Several activities have been defined in order to produce the desired outputs. These include searching literature for gaining an overview and formulating a focus and interviewing experts to deepen our knowledge. We will elaborate on the design in a report, and later visualize it. It that way we will present the design and submit it to the Global Biomimicry Design Challenge.

 

Searching literature

We will search for literature in the fields of: Eastern Europe agriculture; biomimicry concepts and applications in general; biomimicry applications in agriculture. Later on more research on specific processes/systems that we want to mimic will be done. The informations will be looked for in databases available via WUR (e.g. PubMed, Web of Science, etc.), in the WUR library, and via social network scanning: search via facebook and twitter how much and what is known and discussed about biomimicry in public, searching on LinkedIn for discussion forums and experts.

 

Interviewing

We will arrange interviews with at least two experts on agriculture and/or biomimicry. We’d like to know from them what has already been done in this field, what they find interesting to develop regarding biomimicry, background information about their field of expertise. This will be done before the designing process. During the designing process we might also contact experts to ask if our design is feasible for an actual application in agriculture.

 

A semi-structured interview procedure will be held with all experts, allowing new ideas to be brought up during the interview. Beforehand, key-questions will be prepared that will guide the interviews while allowing new input to be brought in during the conversation. This way of interviewing is chosen, because we would like to ask some clear questions regarding our project, but there should also be room for creative, new ideas.

 

Make a design

A design of a farming system based on biomimicry concepts will be created. The different steps of the design-making process are:

• Brainstorming about biomimicry and possible applications in agriculture.

• Based on literature and brainstorming, decide on a biological process or system in agriculture that will be the subject of our biomimicry project.

• Based on literature, brainstorming, and interviews, design of the chosen biological process or system in an agricultural system, using biomimicry tools.

 

Write report/project overview

At the end of the project, a written report will be supplied including the points discussed in the outputs. This will be done following the guidelines of the project overview for the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge

 

Visualize design

We want to provide visual outputs of our project for an easier and more effective communication; the visuals will consist of a poster and a video. We will have to

• Decide on what kind of flyer will be used to present the design

• Design the flyer and print it

• Design a video, conform to the Global Biomimicry Design Challenge guidelines

• Search for expert on video/animation

• Make a storyboard for the video

• Make an animation for the video

• Combine everything in a video

 

Submit to Global Biomimicry Design Challenge

To participate in the Design Challenge, we have to

• Register our project at the website

• Submit of products (procedure open from 15th April to 3rd August 2015)

 

Presentation

On the 30th of April at 14:00, we will give a final presentation to Alterra commissioners and our team Coach. We will prepare this by:

• Making a presentation, including the video and flyer

• Rehearse presentation with group members and with other groups.