age where all our time is spent in front of screens, the office employee needs to develop / enhance their connection with nature BECAUSE their mental and physical state in their work environment is stressed, groggy and in need of a 'distraction' . Reconnecting them to the present and encourage mindfulness through nature in the work environment is the ideal space to do just that because if the routine of interacting with nature begins in the workplace it may later transferred into the home subconsciously, but also detoxifies the air in work, enhances cognitive ability, improves productive, and distresses the mind and body.
what: A divider that introduces nature into the work environment in an nonintrusive way. The divider still allows for privacy when at the computer, but contains nature within the divider itself in a self supporting pot containing low maintenance plantlife.
I know as I am going to be using a divider as my base, I need to focus on the pots. Having decide though my sketches that it will be a simple grove that will keep the pot steady, I just need to attempt to make it. Looking back at the moss ball sketch model and how quickly I got the idea across, I figured using found objects to aid in making this prototype would be best. After all its a prototype, and if I could find something that would help in the making of it faster its totally okay right? right.
Using the same sponge ball again, I split in half, then half again and created a divde out of a cut off of mdf. The mdf cut off was then fashioned into the correct shape to allow for an grove to be present on the underside of the pot.
From talking to Gerry and Conrad extensively about the best type of materials to do this with, I decided creating plaster bandage moulds to then fill with quick setting plaster would be best.
These days, the more I think about my project and the more I read about why we should be more connected to nature, my thoughts and my hands seem to float back to my iphone, ipad while I'm reading the article on why nature is important in a culture where we have an extension to our hands in the form of technology.
In an article on LiveLearnEvolve.com this disconnection with nature is discussed and technology is blamed. It's certainly try.
As more technology is created, and accessibility and using new technology is made easier and easier to use, younger generations have no reason to be outside when technology is trying its hardest to replace the memories made by climbing a tree for the first time by a virtually stimulated version of climbing Mount Everest..
The point I'm trying to make is that our generation and society is never bored any more. We have no reason when we constantly have a new app to download or a facebook feed to endlessly scroll through or snapchat to view the fabulous lives of everyone else. No one feels the need to pick up a new hobby, like say gardening.
"there is no doubt that it can be very stimulating to feel so connected but yet it can hardly be denied that there is an feeling of underlying emptiness. We have lost something. The more plugged into things we get, the more disconnected from nature we become."
This disconnection with nature is increasing more and more. The need for nature is still there, there is still a desire to explore and go on adventures and be surrounded by nature, one only has to log on to pinterest and search Wanderlust to view the endless wish lists and albums of people who long for this connection with the outdoors. But it these escapes to the great outdoors never happen.
My design needs to make engaging with nature easy, it needs to be simple to use and the maintenance of the plants used needs to be low while the output from the plants should be high for the user.
who: The highly stressed out 9-5er employee
where: Open plan office.
why: ....in an age where all our time is spent in front of screens, the office employee needs to develop / enhance their connection with nature BECAUSE their mental and physical state in their work environment is stressed, groggy and in need of a 'distraction' . Reconnecting them to the present and encourage mindfulness through nature in the work environment is the ideal space to do just that because if the routine of interacting with nature begins in the workplace it may later transferred into the home subconsciously, but also detoxifies the air in work, enhances cognitive ability, improves productive, and distresses the mind and body.
what: Sketching with the concept of designing a new office divider that allows to introduce nature into the office environment.
