Is Design a Reaction to Nature or is Design Inspired by Nature?

By
Thomas Collison

Contents
List of Illustrations

Introduction

Chapter One: Design as a Reaction To Nature

Chapter Two: Design Inspired by Nature

6
11

Chapter Three: Design in Context of Design

16

Chapter Four: Synthesis

23

Conclusion

25

Imagery

30

Bibliography

39

List of Illustrations
Figure 1Live Science, (2013). What is the Golden Ratio. [image] Available at:
http://www.livescience.com/37704-phi-golden-ratio.html [Accessed
12 Dec. 2014].
Figure 2Alvar, A. (1936). Savoy Vase. [image] Available at:
https://www.iittala.com/Home-interior/Alvar-Aalto-Collection-Vase95-mm-clear/p/K000439 [Accessed 23 Oct. 2014].
Figure 3Aalto, A. (1936). Savoy Vase Drawings. [image] Available at:
http://www.dailyicon.net/tag/paris/page/2/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2014].
Figure 4Iittala(2011). Savoy Vase Wooden Mould. [image] Available at:
https://secure.iittala.com/web/myiittala/301 [Accessed 28 Oct.
2014].
Figure 5 Breuer, M. (1925). B3, Waissly Arm Chair. [image] Available at:
http://www.design-museum.de/en/collection/100masterpieces/detailseiten/b3wassily-marcel-breuer.html [Accessed
28 Oct. 2014].
Figure 6Aalto, A. (1932). Paimo Chair. [image] Available at:
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=92879
[Accessed 26 Oct. 2014].
Figure 7Nakashima, G. (1960). The Conoid Coffee Table. [image] Available
at: http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com/furniture/4 [Accessed 15
Nov. 2014].
Figure 8Takaezu, T. (1990). Closed Forms: Triptych. [image] Available at:
http://www.cedarstreetgalleries.com/bin/detail.cgi?ID=14946
[Accessed 15 Nov. 2014].

Figure 9Takaezu, T. (1987) Tree-Man Forest.[image] Available at:

http://cms.skidmore.edu/portfolios/portfolio.cfm?catID=883
[Accessed 18 Nov. 2014].
Figure 10Collison, T (2014) Ink Curves.

Figure 11Collison, T. (2014). Cracked Lines.

Figure 12Collison, T. (2014). Ink Curves on to Natural Dyes.
Figure 13Collison, T. (2014). Ink Curves Naturall dyed.
Figure 14Collison, T. (2014). Mountain Sky Madder.
Figure 15Collison, T. (2014). Photographic Comparison.
Figure 16Collison, T. (2014). Wabi Sabi Swatches.
Figure 17Collison, T. (2014). Tonal Colour Swatches

Introduction
Paul Jacques Grillos book Form, Function and Design (1975) he
looks at how design is a product of natures forms. How we have
developed from mans most instinctive form of Homo Erectus to
mans current state as Homo sapiens can be seen as a direct result
of natures impact on the evolution of society through design. This
piece of writing will take into account Philosophers such as
Immanuel Kant and Dennis Dutton as well as others to depict the
journey of man made design and its relationship with nature. Nature
has always been seen as a source of inspiration for designers,
however it has also been seen as a reaction to design. The premise
of design is to find solutions to problems and nature has often been
seen to produce problems to man and society (Grillo, 1975).
The first chapter will explore the idea of how cognitive thought has
aided mas ability design and creation. Using theories of evolution
from Charles Darwin to the ideas of Kant on how humans are
rational beings, it will be determined how we have used design as
an evolutionary tool to protect society from the natural, This will
also take into account the way in which man has become separated

from nature and how this has become a problem as well as a

solution.
This shall be followed by looking at how man has created rules and
regulations inspired by nature in chapter two, this will take into
consideration what defines what is natural in design. Looking at
theories about beauty and taste and the aspects of these, which
man desires and wishes to create as they are seen within nature.
The two previous chapters will be put into context in the third
chapter using past and current practitioners from different cultures.
If beauty is universal then what is seen in the east of the world
would be seen as what is seen as beautiful in the west (Dutton,
2010), however this is not always the case but nature is seen as
universal beautiful (Kant et al., 2012). This chapter shall use the
premises of chapter one on how design is a reaction to nature and
of chapter two on how design is an inspiration to nature. The
simplistic aesthetics of Japanese design and Scandinavian design
could be seen to be similar how ever the motives behind there
design could be more different. This chapter will look at the works of
Alvar Aalto, Marcel Bruer comparing them to the works of George
Nakashima and Toshiko Takaezu and use the ideals of democratic
design and Wabi Sabi to distinguish how nature motivates mans
designs.
Using the principles of Wabi Sabi and democratic design the final
chapter shall investigate how these design principles can use nature
and take into account the idea of what is authentic. Nature in design
is a vast topic, and these two principles of design have been picked
due to the conflicting elements of what is a reaction to nature and
what is inspired by nature as they have strong social and
philosophical groundings.

Chapter One: Design as a Reaction to Nature

This chapter will look at how our cognitive thought manifests it self
in our creation. It will study how man made creation and design is a
human evolutionary tool intend to facilitate the necessities of life as
a direct reaction to the forces of nature. When Charles Darwin
studied the Galapagos finchs he discovered how the birds had
adapted to meet there needs to forage for food, the finches of the

