Fungal Fusion

Humans are vain. It’s a defining trait, intrinsic to our humanity. Despite being one of millions of species on Earth, our exceptionalism fuels the Anthropocene, an era characterised by significant human impact on the planet. Instead we should turn to nature, which has perfected solutions enduring over 3.8 billion years. Furthermore, a More-than-human perspective is encouraged to enable a rethinking of design that displaces the human from the centre. By combining the need for a More-than-human perspective and the benefits of learning from nature, this research project has been driven to explore the potential of biomimicry in visual design.

Fungal Fusion explores how we might incorporate biomimicry into visual design practises through a curated portfolio of experiments exploring these possibilities. This project is focused on fungi and applying observations from the functions and processes of cultivating mycelium and mushroom growth to developing typefaces and grid design. The website presents this compilation of experiments, documents this process and presents a critical analysis of their outcomes. Fungal Fusion investigates the potential for biomimicry to open up new ways of thinking through visual communication design and speculates the potential for exploring alternative perspectives and methods that may be grounded in non-human beings.

Now more than ever, we are facing problems that require new strategies and solutions. Our human exceptionalism has influenced how we interact with everything on the planet, ultimately contributing to the Anthropocene; an era where human activity is the primary cause of global challenges like climate change and pollution. Instead we need to transition from a mindset of dominating nature to one that emphasises respects and learns from it. Nature offers perfected solutions, honed over millennia. By observing and integrating nature’s strategies, designers can cultivate a mindset conducive to sustainability, benefiting both our planet and future generations.

Following the biomimetic design process, a set of three experiments were conducted. These experiments were material-based, and all observed the processes of fungal growth. This included the processes of cultivating mycelium from grain spawn and growing mushrooms. The observations and insights from these experiments were then analysed to develop a design proposition utilising the process of biomimicry. Each experiment was explained and designed in the layout of a scientific log.