In running this event I encountered an obstacle completely out of my hands in that CSM had to close for emergency works to air ventilation at 1pm today and the estate’s team are unsure if the building will reopen on Friday as it is dependent upon whether they can fix the issues before then. This obviously threw a huge curveball into running my event as it only fully began at 11:30 and I had to pack everything up by 12:30 ready to leave the building. I am hoping the works will be completed so I can run the event properly tomorrow.
Positives of Event Setup:
The white screen on the ceiling was a big pro as it created a fully immersive experience where you could look up and experience the projections above as well as in front of you
Handing out the QR code on bookmark worked well to allow people to look at the community in their own time
Many passersby commented that they were enjoying the actual vidoe footage being showcased
Obstacles to Avoid in Future Setups of Similar Events:
Lights on at the side of the projections are controlled by motion sensors and so couldn’t be switched off. The light provided a lot of glare onto the screen which I would make a big effort to avoid in the future
The purple edge to the board. I pinned up a white sheet to cover the majority of the board but some edging was still apparent that was distracting to the eye.
Background music is being played in the canteen space.
For future use of the video – slightly adujst the volume of certain clips even more so they are all of a similar sound level – I did try to do this in editing but when played on loud speakers there are still some slight irregularities
Engagement with Stakeholders:
Fine art student – 4D she was intrigued by the use of projections the event and took a video of it. She really liked the natural imagery from the peak district.
Graphic designer – interesting thought for her how to include nature into her work and bring it into other practises of her life
architecture – she was interested in utilising it in her work but less so something she is super passionate about- she would be more interested if a client wanted it then she could use the resources to find out more about natural design.
Materials and deisgn MA student – looking how different materials can be utilised to replicate nature
Evaluation
When testing the projectors in my flat it was a much more impactful experience. I feel this concept was slightly washed out by the open nature of the CSM canteen space. This may also be to do with the lighting in the space and so next time I will try to move slightly to a less bright space if at all possible.
However, I felt projecting onto the ceiling board was definitely a strong part of the intervention to create an immersive feel.
Reflection
The experience struggled to get going as the canteen was a very empty space throughout the day, due to the building closing at 1pm when lunchtime is the busiest period for the space. I will look into rescheduling the event for another time when the building is back open.
Evidence
Please see link to google drive below containing images and videos of the event:
Immersive Natural Event 21st and 22nd October 11am-3:30pm at Central Saint Martins Canteen Space
This event looks to bring nature into city spaces and provide the health benefits of interacting with nature to people within the space. Such benefits include increased creativity, productivity, and positivity. The event aims to engage people with nature, encouraging nature to be included in their lives further and promoting the community practice I am developing as a space for professionals and designers to collaborate on bringing nature into their work.
The event will utilise projections and speakers to showcase a video of natural scenery, which is focused upon the water. The video footage and audio are all shot and owned by me. Water is the focus of this event due to my meetings with expert stakeholders, such as Sue Thomas (expert in technobiophilia) who spoke to me about her reading and experience of utilising water to engage people with nature as an often under utilised but highly dynamic force.
All equipment will be loaned from the CSM loan store and so will be PAC tested.
All cables will be taped down to the floor to avoid any tripping hazards.
People wishing to get further involved in the event will be asked to write their answers to two simple questions on large sheets of paper, which I will supply. One of the questions will be before and one after their engagement in the event. I will also provide a QR code for people to scan which links to my online community page, should they wish to join.
I will be present at the event for its entire duration.
Aims of Event
To showcase innovative, engaging and dynamic ways nature can be brought into city spaces
To provide participants with the opportunity to intercat with nature and feel its benefits – such as increased creativity, producivity and positivity; reduced anxiety and stress
To establish interest from deisgn experts/ professionals in the CSM community to utilise nature in their work
To meet upcoming deisgners and indivudlas interested in making sustainably minded decisions to join my online Nature In Community
All of these aims are focused upon drawing interest in nature amongst creatives, specifically at CSM for this event, to demonstrate the power and value of biophilic design consequently growing interest and uptake in joining the Nature In community.