island all remained similar how ever their beaks had adapted to
face the challenges of the different islands they inhabited (Darwin
and Beer,1996). We too have evolved to meet the needs of our
developing society through design. Unlike animals are ability to
think situations through and create solutions is what has helped us
to evolve. Through the theories of Christine Korsgaard and
Immanuel Kant we can understand how being rational beings
separates us from other more instinctive species, which co-inhabit
the world.
Kants Lectures on anthropology make the point that as human are
conscious of their decisions due to moral values. He states that we
have animal instincts but due to social responsibility, we also have
rules to govern the human mind to prevent man acting on instinct
alone. Animals do not have this ability to understand their own
representation in the world. They cannot identify them self as an I,
however they are still have thoughts but they are more obsessed
with instinctive factors such as mating and eating, they can not
begin to comprehend there reason for being as they act on intuition
alone (Kant et al., 2012). It is our ability to question our selves that
allows us to develop our selves.
This shows how by identifying our selves we can be rational- we are
not purely instinctive, we understand our actions on a level greater
than pure instinct. A modern view, which extends this point, is that
of Christine Korsgaard.
We human animals turn our attention on to our perceptions
and desire themselves, on to our own mental activities, and
we are conscious of them. That is why we can
think about themAnd this sets us a problem that no other
animal has. It is the problem of the normative.... The
reflective mind cannot settle for perception and desire, not
just as such. It needs a reason.(Koorsgard, 1996 cited in
Gruen, 2003)

The idea of the normative could be seen as what is expectable

within a society much like Kants idea of rules, however Korsgaard
identifies this idea of a normative more as a problem that which we
look to fix. This idea of taking a problem and using our thought
process to come up with a solution rather than just acting without
thinking of consequence is similar to how we function as designers.
In Paul Jacques Grillos book Form, Function and Design (1975) He
suggests that design is an achievement if it is a solution, It should
take in to account relative standards of style and taste (Grillo,
1975 page 11). These relative standards of style and taste suggest
that normative within different societies is not a fixed concept and
that our ability to design is relative to our particular situation and
circumstances.
A comparison could be made between the beaks of the Darwins
Galapagos finchs as a tool of survival, and cognitive thought as the
human tool of survival. Suzanna Herculano-Houzel gives a good
example of how our mental abilities are responsible for our survival.
In 20013 she gave a Ted Talk that stated humans have a large brain
in proportion to the body, but we do not have to eat as many hours
of the day as other animals. Our fore-fathers discovered how to
cook; this allowed us to predigest our food and consume more
calories allowing for greater brain function and less time spent
eating. Cognitive ability has allowed us to create methods to aid the
evolution of man. For instance by not thinking about eating all day
we have been able to adapt our shelter from caves to man made
structures. Herculano-Houzel categorical list our adaption through
food:
Raw food, Cooking, Culture, Agriculture, Civilisation,
Grocery Stores, Electricity, Refrigerators and now ironically
we have come full circle and look for the solutions of our
dietary needs in raw foods (Herculano-Houzel 2013)

This idea of using the human mind to make and further human
evolution is arguably the whole basis for designing.
Much like the evolution of cooking we can now see a similar practice
being carried out in manmade design, which is once again returning
to nature for the answers. In fact it could be said that we have
started to design nature. The combined effort of creating manmade
environments and taking natural resources has left us somewhat
removed from our original natural habitat. Joseph Pine pointed out
how difficult it is now to make a physical connection with nature
without encountering the manmade in his Ted Talk on the subject of
authentic experiences.
Even if you go for a walk in the proverbial woods, there is
a company that manufactured the car that delivered you
to the edge of the woods; theres a company the shoes
that you have to protect yourself from the gound of the
woods. Theres a company that provides a cell phone
service you have in case you get lost in the woods All of
those are man-made, artificially brought into the woods by
you, and by the very nature of being there. (Pine, 2004)
What Pine is discussing here is how we have become so embedded
in our own consumption of the manmade, that we can now sell
nature as an experience that we need to consume. We no longer
feel it instinctive to just go outside and be with nature, we must first
adorn ourselves and prepare. This a further example of how
removed we are from the natural by our own design. This could be
seen a human defence as humans fear nature and when humans
fear something they shy away from it and detach them self from it.
Our misplaced fear in nature may be why we have created so many
barriers from being around it, but instead we choose to control it by

10

creating national parks or adorn our selves in defensive

mechanisms to concur the wild.
As a result we have begun designing nature according to trend
magazine Mix, 2014:
more than half the worlds population live in urban areas;
it predicts that by 2050 this will grow to 7 out of ten
people. This presents the problem of lack of contact of
nature as it is said to improve an individuals cognitive
function and well-being(Kingswell, 2014).
Mix magazine suggests that the way forward is the Increasingly
sophisticated manmade replications of nature. (Kingswell, 2014).
After we have used our natural resources creating an unnatural
environment, we are relying on creating designed natural materials.
This trend could be due to the fact that we are losing our innate
relationship with nature.
We dream of something real, something unmitigated by
the filter of profit-making portals and franchise. We want
the as-was, the erstwhile. We languish for the nonmechanical and the pre- or post-industrial. We are
pilgrims seeking the past, the genuine the
individual.(Frger, 2012).
Frger is suggesting that we want to make contact with the real and
that we are no longer satisfied by what we have created. If we are
too look at this in terms of design reacting to nature, we can begin
to understand how our natural environment is key to our evolution
in design. The problem we have created is that through creating we
have impaired our own ability to be at one with what is good for

11

man. Ironically this is now impairing cognitive thought, the thing

that allowed us to evolve in the first place.
The issue of design has come from the instinctive needs of people
for food, water, air, shelter and clothing to protect us from
inclement weather (Roughley,2000). To obtain the basics needs we
have designed ways to obtain them or create them from this design
has not stopped evolving and it has become inherent in everything
we do:
We are all designers. We are all being in theworld that
perform actions which have real, material, consequences
in the worldwhenever we bring something into being we
also destroy something the omelette at the cost of the
egg, the table at the cost of the tree. (Perez de Vega,
2014)
This has come about as a reaction of nature and like all other
animals on earth. Man must use earths resources to maintain the
human race. As humans we have become entwined with material
matter, what was once man and nature is now man and man made.
In Raymond Williams book Culture and Materialism, 2005 he defines
nature as a state., he compares this with the idea of human
society, which he says are wholly artificial and made. (Williams,
2005, p.68). Williams is clearly saying here that nature is in direct
contrast to man because; man, or human beings are just social
constructs. It may be easier to define nature by what it is not: it is
not human. It predates us. This gives us a useful insight into design,
as the man made can never be natural, by definition man cannot
create natural design.
Design is a construct of man, which has allowed us to develop our
most innate abilities, for example how we communicate. The first

12

ever found piece of design is known as the Acheulean hand axe.

