This graduation project is a part of NEXTSKINS project, within which a novel bacterial cellulose based material encapsulating living bacteria and yeast named Living Therapeutic Skins (LTS) is being developed to sense and treat skin disease such as Atopic Dermatitis(AD). This project serves as a probe in the primitive stage of LTS material development from a design perspective, to explore if livingness as one of the most prominent properties of LTS material can be perceived by people as cureness both physically and emotionally in AD context.
This project starts from understanding livingness as material quality and understanding AD and AD patients. Then several design insights are elicited and implemented into design concepts. As the project is situated at a primitive stage of material development, it is decided that the project should focus on the interface level of LTS material and create material and interface variations as discussion triggers with the scientific group, medical experts and end users.

As the primary outcomes, we designed and prototyped six variations of skin textures inspired by nature using physical fabrication. Additionally, we created living interfaces that reflect real-time AD conditions, featuring six display patterns corresponding to the different skin textures, as well as environmental factors like temperature and water content through digital simulation. Since the LTS material is still in a semi-finished state, we opted for a gelatin-based hydrogel as a substitute material due to its close resemblance to the LTS material and reusability. Video simulations were used to demonstrate the temporal changes in the living interface in response to external stimuli.

Subsequent user studies were conducted to investigate how individuals experience these material variations and living interfaces across sensorial, affective, interpretive, and performative levels. Drawing from the results of the user study, we present a series of speculations for end products tailored to different areas of the human body, each characterized by distinct textures. Furthermore, we envisage three potential product scenarios for the present, and future context, including future skin therapy and sub-skin implantation.

All the outcomes of this graduation project will serve as both a guide and a catalyst for discussions, laying the foundation for the future development of LTS material.

This graduation project (Hyfen) elucidates opportunities for mycelium-based innovations in circular aircraft cabin design with a focus on material properties, applications and comparative environmental impacts.
Aircraft cabin interior elements account for 10% of an aircraft’s empty weight, and are replaced 4-5 times during the lifetime of an airframe. Thus, cabin elements are responsible for a significant portion of an airliner’s environmental impacts due to operational emissions and improper waste handling. An understanding of the need to apply circular principles to the cabin led to
heightened interest in mycelium-based materials which are lightweight and biodegradable.

The design goals were 1) Understanding the material properties of mycelium-based materials based on aircraft cabin requirements 2) Identifying optimal applications of mycelium-based materials in an aircraft cabin and developing selected demonstrators & detailed designs 3) Assessing the circularity and comparative Life Cycle Impacts of selected applications.

These goals were achieved through an adaptation of the Material Driven Design methodology. The outcomes of this project included conceptual design and demonstrators of two applications. First, is an optimized bionic partition with mycelium acoustic panels and filler material, weighing 40% less (41,6 kg) than a conventional nomex honeycomb-based composite partition (67 kg). The second is a modular packaging cum meal tray for airlines, aiming to reduce single-use plastic waste.
These specific applications were detailed to highlight the temporal & versatile properties such as competitive insulation (acoustic & impact), damage-resistant textures, foam-like compressive properties, mouldability into complex shapes and comfortable tactile interactions for passengers. They also have a high potential to mitigate the environmental impacts of an aircraft cabin due to weight savings in the bulky interior panels, as demonstrated by a final circularity and fast-track life cycle assessment.
Takeaways from this thesis also include insights into the optimal application families, including hot & cool cases, galley, business class & first class seat shelving systems, cushions and upholstery for seats and even decorative filler material for armrests and accessories. These applications to different degrees, leverage the unique material properties (e.g. low weight, mouldability, apparent sustainable advantage, warm & comforting textures etc.) of pure mycelium and
myco-composite materials. It also adds to an understanding of the design requirements for circular applications using mycelium derivatives and aims to inspire further research & development for deployment.

This thesis provided conclusive foundational qualitative evidence on the potential environmental advantage of mycelium applications over plastics, composites and other petroleum-derived materials in an aircraft cabin. Future recommendations include looking into standardization, commercialization, usability and acceptance. Project Hyfen aimed to be visionary and embolden the stringent aerospace sector to seek solutions in nature for its circularity transition - with biobased materials like mycelium being the building blocks, literally and figuratively

Cities have witnessed the disappearance of natural habitats, putting biodiversity at risk and leaving citizens with a diminished connection to nature. Establishing a strong human-nature connection is crucial for sustainable transformations in society, influencing sustainable norms, values, and policy decisions.

Urban Reef, a company specializing in 3D-printed ceramic Reefs, offers a solution to improve urban biodiversity by hosting various living species. These Reefs are considered “living artefacts” as they evolve over time with the colonization of natural species. However, little research has been conducted on the social dimension of such living artefacts and how they can positively impact human users and their connection to nature. To address this knowledge gap, this research aimed to explore how Living Artefacts, like Urban Reef’s Reefs, can help urban citizens feel more connected to nature. The project employed a combination of Research through Design and Co-creative Design approaches to answer this question.

The research commenced with a user study conducted during a family science day, utilizing interactive posters, observations, and the creation of clay seed combs. The results, along with a literature review, revealed a limited connection to and awareness of nature within urban environments. However, the study also demonstrated the potential of engaging with Reefs to enhance nature connectedness. In the subsequent phase, a citizen science study involving five participants caring for and monitoring a Reef showcased improvements in human-nature connectedness. Participants experienced a shift in their perception of nature and developed meaningful bonds with the Reef.