Planning/ Logistics
Origionally this event was to be hosted at Chelsea College of Arts, to have secured that opportunity I have had meetings with Chelsea canteen and estates teams. However, having the event at Chelsea presented a few logistical issues, as the equiptmet to be utilsied in the event is all to be hired from the CSM loan store. Therefore, I was going to have to transport the equiptment from CSM to Chelsea across the two days.
Subsequenlty, the estates manager at Chelsea offered to contact CSM estates to see if the event could be hosted in the CSM restaurant instead.
After many eails and last minute changes a meeting was arranged with CSM estates, events and canteen to finalise details to host the event at CSM. Thankfully everything was provisionally approved for the event following my risk assessment.
Following this meeting I reserached how to formulate a risk assessmnet form for an event and constructed my document to then send to the estates, events and canteen teams.
The risk assessment was approved on monday and so everything is now logistically in place for the event on thursday and friday.
Creating Video
All footage utilised in the video was shot by me during trips to regents park and also in my recent trip back home ot sheffield, where I live near the Peak District which offered a very valuable opporutnity to gather truley natural shots of water
I edited the video utilsing premier pro which was a new software for me and took a while to establish how to create the video I wanted, but I am very happy with the final outcome.
The video will loop back on itself to cover teh duration of the event
I also tested projecting the video in my flat to see the impact it would have in the event and test out any issues. Please see the google drive link below to the videos of testing the projector:
Assessing the impacts of the event upon participants knowledge of the power and benefits of nature – how they experience these benefits from the event
Establishing if the event has insipred participants to utilise nature in their work
To measure these aspects participants will be asked to write their thoughts on a piece of paper upon entry in answer to certain questions:
How does this event make you feel about nature?
Does this event inspire you to include nature in your work and how?
Would you reccommend natural events to people and will you keep in touch?
These questions will also be linked into a google forms page that people can access via QR code to provide added details and also to leave their email for future contact
Growing the Nature In Communtiy
QR codes linking to LinkedIn Nature In Community, as well as another QR code to the Nature In Facebook Group for people who don’t have LinkedIn
What I Have Learned In Developing This Event:
Creating a Risk Assessment form
Editing a video to a standard fit for a professional event and utilisng effects on Premier Pro
Co-ordinating many different teams from events to estates and the canteen, to logistically get the event running
Developing relevant measures for the event are brief enough to ensure responses but that also provide enough infirmation for later effective evaluation
How to access not just already established professionals through internet searches on platforms such as LinkedIn; developng this event has helped me learn how to consider all types of professionals to jion the community that can influence change. For instance, the upcoming cutting edge creatives that study at CSM as well as the teachers.
Reflections:
It has been a long process in developing this event, largely due to the location change, and it has gone through many rounds of changes in developing the idea. However, I think with my new project direction centered around community building to tie all the threads of my work together, this event has the potential to be very powerful in changing perspectives and providing ideas/ knowledge of how nature can be brought into city spaces. Hosting the event in CSM is also very exciting to be able to access many upcoming designers which can join the discussions in my community group and begin to consider adding nature into their work.
To launch the professional community of Nature In I have chosen to utilise LinkedIn groups. This is due to many professionals I am wanting to reach and bring into the community already having big presences on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has also been incredibly instrumental in my work on this project to access high-level experts and individuals by simply reaching out through messaging on LinkedIn and asking if they would be interested in getting involved with my work. LinkedIn was also suggested as a potentially valuable platform during my second panel discussion.
How Will The Community Be Launched?
The community will initially begin by hosting the individuals I have connected with through the journey of my master’s venture. These key experts will form the foundation of the group and I will use this base to build the content and conversation between community members to attract further experts to get involved in the group. I will reach out to all of these connections individuals so they are made aware of the aims of the community and also invite them to introduce any revenant professionals they know to the community. All community members need to be accepted into the group via my admin approval.
Content Featured In The Community
I will curate and plan the content featured initially within the community. However, members will have the function to post in the group, I will simply approve the posts with my admin role. The posts will aim to promote discussion and collaboration among members which also providing knowledge/ information. The content will also include links to scheduled clubhouse discussions for members to join in on, as well as links to larger panel discussion style events that will be hosted via Streamyard on Youtube.