These thin stone hand axes made by homo-sapiens forefathers,
homo erectus, were made before we hand the ability to talk. When
these artefacts were dug up, some showed little ware and in some
cases were too big to actually use as tools for hunting or chopping.
Instead it is said that they were used as tools of attraction. In the
same way in which a Peacock attracts a Peahen with an impressive
tail, the hand axes demonstrated access to rare materials, good
motor skills and impressive craftsmanship. These fitness signals
aided our development through sexual selection (Dutton, 2010).
We can understand from this the idea of how the ability to
communicate developed through our own design. Not only does it
show design as an instinctual tool or reaction to issues it says
something about human nature; that we find beauty in something
done well, This is perhaps why we have such an intrinsic fascination
with nature as it holds so much mystery.
From this chapter we can take the idea that humans have evolved
through the means of design. Our cognitive thought developed from
thinking about ourselves, to being able to solve problems, to
designing. Design started as a means to gaining our basic
necessities and has extended to an everyday tool. It was what
allowed us to evolve and is a reaction to our natural environment.
We can begin to understand that we do not just see nature as an
obstacle and it is in fact a sensitive thing, which we are reliant
upon.

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Chapter Two: Design Inspired by Nature

Chapter one looked at how human design has evolved as a reaction
to nature. Chapter two shall look at why we design in association to
nature the way we do. This Chapter will take into account the
reasoning behind our aesthetic judgments and try to understand
why we find the ways of nature so intriguing.
It is not instinctive for us to copy nature as we see it but instead
take what we find most satisfying from it. For instance if you were to
make a young child draw their first initial instinct would be more
concerned with actual making a mark than drawing from nature.
Once a mark is made they would begin to make basic shapes, as
this developed it would probably develop into a repetitive pattern of
a geometric shape or circle. We do this as it is intrinsically
satisfying: we have a preference for order over disorder. Humans
respond positively to order, structure and predictability. Geometric
patterns of preciseness may be present in microscopic organism but
these are not visible to the naked eye (Dissanayake,1992).
This could be why we often try to make logical order of nature to
create rules for us to abide by when designing and why sequences
such as the Fibonacci numbers exist. Briefly put the Fibonacci
numbers are numbers found with in natural patterns such as the
cross section of seeds on a sunflower or the cross section of a
pineapple along with other cross-hatched forms. Reoccurring
numbers were iminant in these counts, when put into logical order a
pattern occurs, It goes 1,1,2,3,5,8,14 etc . The pattern you add
each number to the last, 1+1=2, 2+1= 3 etc It is said that if you
began to make rectangles like in figure 1 you will get the most

14

aesthetically pleasing, portioned rectangle. (Burger and

Starbird,1963). This theory could be seen as a self-fulfilling
prophecy. It is within human nature to find order intrinsically
satisfying so to justify nature, Maths is a man made thing, made
possible through the ability of language. In the case that these
numbers were to mean something why would they go into a logical
order starting from low to high rather than a sporadic order to
match the organic madness of nature. The theory has been used to
create, the Fibonacci spiral see figure 1 by placing cubes (each side
the size of the number within the sequence) next to each other. If
you were to then take this spiral and compare it to many things,
(which may be a coincidence) furthermore, could be seen as
evidence that the numbers are a golden rule proportion in nature.
Rather than looking at the theory its primarily, we should look at the
motivation behind the theory. Man is not satisfied with the how
sporadic nature is, the idea that we look for order in nature must
mean that we think its complexities must contain order. It could be
seen that designers use the Fibonacci sequence as a black and
white rule that must be right because the higher power of nature
says so. If design fulfils this it is seen to be fulfilling natures blue
print set out for us.
Deyan Sudjic director of the design museum takes an interesting
stance on perhaps what could be seen as the blue print for design
and order with in design. We see disorder in nature but we also see
consistency and it is from consistency we find inspiration.
A tree has consistency: the outline of its silhouette, the
shape of a leaf, the rings on its trunk, the shape of its
roots are all formed by the same DNA; and they are all of
a piece. And at some level we look for man-made objects
to reflect, or mimic, this quality. When they are revealed

15

not to have it, we are disappointed. (Sudjic, 2009, p1617)

This stance would explain why we do not look for exactness in
nature instead a loose formation and can appreciate its organic
form. It suggests rather than looking for a strict mathematical
justification for aesthetic judgement, we should instead understand
that design can be loose and free as long as it is consistent within
itself.
This idea of holistic consistency was true of designers of the
interwar period, creating their own aesthetic code, they would base
judgments on the materials they would use based on the truth of
the qualities of materials. You do not need to state the attributes of
an object if the material is recognisable as one with positive
qualities. Natural materials were often used as it created a dialogue
between where the object came from, the crafts man and the craft
itself (Saito, 2007). This looks beyond the use of the natural
characteristic of materials and suggests that there is a spiritual
element and a connection to nature within the work, that we should
be grateful that nature has given man this material to create with
and because of this we should not take away its remaining natural
aesthetic as it shows the nature of the craft.
Earlier we looked at the idea of Acheulean hand axes and how we
find something done well beautiful (Dutton, 2010) the ability to
create something beautiful has always been a way of
communicating and explains so much of why we choose to replicate
natures beauty. Nature is not human, but it is a human need to
create so we choose to create what is not obtainable; much like the
Homo erectus would choose to create objects of desire that were
not comprehendible for the opposite sex to create. Our own
inabilities attract us to others with said abilities, which we do not

