What does it mean to design beyond the daily grind?

This second installment in the series features a column by Agnes Pachira, one of frog's strategists who tackles issues in developing regions from an environmental conservation perspective. It conveys the company's approach: collaborating with local communities and organizations when introducing new technologies or developing infrastructure, building sustainable styles that consider the impact on traditional lifestyles and the natural environment.

Expanding the scope of design through "systems thinking" that broadens the view beyond daily activities to encompass the entire natural ecosystem

In their Harvard Business Review article titled "Why Social Ventures Need Systems Thinking," the authors argued that for solutions to be implemented and achieve real impact, they must be properly integrated into the larger environmental frameworks, such as school districts or corporate structures.

Similarly, in many of the challenges frog tackles—such as clean energy consumption and efficient transportation—designing systems requires a broader perspective. As a strategist exploring ecosystem design, I consider not just a single product line or internal division, but how the products and services we conceive impact local communities and the environment.

I recently had the opportunity to put this approach into practice during a business trip to Brazil for the International Development Design Summit (IDDS). The IDDS originated from MIT's D-Lab as a means for interdisciplinary teams to collaborate with local communities and develop low-cost solutions to social problems like education and healthcare.

The most important principle of IDDS is participatory design: teams don't design solutions for the community, but rather design them with the community. Such solutions are deeply rooted in the community's life, enabling immediate implementation while ensuring long-term sustainability.

The principles of permaculture, a holistic cultural design based on sustainable agricultural systems

At the summit I attended in Brazil, the focus was on environmental sustainability through permaculture. Permaculture is an organic approach to designing efficient, natural ecosystems. We linked participatory design with permaculture, constantly asking ourselves: "Does this solution benefit the community? Does this solution align with environmental principles? Is this solution renewable?" We then investigated and considered both patterns of human behavior and natural patterns like river flows. Understanding symbiotic relationships was crucial.

Photo courtesy of Diego D'Almaso Martins

I witnessed examples of symbiotic relationships in Boa Vista. I spent most of the two-week program in this town, hopping from log to log along a lush path to the team members' house facing the river. The path through the rainforest was lined with acai and cacao trees about 12 meters tall, and we would pick cacao fruits as we strolled along.

One afternoon along that familiar tree-lined path, Max, a team member and local resident walking ahead, crouched down and placed a tarantula on his shoulder. My eyes widened. Why wasn't Max afraid of this poisonous spider? He explained that because he grew up in this environment, he understood the tarantula's behavior and knew how it acted when life was threatened. It was this understanding that allowed him to coexist with Amazonian wildlife. Day after day, I witnessed how the people of Boa Vista referred to the natural environment they shared with countless creatures as their "rainforest home," showing it deep respect.

Working alongside this community challenged me to design beyond human needs. For instance, when considering solutions for aquaculture projects, I had to ask: "Would fish be happy in this environment?" It seemed silly at first, but I soon realized the profound meaning behind this question. If fish are happy in an artificial pond, it requires less energy and resources to raise them there. To achieve this, we had to create ponds incorporating elements that attract fish in the wild, such as aquatic plants and varying water depths.

I realized I had been thinking about my relationship with nature as if I existed outside of it. That's when I changed my perspective. I am not cooperating with nature; I am part of it. In other words, humans are one element within the vast ecosystem of nature, and we need designs that view it organically.

Read the full article in the web magazine "AXIS".

This article presents content originally published in "DesignMind," a design journal operated by frog. It is delivered through translation by Transmedia Digital Inc. under the supervision of Mr. Noriaki Okada of Dentsu Experience Design Department.

Agnes Pachira
Strategist at frog. Fascinated by the grand natural ecosystem and inspired by its principles, she works with clients to develop solutions that foster respect for customers, local communities, and the planet.