Future Plans for Growing the Community
I plan to expand the reach of my community by targeting people that lie outside my own niche and positionality so that I can attain multiple perspectives allowing for diverse discussions and truly innovative collaborations between members. I will access these potential members through LinkedIn searches, getting referrals from existing members and contacts, in-person meetings and through my immersive natural event on Thursday and Friday this week, where I will utilise the position of being in UAL to access upcoming designers and sustainably focused student to ask if they wish to join the community.
Looking to the future this community group may develop off LinkedIn into an app space or on the Nature In website (that I am in the process of developing). Additionally, to form this venture into a potential business, there may be a fee introduced to join the community group as a monthly subscription or to join the discussion talks.
Reflection/ Evaluation
In order to ensure the community is developed as efficiently and works as effectively as possible, I will explore and unpack literature around community practice and community building over the coming weeks. I am also conscious to identify my positionality amongst forming this community and so I look to develop a statement of positionality over next week too.
In order to set about achieving my newly solidified project aims, I have devised an action plan for the coming weeks. The action plan for the weeks after those outlined will evolve as those weeks draw closer.
WC 18/10/21
Finalising details for and promoting immerisve natural event – finish editing vidoe content to project and the natural soundscapes
Run immersive natural event on 21st and 22nd
Evaluate outcomes of event
Hold clubhouse discussion and include in LinkedIn community group
Evaluate outcomes of Clubhouse discussion
Draft evaluative report
Create Dragons Den presentation
WC 25/10/21
Conduct Dragons Den presentation
Research into community building and practsie
Research into posiionality and write my statemnet of positionality
Build up content in LinkedIn Communtiy Group and instigate discussion between members
Work to attract relevent professionals into the community group
Submit draft of evaluative report
WC 01/11/21
Finish building up Nauture In website – secure .com domain to go alongside the .co.uk and ensure all hyperlinks and content are polished
Publish Nature In website
Host Clubhosue discussions
Evalute outcomes of Clubhouse discussion
Look to arrange a more formal panel discussion hosted via the LinkedIn Community page
Build up members in community group
Continue to build Nature In instagram to utilise as publicity for the community
This week I completed my presentation to mark the end of U2. This was a great opportunity to provide some added insights into the interventions I have conducted over Unit 2 as well as some visual evidence. The presentation slides can be found below.
Feedback:
The majority of my feedback centred around now focusing my efforts on the most effective and suitable interventions out of the range I have conducted. Narrowing in my field of focus in this way will allow for added depth and reflection into the interventions rather than doing many to a slightly lesser depth. It was advised to conduct this narrowing in the process by considering which interventions most directly achieve my research question of connecting people to nature through hospitality venues
Reflections:
From the feedback on my presentation, I am now looking to single out the most promising avenues for enquiring to pursue in my future interventions. An action plan for these avenues will be available on my blog over the coming days.
My project aims to re-connect people to nature by bringing the outside indoors, focusing on hospitality venues. The project challenges convention through developing natural events, experiences and designs that develop 1-1 personal connections to nature by evoking the senses and allowing individuals to experience the health benefits of interacting with nature1. Hospitality is the focus due to the popularity of the spaces2, the current lack of biophilic design3, the rise in sustainably conscious venues4 and the lifting of covid restrictions creating an opportunity to reattract customers in innovative and dynamic ways.
Question
Through the journey of my research, my question has evolved to become:
How can connections to nature be improved through visiting hospitality businesses that serve food and drink in cities?
Research Methodology
To explore the aims of my project I have deployed a plethora of research methods. Including, consulting books, academic texts, meeting with experts and stakeholders; visiting hospitality and natural spaces for inspiration and observing applications of nature. The knowledge gathered from this research has been utilised to develop the most suitable and impactful interventions to generate change amongst my stakeholders.
Research
The foundation of my project has been derived from academic texts and books. Reading ‘Design a Healthy Home’5 provided the details of how to apply biophilic concepts into physical spaces. Exploring the academic iterations of scales, such as the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale6 to measure connections to nature deciphered the appropriate format to measure changes in connection with my Herb Event. The springboard for my most recent creative ideas regarding future iterations of my interventions has been reading ‘Rewild Yourself’7. The book offered alternative perspectives on barriers to nature alongside the vastness of nature, which led to considering unique areas of and ways to access nature in future interventions. Additional knowledge has been obtained from visits to different hospitality venues to assess their uses of nature, as demonstrated on the Instagram page @nature.i.n.8. Inspiration and market awareness were gained from discovering sustainability campaigns such as ‘Good Nature’ at Selfridges9.