16

have. This unobtainability could be something which attracts us to

nature. In a sense we are attracted to our lack of understanding of
this, its mystery injects fear, which we see as beautiful.
German philosopher Immanuel Kant stated that judgments of
taste are both subjective and universal: subjective in that they
are responses of pleasure, and do not essentially involve any claims
about the properties of the object itself; universal in that they
are not merely personal, but instead we are disinterested. He
divided the kinds of aesthetic response into those of
The Beautiful (a pleasure in order, harmony, delicacy and the like)
and the Sublime a response of awe before the infinite or the
overwhelming (Kant, 1790 cited in Mastin, 2008). So beauty
is objective and universal (i.e. certain things are beautiful to
everyone. But there is a second concept involved in a viewer's
interpretation of beauty, that of taste, which is subjective and varies
according to class, cultural background and education. The beautiful
and the sublime are combined in nature (Kant, 1790 cited in Mastin,
2008).
We define our world as humans through language but it is hard to
define that which we havent created and nature is one of those
things. Language is man made and when men have made things
they are also responsible for naming them. But defining naturally
occurring, more random and less controllable things (like nature) is
harder for us, possibly, as human beings, and possibly not our place
to even do so? We do not belong there.
Nature is beauty for people. But it is beauty in itself. Intrinsic
natural beauty (a natural thing- being-beauty-in-itself) is found in
nature; people have not created it (Vikka, 1997 p.78)

17

This is not often the case as we see fit to pick and choose what we
feel is beautiful within nature; in some cases this can lead to what
we feel deserves to survive in nature. When we replicate nature we
have a preference for what looks most cute or powerful. To say that
humans find all of nature beautiful would be a mistake. A good
example of this would be the Bambi Syndrome. In Yuriko Saitos
book Everyday Aesthetic, she references how the image of a dear is
now sentimental to us due to the Disney film Bambi and the fact
that since the film it has been hard to convince people that deer
populations need to be culled in areas. It also plays the part, when it
comes to the impacts on discussions around species conservation,
favouring large mammals over rodents, insects or lichen when this
might in fact be less beneficial to us as a whole (Saito, 2007, p.6061). We dictate what needs to survive by its appearance. This leads
to the question; Whether we replicate things because they are
beautiful or are they beautiful because we have replicated and
animated them?
This view that man should pick and choose what is in nature could
link back to the constant need for the order and control we strive for
in nature. (Dissanayake,1992). It could also be seen as more
hedonistic and that we feel our instinctive notion of beauty allows
us to dictate right and wrong through pleasure as it takes little
cognitive thought for us to process what is beautiful and what is
not, meaning that our action when it comes to beauty could be
questionable is it allows for little reflection.
Beauty is very pleasing to the senses, and perhaps
pleasing in an immediate way that takes little cognitive or
temporal development. (Fenner, D. 2003 p.103)
This suggests that when it comes to beauty we are more instinctive
in our judgments we think less and go with sensual pleasure. If we
refer back to Kants idea of beauty and taste we could perhaps

18

understand that taste is perhaps something that requires cognitive

thought due to our pre conditioning, whereas beauty is arguably
something more animalistic.
Throughout this chapter we have looked at how nature can be used
as an inspiration, not only because of its beauty but also through
natural order and human preference for consistency. Fuchtermore
the basis of this idea of the essence of the beauty and form of
nature and from in the previous chapter on how we have developed
through designing as a reaction to nature, we can now begin to
understand how design theories have formed and have shaped
national identities.

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Chapter Three: Nature in Context of Design

This chapter will provide a response to, and examples of, issues
discussed in C1 and 2. Acknowledging that all cultures have natural
influences on their design, this writings focus on natural influences
of design in Japanese and Scandinavian design due to the fact both
have contrasting approaches to dealing with these issues. The basis
of Japanese design comes from this idea of being inspired by
natures beauty and authenticity due to transcendence.
Transcendence is a journey, the notion that the design aesthetic
reflects the marks left through the life cycle of an object. It reflects
almost the birth; life and ageing of an object in the same way that
the human body reflect this journey. Because of this philosophy,
each piece of design is usually individually hand crafted to give it its
own character (Juniper, 2011).
In contrast Scandinavian design is of interest when looking at
design as a reaction of nature due to the fact of its extreme lighting
leading to poor growing conditions, The north of Europes landscape
was bare in the inter war and post war periods. This meant that
design was minimal due to a make do attitude, working only with
what little materials people had (Eyrsdttir, 2011). A great
example of this is given by one of the worlds biggest multinational
companies IKEA in a statement on The Values that Characterise
IKEA:

20

The harsh conditions that Smland folk have traditionally had

to struggle with fields strewn with boulders and thin soil providing
meagre yields for farmers have forced the people in this part of
Sweden to live on their wits. (Edwards, 2007)
The Long dark periods in the winter has led to a strong interior
design aesthetic of light colours and wood from surrounding forests.
The Scandinavian home showcased simplistic design that was
inspired by the extreme climate and beautiful countryside of
northern Europe (Eyrsdttir, 2011).This idea of bringing the
outside in is one often used by Finnish architects as it is felt to
promote positive thinking. This idea is a result of the social
democratic design in the 1930s in Scandinavia to promote a more
humanist way of life (Edwards, 2007). The white walls of the
modernist interior are now quite iconic of this era. This was due to
the fact that people were literally whitewashing the Victorian
approach to class ridden interiors to make way for a new
democratic era (Fallan, 2012).This has remained a big part of the
Scandinavian aesthetic; this may be due to the fact it matches the
simplicity of their design or because it brings light to a space in the
dark winters.
Alvar Aalto is one of Finlands most renowned product designers and
architects. In 1935 he gave a speech to the Swedish design council
stating the importance of looking at psychological requirements as
a rational method of excluding inhuman results. This was a very
rational revelation that to make objects for the people you have to
think of what is human.
Psychology and human comfort were high priorities for designers of
Sweden and Finland. This sets out the point that humans create for
humans. We can design to only take into account ourselves but
humans rely on other factors such as nature. A prime example of a

