A (product) design perspective

The video features contributions from Ariane Stracke-Henderson, Robert Henderson, and Tjeerd Veenhoven.

Their discussion explores the changing role of the designer when working with biobased materials and the new possibilities for creativity that these materials can offer. They argue that designing with a material means going beyond its immediate properties to understand the broader context from which it emerges—including its origin, location, availability, seasonality, and cost. These conditions become part of the design process itself, challenging designers to reconsider established ways of working. Rather than being seen simply as limitations, the constraints associated with biobased materials can become drivers of creativity and opportunities for developing new applications. At the same time, the aesthetic qualities of biobased products can help communicate their cultural and social significance alongside their ecological and economic value. In this context, designers are called upon to develop new mindsets and skills, allowing materials, processes, and local conditions to play a more active role in shaping design

• Designing with a material in mind means going beyond simply “making” with it to exploring its full potential. This involves considering not only its properties, but also its origin and location, availability—in terms of both quantity and seasonality—cost, and other contextual factors. These considerations become integral to the design process, fundamentally reshaping how design takes place.
• The constraints associated with biobased materials can become drivers of creativity, while design can help transform these constraints into opportunities for future applications.
• The aesthetic qualities of biobased products can help communicate their broader cultural and social significance, alongside their ecological and economic value.
• To make this possible, designers need to adapt both their mindset and their skill set, embracing new ways of working with materials, processes, and contexts.

Ariane Stracke-Henderson is a highly accomplished architect with a strong international background and a proven track record in delivering design excellence at the highest level. She studied architecture at RWTH Aachen, Germany, and advanced her expertise in the Masterclass of Zaha Hadid at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, where she refined her architectural vision and design methodology. With a focus on design innovation, strategic thinking, and professional integrity, Ariane brings both creativity and authority to her work. Her ability to translate ambitious ideas into sophisticated architectural solutions positions her as a highly respected leader within the international design community.

Robert Henderson is an architect and design innovator with a career dedicated to advancing the integration of technology and research within architectural practice. He studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he built a strong academic foundation in both architectural design and technological development.

Tjeerd Veenhoven is a product designer with a love for inventing materials and production techniques. In his mind being a designer is much more than just aesthetics or expressing trends, for him it is closer to activism. From his studio in the North of Holland he experiments with materials and crafts from all over the world, developing new products to strengthen local economies, ecological awareness and design thinking. He is founder of Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven (STV). Besides this he is part of several innovation platforms and advisory boards. Through best practice projects, workshops and consultancy he spreads awareness on biobased materials, sustainable transition and design methods. He was co-founder of HuisVeendam, an innovative company producing decorative interior laminates based on potato starch technology. And in 2016 he was awarded with the H&M Foundation Global Change award for his endeavours to make textiles from green algae. Tjeerd encourages designers to work where challenges are biggest and take a leading role towards a sustainable and more social society. See also: A farming perspective