Furthermore, I have consulted with biophilic experts including Kristina Libby10 and Hedi Leneartz11 to discuss directions for my work, its impacts, outcomes, and iterations. I have spoken with hospitality business12 and customers13 to establish their different desires towards incorporating nature. Valuable feedback in these meetings were the catalyst for developing the online sharing group, to gather greater data of this type.
My first panel discussion14 was ultimately utilised for research, rather than an intervention, because there was no live audience as intended. Biophilic and biomimetic experts discussed the most effective and innovative applications of nature that could be introduced into hospitality spaces. Discussion provided insightful ideas regarding how to target the senses and technobiophilia. Such conversations contributed to developing the Herb Event, playing off the herb’s scents, textures, and tastes.
A key discovery in my research process has been Technobiophilia. Research led to the work of Sue Thomas, a pioneer in the field whose work I have analysed15, which directed questioning of how technology and nature can be fused together to develop unique methods for connecting to nature. Subsequently, a technobiophilic event is set to occur around 22nd September at Chelsea College of Arts once the canteen space has reopened16.
Interventions
Chelsea College of Arts – Herb Event 20th – 21st July I have developed a contact in the head of catering at Chelsea College of Arts, which has provided the opportunity to hold interventions in their hospitality spaces17. The event involved an array of herbs being presented for customers to come and pick to go with their food or to take home with them18. Upon arrival, I asked customers to complete a series of 4 questions based upon the measure of Inclusion of Nature in Self to rate their connection to nature17. Before participants left, I re-asked the questions to assess if there had been any change in their connection to nature. I provided customers with herb cuttings of their choice to take home and a card explaining different ways to utilise the herbs, alongside a QR code to an online survey form for added feedback.
Results determined that there was a slight increase in connection to nature from this event of 2.5%19 among the 40 participants, but this could be increased if participants had longer to engage with the herbs. A stunning 85% of participants stated that they would actively visit a hospitality venue if it was offering a natural event or experience, suggesting a large market for this work. Throughout the event, many customers stated they felt disconnected from nature living in London, which led to defining cities in my question as an area where many people lack but are ready to receive nature20.
Online Sharing Group
I have developed a sharing group via Facebook where customers of hospitality spaces post applications of nature that they like, or dislike accompanied by short comments as to why they hold this opinion21. Change was to be created utilising the data to develop to applications of nature that are attractive to customers. Results from the group have been limited in user posts, but the group has gained members and likes22. It appeared there was an audience for this idea, but the platform was wrong to engage people. The Nature.In Instagram page has instead been utilised to promote hospitality spaces showcasing nature, to encourage customers to visit such spaces and connect with nature in this way. This page is also helping to form a conversation and community in the comments section, through the page’s growing following which is currently at over 70 followers22.
2nd Panel Discussion – 26th August via Stream Yard
My second panel included 4 biophilic experts and a live audience to learn how they can apply nature in spaces and ask questions23. The panel aimed to establish pioneering adaptations of the interventions I have been conducting. Discussion flowed through a series of question prompts encouraging analysis of each intervention and ideas for future events24. Measuring connection via blood pressure changes, utilising unusual spaces for events, exploring alternative media options for sharing groups and technobiophilia were readily discussed25.
Audience
My stakeholders are split into three key groups: biophilic experts, hospitality professionals and hospitality customers. My interventions have been derived to ensure all stakeholder groups are part of the research.