21

design as a reaction to nature is Alvar Aaltos Paimo Sanatorium,

before this the only places where nature was used as a healing
process were spas and sanctuaries. This was a hospital designed by
Aalto from1929 to 1933 which used nature as a cure for
tuberculosis. The structure of the building was designed to capture
the sun and give the patients views of the surrounding forest; the
roof tops had sundecks for patients to walk on, as well as large
gardens for the patients to spend a lot of time outside. The name
Paimo Sanatorium comes from the place Paimo, Finland and the fact
that each unit had a large solarium at the end which gave the
occupants fresh mountain air. (Solomon, 2008) We earlier defined
the natural as everything that is not human, but it would it appear
that nature is actually essential to our wellbeing. Aaltos designs
demonstrate that nature is such an essential part to our health, a
necessity even.
Although the main source of inspiration for Aalto was the idea of
functionalism and creation for human needs not wants, his work
was very fluid and organic. For instance if you take the Savoy Vase
(1936) (fig 2) it takes a very cellular shape, it contains no real edges
and if you look at his drawings (fig 3) you get an understanding of
how the vase is just an extension of the top and bottom shaped. It is
said that Aalto himself said he was influenced by a puddle (Naylor
and Shrimpton, 1991). This makes an interesting visual concept for
a vessel that holds water, the fact that we can shape a free form
liquid into a shape that it would naturally take. This idea could be
seen as a reflection of the making process, blowing molten glass
into the form of a mould, is similar to solidify a liquid. The
juxtaposition of the organic shape with its clean-cut presentation
created by a not so free form mould is a credit to the idea of mass
production.

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The idea of Scandinavian design once again underlies the aesthetic

that good design is design that can be reproduced for everyone.
Aalto originally wanted the vase to be made with steel mould so it
was easy to mass produce. Due to the organic shapes of the vase
it had to be made in a curved out wooden mould until they later
discovered they could use a cast iron mould. If you were to look at
the wooden mould (figure 4) it would be understandable to see how
you could think the shape was a cross section of a tree or carved
from the rings of a tree. These tree trunks could not be used so well
for mass production as they had to be kept constantly wet so the
glass would not stick.
The Vases that have been created using the tree trunk mould are
now valuable collectables as they have a unique surface similar to
that of the tree, this aesthetic is said to give the glass a real
grounding to where it came from the Finnish woods. The popularity
of these pieces says something about how as humans we enjoy
nature and knowing where our pieces of work have come from, this
refers again back to the idea of holistic design and a piece being
authentic if we can see how it is formed. We want to know
something of its creation is evident in the final outcome, even in
this case if that was not the designers original intentions (Lauttia,
2011).
The piece is designed as an entry for a competition for Iittala Glass
in 1936. It was originally designed as part of a set of tableware, but
the vase itself was used as an individual item to decorate the
interior of the Savoy restraint in finland, and was renamed the
Savoy Vase due to this. In a similar manner to his Paimo Sanotorium
Aalto seems to want to control nature in his design as the idea is to
put flowers in the vase and they will face outwards to the occupants
of the table due to the many curves of the design.

23

By looking at Marcel Bruers chairs (1925) we can gain a better

understanding of Aaltos design influences see figures 5,6. These
are a product of the mid 1920s Bauhaus and the modernist
movement. These chairs are designed in a functional manner as
they are supposed to be more ergonomically as they elevate your
knees above your waste (MoMA, n.d.).
If you are to make the link between these armchairs and Aaltos
laminated birch and plywood chair known as the Paimmo Chair see
figure 6 you will see that both have a similar style of tubing and
ergonomic focus. Aalto has taken something quite stiff and
industrial and found a way to make it seem more free form and
organic. He has used a natural material and steam bent it so it will
move as he wishes around a mould. It is possible to see can see
how the curves of the chair could be seen as an influence for the
Savoy Vase once again playing around with the idea of the fluid
and the solid. This idea of make do with what is available is present
her as it is said that Aalto preferred to use his native birch pines to
industrial materials (Raizman, 2003. 201-203).
The Scandinavian ideal democratic design and creating with what is
available is clearly centred on human beings needs, George
Nakashima Japanese born wood worker disagrees with the idea of
mass production. In his book the The Soul of a Tree Nakashima
expresses a dispassion towards the cheap, easy and quick methods
of the mass-produced and says that it is the downfall of furniture
today (Nakashima, G in Adamson, G, 2010. Nakashima takes a
completely opposing stance and feels that design should not be
human centred instead it should focus on the material.
the purpose is usefulness, but with a lyrical quality (Nakashima, G
in Adamson, G, 2010, page: 218).