Drawing upon the citizen science findings and an extensive literature review, a comprehensive collection of design guideline cards for living artefact designers was created. The card set encompasses seven pathways to increase nature connectedness through living artefacts: Living Aesthetics, Interactions, Affective Response, Habitabilities, Care & Compassion, Views of Nature, and Ecological Knowledge. These cards serve as a valuable resource for designers, providing diverse approaches to adapt ideas, designs, and prototypes to create living artefacts that foster a stronger connection between urban citizens and the natural environment. Moreover, the cards feature concrete examples of Living Artefacts, offering tangible illustrations to support and inspire designers in their creative process.

Additionally, three concept designs were developed by applying the design cards to Urban Reef’s existing Reefs, serving as illustrative examples of potential outcomes achievable through the utilization of the design guidelines. The thesis project concluded with a user evaluation of the design concepts, followed by recommendations for the future development of Urban Reef. These recommendations aim to guide the market introduction of Reefs in the coming years. The thesis project also provides additional recommendations for further refining the design guidelines.

In summary, this research project highlights the importance of fostering a human-nature connection in urban environments. Through the exploration of Living Artefacts, such as Urban Reef’s Reefs, and the development of design guideline cards, this project offers insights and tools for designers to create living artefacts that enhance nature connectedness among urban citizens.

In complex and distributed human-made-systems, the intimate co-dependency between humans and non-humans can feel distant and vague. A novel approach for fostering a sense mutual care between people and living organisms can be found within biodesign, where living artefacts provide human users with functional benefits, like lighting, air purifying and unique material qualities in exchange for care.

Emerging bio-technologies bring new opportunities for mutualistic care. Recent research has, for instance, demonstrated the ability to engineer bioluminescent plants with inbuilt switches, and electrosynbiotics have demonstrated that trees can generate electricity. Other projects are experimenting with the feasibility of storing data in living plants.

Using speculative design as a tool, this thesis starts unpacking how storing data in microalgae might facilitate mutualistic care, and how this might implicate care. The final speculative research artefact, “Algae Cloud,” imagines a personal cloud-storing system as a series of algae cultures; a relation of mutualistic care where data storage is traded for sunlight, nutrients, and regular attention.

Algae Cloud is a contribution of this project as a speculative design provocation that intends to inspire designers to think of novel ways to design for mutualistic care. It was presented and discussed in a focus group format with researchers from bio-design, more-than-human design, and data-centric design. The results from the discussions suggests that storing data in algae might bring new opportunities for mutualistic care that blend what it means to care for algae and data. The discussions also highlighted implications of care, like who should care, and what do people actually care for when they care for algae with data inside.

Bridging results from the discussions with previous work in HCI, the thesis presents opportunities for designers to further explore what could emerge in the intersection of virtual and biological worlds.

Flavobacteria could become a sustainable alternative for the colouring industry by using them to grow colours on artefacts, as they are capable of creating dazzling structural colour. To contribute to this development, the temporal and iridescent appearance is characterized, captured and communicated within this graduation project. The appearance of naturally grown Flavobacteria on marine growth medium is characterized regarding its size, iridescence and dominant colour. This is done by capturing colonies of Flavobacteria every 8 hours of their lives from different angles. It turns out the surface area grows quadratically; the colony appears the brightest when looking at the retroreflection from a height of 45° degrees; the colony reaches its green colour with red edges within 24 hours. A setup is created to capture samples of Flavobacteria consistently and densely. To properly capture the temporal and iridescent appearance, the setup is automated and able to tilt and rotate the sample, as well as change the azimuth angle (i.e., the angle between the light and the camera). To create straightforward visualizations that communicate Flavobacteria’s unique appearance, an interactive webpage is created. This communication tool shows the captured sample and allows users to control the variables of the data (i.e., the tilt and rotation of the sample, the azimuth angle and the time). Besides communicating Flavobacteria’s appearance to designers and artists, the communication tool can be used during experiments regarding influences on the appearance. These experiments need to be conducted in the future for designers to be able to steer the appearance to grow colours on artefacts to our own liking. To easily draw conclusions from these experiments, a second version of the communication tool is created, showing two samples side by side. At the end of the project, design guidelines are formulated based on the characterization and experience of working with Flavobacteria, for designers that will integrate Flavobacteria’s structural colour. Finally, further research is recommended regarding the definition of properties, the communication and perception of Flavobacteria and the search for potential application areas.

Growing design is an emerging new design approach at the confluence of materials science, biology, arts and design. It challenges current industrial consumption and production because it offers the opportunity to co-create with nature and shift the paradigm of production towards more sustainable solutions. Diana Scherer is an artist exploring the creation of a novel material by utilising the natural processes of the growth of a living organism. She has created a material called Interwoven, which is made of plant roots. far, plant roots have not yet been used for the production of a material. In contrast to comparable textiles made from natural fibres, the material itself weaves. Producing itself through the search of the plant for nutrients and water. This project explored different methods to improving the strength of Interwoven as a bio-composite, while assessing its technical and experiential properties. In its current state Interwoven is limited in its functional use because of the technical characteristics of the roots being weak. Therefore it was required the strength be improved as an aspect of durability. Apart from the technical challenges presented, there are also challenges with peoples perception of new emerging grown materials as they trigger uncertainty in peoples perceptions. Experiential characterisation and technical characterisation was conducted on the material interwoven so that both may be utilised towards finding a meaningful application as a textile

What can we learn from nature? And how can we tackle problems our conventional methods cannot solve? From 13 September – 9 January 2018 the TU Delft Library will host the exhibition ‘Bioinspired – Designing the Surface. Creative Learning from Nature’ . This exhibition shows examples of nature-inspired technology, and explains about the immense potential for future-oriented innovation. @en