Intervention
Stakeholders Targeted
1st Panel Discussion
Experts in biophilic and biomimetic design
Herb Event
Hospitality business and customers
Online Sharing Group
Hospitality business and customers
2nd Panel Discussion
Experts in biophilic and biomimetic design Hospitality business and customers invited as an audience to online live stream
Conclusion
I feel my communication with stakeholders in analysing what aspects of natural experiences are ground-breaking and beneficial to all parties has led to the success my project has seen so far. This is something I look to continue and grow my network into Unit 3. Alternatively, a weakness in my process was around the start of July when I spent a long time in May–July securing a hospitality site to test my natural concepts in. Perseverance here led to a key breakthrough in securing the opportunity to run interventions at Chelsea College of Arts and later a meeting with The Marylebone hotel. However, in reflection placing so much emphasis on the importance of securing a testing venue was a slight oversight in my research process.
Looking forward, I feel to push this project further I need to move past my current standing further into the unknown. I believe this new angle may lie around technobiophilia26. I look forward to meeting with Sue Thomas and Hedi Leneartz over the coming week to explore this avenue further and continue to develop original iterations of my interventions building upon the most effective aspects so far.
Kleespies, M.W., Braun, T., Dierkes, P.W. and Wenzel, V., 2021. “Measuring connection to nature—a illustrated extension of the inclusion of nature in self scale.” Sustainability, 13(4), p.1761.
Martin, C. and Czellar, S. (2016) “The extended inclusion of nature in self scale.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 47, pp.181-194.
Schultz, P.W., (2002). “Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations.” In Psychology of sustainable development (pp. 61-78). Springer, Boston, MA.
Below I have included images of my ideas notebook, which showcase the journey of my current thinking to iterate the interventions I have conducted. The pages at the bottom are my most recent thoughts, to try and demonstrate the evolution of my thinking. Further on in the blog post I demonstrate synthesising some of these ideas into next step progressions for my project.
Ideas Journey for Iterations of Interventions:
From these ideas, I see future iterations of my work being split into almost 2 tracts to achieve the goals of improving connections to nature through hospitality venues (see below).
I am still going to pursue interventions with Chelsea College of Arts and The Marylebone Hotel, which offers amazing sites to test my interventions in. However, they may have slight restrictions on the extent to which I can experiment in technological events. Chelsea is more open to trying out an experimental idea and so I will begin trying to implement new ideas there over Marylebone. However, I am interested in exploring whether any unusual/ unused spaces may be available to test out the more experimental and risky technological interventions. For instance, cafes that are otherwise closed in the evenings or an unused backroom in a venue. I am also interested in exploring an experiment whereby participants blood pressure is measured before and after the event in a fun way. Possibly this smaller unusual space idea is better suited to that type of experiment, which can yield strong empirical evidence on the power of these events to increase connection to nature.
Experimenting with Nature and AR
I have recently been researching and explore further into the world of AR and projections in technology, as I have no current experience in the field but have a keen interest in technological advancements. I have begun experimenting with Abode Aero software and created this very rough initial mock-up to consider how nature can be utilised in a virtual AR experience (see below).
Reflection
I feel full of new streams of thought at the moment and a multitude of different ideas to explore and build upon further, especially after the recent conversations with Kristina Libby and in my 2nd Panel discussion. I am very excited to get stuck into exploring what is possible in the realms of technophilia over the coming weeks and gain added insights into the field after my scheduled conversation with Sue Thomas who is a pioneer in the field. I need to look to bring together the many strands of ideas I now have running around in my head into some actionable adaptions of interventions that I can introduce into venues to test out the effectiveness of the concepts in improving connections to nature.
The panellists provided great insights into how they would expand upon and alter the methodologies I have so far employed in my interventions. This was very interesting to witness alternative points of view, many of which were very insightful and can be adapted in looking to future iterations of my events. However, some feedback was possibly less suitable for the niches of my project, with some such as designing full rooms, all be it small rooms, possibly out of the scope for what can be achieved under the timescale of the masters.
Some panellists also felt stronger towards the concept of nature and technology being combined than others. Some panellists felt that nature is the inspiration for parts of technology (not wrong look at ‘I’m saving this to the cloud’ in the tech terminology). Also views that if you are to utilise technology in this way that it may need to be hidden or disguised from the consumer, were raised. However, I felt in parts that this mindset might close you off from future possibilities of how tech can aid the future of human’s relationships and differing experiences of nature. Almost adding another link to the chain with it starting:
nature inspiring tech – tech mimicking aspects of nature – nature and tech together to create new ways to experience nature
Only a couple of panellists felt they were positioned more of the viewpoint towards nature needing to be recognised as the superior as it were, and feeling that to create natural connections perhaps technology needs to take a back seat. However, even this group were not 100% against the idea. But, the other panellists did provide positive ideas and contributions around how technology can be utilised in this way, which is something I definitely want to explore further. Especially after seeing the ideas and support this way of thinking can have amongst experts.