24

The lyrical quality he speaks of refers to the importance he places

on choosing pieces of wood; Nakashima feels that each piece of
wood has a purpose and for a piece of work to be a success the
maker must relate to the wood and find its rightful function. The
wood says a lot through colour and depth of grain, the wood itself
presents its purpose through this (Nakashima, G in Adamson, G,
2010).
This unique process of picking wood suggests that the material
should form the object, not the conventional way of designing
where the material is picked once the object is known. This is a
direct influence of nature on his design process; he is trying to
extend natures direction in his own creation. This way of working
encapsulates the idea of holistic design; from the picking of the tree
to the creation of the final outcome it is all and about the material.
The process matches the consistency of nature.
This form of design shies away from the actual idea of looking at
making furniture, it focuses on craft and material and giving art
purpose. In an interview of George Nakishima for the National
Geographic he explains that by cutting down a tree he has changed
the circle of life and death by reusing the tree he has given the tree
a second life which will allow it to last for ever if it is treated right
(National Geographic, 2014). He is extending natures path and
working with nature to create design. This form of design relates to
no time era or period, it does not follow trends or fashion as it is of
nature itself.
This view of extending natures path rather than attempting to
mimic it coincides with the ancient Japanese ideal of Wabi Sabi.
This is a set of values which informs the idea of beauty. Wabi Sabi
begins with looking at impermanence and the natural flux of life,
everything is permanently moving through life and will someday

25

die, we should never get too attached to what is happening at the

time only the movement through time. The main principles are
impermanence, humility, asymmetry and imperfection. (Juniper. A,
1967 p.2).
Nakashima does not incorporate the usual ideals of Wabi Sabi as his
joinery skills are precise and perfected. However these skills are
more an aid to display the pieces of wood, and these pieces of wood
are his way of presenting a Wabi Sabi as an art form. The creative
director of Nakishima woodwork, Mira Nakishima was asked whether
her fathers work was Wabi Sabi. Her response was that the work
itself entirely depends on the asymmetrical shapes and colours of
the wood to inspire its outcome. This is why it never has any finish
other than oil (OEN,2012). This strongly suggests that for Nakishima
it is the wood that is Wabi Sabi, and that the skills are part of the
artistic human interaction with the wood which frames the
transcendent life of the wood. .
Wabi Sabi looks at understanding how natures forms and patterns
are created. It uses the constraints and amenities of nature and
attempts to show the temporal journey of nature by using natural
materials and natural processes such as gaining and weathering to
get the aesthetic of natures journey (Juniper. A, 1967). In the
documentary by the national geographic about George Nakashima
titled The Elegant Craftsman we see him and his assistants attempt
to saw through an old tree that has grown around some clay piping
hiding it beneath the bark:
Trees cannot hide from men, instead they stoically submit to and
absorb the fleeting presents of each human generation they out
live, anchoring hooks from forgotten clothes lines bullets from war
are all secrets hidden beneath the bark. (National Geographic,
2014).

26

This gives an interesting insight into the trees journey through life
and how the marks left in the tree were influenced by man, not after
its death but whilst it is still growing. The secrets of the tree are
presented to us in Nakashimas work. Looking at The Conoid Coffee
Table,1960 (fig 7) Some of Nakashimas larger works they are
extremely humbling due to the large scale leaving the viewer with a
sublime feeling, this could be due to the fact that for a piece of
wood to be so large it would be at an age that we cannot
comprehend. The tree contains such mystery and his display of it
helps to understand how we will never truly be able to understand
nature, as it is so perfectly imperfect. Wabi sabi is said to
resonate with a profound philosophical consistency a
consistency with great historical depth little affected by
the changing fads and fashions (Juniper, 2003 page 3)
This really outlines the idea of how human society is just a social
construct as stated earlier by Raymond Williams, and helps put
mans place amongst nature into perspective. Nature will always
out live the life span of man due to the fact it was present before us
and if man is responsible it will be there when we are gone. It
cannot conform to the relative constructs of society and taste, as it
is inherent of beauty with in its own right, If anything this is what we
should try and take from nature, furthermore something which Wabi
Sabi does.
Toshiko Takaezu is another Japanese born artist whose work
contains the essence of Wabi Sabi. She spent some time in Japan
studying Zen Buddhism. She regarded her work as an outgrowth of
nature (Grimes, 2011). Her work has developed through her life
from open vessels to close forms, her work has always had a noise
to it when tapped she feels this is the air inside it giving it a living
element as when you play with the shape it effects the noise

27

(StateOfTheArts, 2013). This is much like the essence of a soul

Nakashima talks about with the wood, although the soul in his work
is more to do with the marks left whilst the tree was alive which
speaks of the character (Nakashima, G in Adamson, G, 2010)
Takaezus work has a form of life due to the shape she has created.
Her Closed Formes: Triptych, 1990(fig 8) are rounded forms that
are a symmetrical in shape. This displays the essence of Wabi Sabi.
The forms are randomly smacked with paddles once they have been
thrown on the wheel, which gives them an unpredictable and
uneven surface. Her way of finishing the pieces comprises of
experimenting with different glazes and different colours, which are
unpredictable, and the final result is completely that of the kiln. By
looking at her pieces we can understand how a manmade entity can
contain the right balance of form with imperfection to give enough
indication of being and object of beauty, whilst the mistakes only
add to the perfection.
Beauty in the imperfection this is something Takaezu has done
perfectly with her work and is something Nakashima depicts in the
presentation of wood. This idea of imperfections and the uniqueness
of simple pieces are an extension of nature and is something that
can only be created to the hand made as no two are the same and
each one produces a different story of its creation. In a way the
simplicity of Japanese design is similar to the aesthetic of Finnish
design. However it is the handmade aesthetic of Japanese design
which allows that story to flourish.
This chapter has explored how Scandinavian design is a reaction to
the hardship of nature but in this finding a more human centred
designed, We have also seen how man can work in harmony with
nature to benefit mans needs with Aaltos Paimo Sanotorium. In

28

contrast we have seen how the essence of natures ways can

influence a more organic form of design.

