Nature is the best designer, hands down. Look at anything man-made and compare it to any living thing - even one-cell organisms have more complicated designs and interactions than our top-of-the-line technological achievements. Throughout billions of years, our planet has created numerous microorganisms that live in harmonious, balanced systems worldwide. Yes - nature took its time during the design process to make this incredibly rich flora and fauna, while human technology, by comparison, is racing by at lightning speed. Nonetheless, slow and steady wins the race, with nature having a little something for everybody.
Good and bad designs in nature
Let's take something as familiar as a tree - part of an ecosystem with others of its kind, it needs light, water, nutrients, protection from predators, and a way to lure in animals to help with the pollination process. Responding to daily, nightly, and yearly cycles, it has a texture and smell, beautiful colors, and even fruit. The more you observe, the more you see that it has the perfect balance of having many features while being reduced to its fundamental principles at the same time. A work of art, it is also efficient. If something in nature isn't serving a purpose, evolution eventually removes it, picking, adapting, and building upon only the best features.
However, that's not to say that everything nature makes is flawless, with the human body making the perfect example. Did you know that we weren't actually designed to walk upright? When our ancestors walked on all fours, their spines arched, like a bow, to withstand the weight of the organs suspended below. But then we stood up, throwing the entire system out of whack by 90 degrees - forcing the spine to become a column and placing tremendous pressure on the lower vertebrae as a result, highlighting a flaw in the design.
Get outside and soak it all in
Being in nature and exposing ourselves to more complicated designs can provide a huge boost in creativity.To take it a step further and really appreciate nature, take your vertical back and poorly designed knees on an active adventure trip and go exploring somewhere where your physiology plugs directly into your surroundings. When you go camping and lose your wifi connection, you are forced to really look at your surroundings, stimulating and causing your brain to change the way it thinks and observes.
Not only will you slowly start to notice the little things, but you might also have to rough it out a bit too, tapping into your problem-solving skills and inner survival mode - the very building blocks of design.
Step outside your comfort zone
Despite being coddled by technology, we often forget that humans are incredible problem-solvers. After all, the computer, phone, or tablet you are using to read this blog was built from scratch, literally from the ground we walk on- isn't that amazing? And it's essentially all down to our ability to use our imagination to connect different elements in a unique and simplified way to create and design something new.
Nature can also make us feel incredibly uncomfortable and push us to our limits - both mentally and physically, but there is no better motivator than discomfort. Being cold and hungry will not only get you moving, but it will also get you problem-solving, unleashing your creativity with it.
Wrapping up
Physiologically, we are very weak in the natural environment, so we've designed our lives to be more comfortable, adapting to the world's new challenges. We no longer have a tiger chasing after us as our assessors did - instead, we deal with deadlines and paying the bills.So break free from your routines and go outside every once in a while to tap into the physiological traits mother nature gave us. Activate the senses that have long gone to sleep, and awaken the creativity that has been lying dormant underneath the hustle and bustle of modern life.