Chapter 4) Synthesis
Through the last three chapters we have explored the everchanging complex relationship between man, design and nature. As
a practical exploration of these ideas, this chapter will further
explore the practical elements of; Scandinavian design, Wabi sabi,
Instinct and Authenticity.
The first study is concerned with Dissanayakes theory of instinctive
drawing, which describes how it is instinctive to make basic
shapes/marks rather than drawing objects, She speaks about how
intrinsically satisfying to draw for the first time with out the
awareness of what a drawing should look like (Dissanayake,1992).
The work Ink Curves (fig 10) are a collections of drawings made as a
response to the notion of what is instinctive to do when a person
picks up drawings materials in this case ink and a brush. The
movements of the brush come from satisfactory feelings as the ink
absorbs into the paper.
This refers back to the idea of giving a child drawing materials for
the first time and what they would produce, rather than creating an
image that replicates anything from the world, instead they will
work out how the material works and what feels right it is more
emotive and a satisfaction with in than something to appease
others. The marks depict an expression of an instinctive process;

29

they have no purpose or symbolism but come from the properties

the materials have to offer. These are all characteristic that fulfil the
design criteria of Wabi Sabi as it occurs naturally not in a forced
manner and has an artlessness about it as it is not produced to
please anyone. (Juniper, 2003)
In contrast to the free form organic lines used in Ink Curves (fig
11) and as a further investigation in to Dissyanayakes theory,
Cracked Lines (fig 11) Looks at how order is only found in nature
if we look at the build up of micro structures, Instead we create
order as it is intrinsically satisfying to us (Dissanayake,1992). We
begin to create more order as the drawing process develops and
we become more aware of the order in our surroundings.
Cracked Lines (fig 11) is a direct imitation of marks left by nature,
as it is a direct copy of the physical world we are able to compare
it against something real and can remark upon whether the
drawing is right or wrong.
Christine Korsgaard talks about the normative of society to
enable to understand what is morally right and wrong. Cracked
Lines (fig 11) in a similar sense there could be a normative in
copying a drawing which would be determined by if it looked the
same or if it looked completely different, by fulfilling the criteria
of what a drawing is you are satisfying the normative. The
motivation behind these drawings are completely different and
satisfaction is gained from both but in different ways, one form of
satisfaction comes from following instinct and doing what feels
good, the other form of satisfaction comes from an acceptance of
social normative. The motives behind Cracked Lines (fig 11) are
the same as the motives behind the motives of the Fibonacci
sequence. The idea of the Fibonacci sequence is to find a
normative to design from, using the sequence doesnt always
make something more beautiful as we discuss earlier matters of

30

beauty and taste are subject to interest and social condition, but
it fulfils a criteria giving the subject order.
We earlier compared the drawing of Ink Curves (fig 10) to the
ideals of Wabi Sabi, the idea of cracks and aging are often
associated with Wabi Sabi as it shows transcendence of an
objects experience, However the works Cracked Lines depicting
aging do not encapsulate the essence of Wabi Sabi as they
contain a symbolic formation of something that exists, it is
arguable that they are asymmetrical but this is only due to them
being a copy of another imagerys asymmetry due to the original
artefacts transcendent journey.
In a similar sense if we look at Ink Curves on to of Nature Dyes
(fig 12) the replication of the drawing through screen-printing
would mean that the process wasnt showing its own passage in
time but instead replicating another drawings passage. The
motivation behind the piece is shallower and to meet a normative
therefore making the piece less consistent with the original
values of Ink Curves (fig 10). However if we are to look at Ink
Curves with Natural Dyes (fig 13), the motivations are different
the replication of the original Ink Curves (fig 10) takes on a life of
its own and the surface of the mark created shows its own
temporal journey as it has been dyed post printing. So now the
original the piece has its own marks and its own development
due to a completely different process. The motivation was not to
replicate the mark it was to use it to create a reaction with the
dyes and a new expression of material. This could be compared
to the way in which Nakashima uses a set of precise skills which
do not display a sense of wabi sabi, to display how a piece of
woods growth and aging. Both pieces of work, The Conoid Coffee
Table, 1960 (fig 7) and Ink Curves with Natural Dyes (fig 13) use

31

conventional processes of skilled craft to display a sense of Wabi

Sabi.
In contrast Alvar Aalto actively chose not to show the journey of
the Savoy Glasses production in its surface, by opting for a metal
mould, which gives the glass a flat smooth surface over a
wooden mould, which would have contained the ridges and
uneven surface of the tree. It terms of the consistency of the
product Aalto had a difficult aesthetic choice to make: The choice
of glass moulded by wood would be consistent with its organic
form as the shape clearly resembles the cross section of a tree
and is said to of been influenced by the natural finish landscape.
However his choice of casting the vase in metal was more
consistent with the morals of Finnish design and democratic
design as it was easier and cheaper to mass-produce. In this
sense both pieces are consistent.
The works Mountain Sky Madder (fig 14) takes this idea of
consistency in to account. By using natural materials such as
linen, Iron and Madder, the choice of material have been
carefully chosen to represent that of what is natural. If we are to
take into account Dayan Sudjics quote on consistency. That we
are only satisfied with what is consistent as it reflects that of
nature, then the nature of the work should be represented in
choice of material and what it chooses to present. Mountain Sky
Madder (see gif 14) does this as it takes into account the factors
of natural materials; it reflects the tonal gradients of the
mountains with the sky. This was a natural development through
playing with the process, it involved changing the Ph balance of
linen using iron a natural mordant by using different torn paper
stencils, when put into a natural dye, creates a reaction giving
different tones. This again is an interesting way of controlling
nature although the result are for the most part unpredictable. It

32

was not a conscious effort to copy the mountains form but more
an effort to develop the essence of the natural, yet when
comparisons are made to the mountains (see fig 15) there is a
striking similarity.
Toshiko Takaezu work was said to take inspiration from her
surroundings without being directly influenced by them, she said
she once took a walk in the devastation forest in Hawaii and a
few days later her found herself producing long tubular pieces of
ceramics on her kiln which she called Tree-Man Forest,1987 (fig
9), She later realised that these were similar to the trees she had
seen in the forest, it was not a conscious choice to copy the
forms of the trees she had seen but instead a subconscious effort
to reproduce what she had been inspired by. In way this is the
essence of what Wabi Sabi is about, an un-conscious effort to
extend what we have taken from nature and putting it back into
the world through creative process.
The Wabi Sabi Swatches (fig 16) have a recognisable Japanese
aesthetic this incorporates the idea that Grillo speaks of that design
is relative standards of style and taste (Grillo, 1975 page 11). In
different cultures we have different standards of beauty, even Kant
states that taste is subjective as for matters of taste a person can
merely be disinterested. These ideas have shaped cultural identities
and it is interesting that now man can create identities of different
cultures. The use of natural dyes and materials incorporates the
traditional values of Japanese textiles:
traditional natural dyes such as persimmon, tea, saffron,
onion, indigo. These dyes are applied to such materials as
hemp, silk, linen and cottonwabi sabi-style result is best
achieved by allowing a degree of randomness in the
process unpredictable stream of colour change.(Juniper,
2003 page 135)

33

The unpredictability and clashes of colour created through

changing streams of colour are what make these works of
Wabi Sabi Swathes (fig 16) recognisable as inspired by the
Japanese aesthetic. If we are to compare these to Tonal Colour
Swatches (fig 17), which have a more western aesthetic due to
the fact they are block colours with controlled conditions of
dying which is used more in western society to aid the use of
mass production and democratic design in a reaction to nature.
This chapter has investigated the ideas of how the authenticity
of work through practical means has a direct influence from
nature. We can see how design can be authentic of nature by
following its process of growth and aging and how this
contrasts with mans relationship to design as a means to
support the masses. Nature does not have a normative that
needs to be filled when designing from it as inspiration, it is
more about a nature organic flow, whereas design for man is
more shaped by the ability to reproduce a product, and cannot
contain the natural authenticity within the process of design.

34

Conclusion
This study set out to determine whether design could be considered
as a reaction to nature or whether it was an inspiration. The
theories from the study have looked at the discussion on natures
relationship with man-made design. Through the three chapters
there has been a constant argument developing of whether man is
trying to control or embrace nature.
We have developed as a society through our ability to design;
however this development has lead to a separation towards nature.
Raymond Williams (2005) defined nature as what is not human
(Williams, 2005) this is arguably why we are in a constant battle to
tame and control nature and has allowed for us to become so
separate from it. It has been clear through the earlier studies of
design that this separation has only made our need for nature

35

greater. Alvar Aaltos Paimo Sanatorium,(1922-1923) is a clear

display that man needs nature to survive as it is an instinctive part
of mans biological make up.
Dissanakye shows that it is instinctive for us to choose order over
disorder and that man does not find order in nature. Instead it could
be seen that we create order as a reaction to natures chaos
(Dissanakye, 1992). This has lead man to look for order in the chaos
of nature, as a result man has formed theories such as the Fibonacci
sequence, although this is said to be of natural origin and lead to
intrinsic satisfaction it contains no real grounds of the essence of
nature, in fact it opposes its natures chaos. It could be argued that
instead of looking for order to influence design man should take into
account natures consistency in its growth, as it has a more direct
link to natures beauty. (Sudjic, 2009)
Natures beauty is self contained it is of its own creation so matters
of natures beauty are not for man to decide, this is why it can been
seen universally as beautiful. However matters of the man made
are subject to the matter of personal taste due to the fact the fact
the creator is of the same being as the critic. (Kant, 1790 cited in
Mastin, 2008). This encourages us to reflect on the question; Why
do different cultures have different values that are design related.
Whilst Wabi Sabi tries to convey these factors of natures beauty, it
does not copy what nature has created but instead tries to imitate
the evident journey nature takes during creation. This idea is holistic
to nature as it looks at how it is created and what materials are
used to create. It is inspired by the essence of nature and shows the
consistently inconsistent ever changing design of nature (Juniper,
2011). These values allow for design embrace nature and not
control or tame it.

36

This contrasts with the values of Scandinavian design, which uses

the man made to design for man. However it does take into account
nature as inspiration but more as an effort to control the natural. It
could be seen as consistent in its values as it is man-made design,
made with man in mind.
This is a vast topic matter due to the subjects of nature, design and
what is human being such large subjects and at times having
directly opposing values. In summary it could be said that every
designer has there own motives behind there design, but it could be
argued that if there design is consistent with its values and process
then it takes inspiration from natures consistency. We cannot rule
out the fact that design is a reaction to nature, but instead it could
be said that design was once a direct reaction to nature as means
to gain necessities. Dependent on the function of a design it could
still be a reaction to nature, but we have come so far as a society
not all designs function is to prevent nature, in some cases it is not
needed to take in to consideration.

Imagery

37

Figure 1-

Live Science, (2013). What is the Golden Ratio.

Figure 2-

Alvar, A. (1936). Savoy Vase.

38

Figure 3-

Aalto, A. (1936). Savoy Vase Drawing.

Figure 4-

Iittala (2011). Savoy Vase Wooden Mould.

39

Figure 5 -

Breuer, M. (1925). B3, Waissly Arm Chair.

Figure 6-

Aalto, A. (1932). Paimo Chair.

40

Figure 7-

Nakashima, G. (1960). The Conoid Coffee Table.

Figure 8-

Takaezu, T. (1990). Closed Forms: Triptych.

41

Figure 9-

Takaezu, T. (1987) Tree-Man Forest.

Figure 10-

Collison, T (2014) Ink Curves.

42

Figure 11Collison, T. (2014). Cracked Lines.

Figure 12-

Collison, T. (2014). Ink Curves on to Natural Dyes.

Figure 13-

43

Collison, T. (2014). Ink Curves Naturall dyed.

Figure 14-

Collison, T. (2014). Mountain Sky Madder.

Figure 15-

44

Collison, T. (2014). Photographic Comparison.

Figure 16-

Collison, T. (2014). Wabi Sabi Swatches.

Figure 17-

45

Collison, T. (2014). Tonal Colour Swatches

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