The key interesting points discussed are as follows:
Utilising special natural papers for items such a menus
eg: flower paper or paper made from herbs
these papers could also have their natural scent and will have differing textures, providing greater connections to nature in very small and simple ways
Nature inspired hospital rooms
They utilise heart rate monitoring to assess impact of biophilic space – proved 60% reduction in stress and anxiety
Spent 15/30 mins in the room
Also utilsie measuring blood pressure
Future events
Focus on ensuirng there is a loop or very clear before and after measure Could assess which sense has been stimulated the most?
Reduce randomness – exploit opportunity as student to conduct academic mini experiment to create strong imperical eveidence to presnet to hospitality businesess
More functionalty – eg: maybe blood pressure measuring
Looking at different spaces within hospiality venues
Create a destress room? – maybe out the scope of the masters
Utilsiing unusual spaces – storage closet bar event in New York – repurposing of the space once the venue has cosed for its usual businesses
Storage spaces or unutilsied rooms
Utilsing platforms to share the information around biophilia
Instead of facebook now the focus is on instagram but can push it further
Look also at pintrest – position with biophilia and hospitality but also look at other industires that you can tie into it eg: florists and floral installs in hospitality spaces
Look at LinkedIn – creating a company page, helps to reach professionals in the industries and great for sharing roles
Look at Clubhouse – stream audio and people listen to it
Look at what platforms large assocaitions are utilsing to share their messages eg: international facility management
Idea of utilsie what spaces alreayd have and seeing what can be done with that to link in biophilia
Idea – if something on the menu is unknown and you are ordering through QR code, why can’t the items be hyperlinked to explain extra info of what it is and where it is from – linking to sustainability
Idea – getting rewarded for choosing to not take disposabel cutlery when ordering takeout eg: flower added to their virtual projection wall or phsyical natural artwork piece. Helps to build relationship with customers as they can come back and see their imapct and contribution to the space
Or, utilise the small money saved from cutlery to plant a seed
Could also reward for other sustainable decsions eg: ordering veggie or vegan? – have to be careful that the resturnat would want this however as they may be making more money off meat dishes or the meat being more locally sourced, and so they may want to encourage customers to order meat instead.
Ideas in current spaces:
Living light – concept that utilises photosynthesis to create light – when you touch the leaves lights go on
Digital vegetables – art glass house in Tokyo, similar principle to living light – touch and differnet coloured lights and sounds fill the greenhouse
Hotel group – kids spaces to make kids connect with nature – kids plant seeds and with a QR code they can watch that seed grow even when they are no longer staying at the hotel – could apply to butterfiles as they could grow and be able in a 7 day stay in the hotel
Emotional attachment and caring for sometging gives a greater sense of connection
Idea – full ecosystem spaces – similar to the book/ film DUNE
Idea – hopsitality spaces with historical significance – utilise tech to provide info on this/ its environment or different garden sections etc.
Idea – restaurants with local supplies and herb gardens – organise events to see how they grow the herbs and how the utilsie local producers
Block chain – this tech can allow us to track where food is from – play on this to demonstrate sustainability
Consider the plate that the food is on – what is it made of? – plates made of egg shells or bamboo straws etc – just small actions
Recording:
Unfortunately, there were a few technical problems in saving the video of the panel recording to the Nature.In YouTube channel. However, I did manage to record the audio of the majority of the conversation (minus the first 5 minutes) which I have uploaded to the YouTube channel with a still image of the panellists so that the conversation can be referred back to at a later stage.
The prompt slides utilised in the discussion can be viewed below:
Reflection
The panel was incredibly useful to gain feedback from a key group of stakeholders. Their feedback was honest and insightful into the positives to take from my work and perhaps the shortfalls of parts of my interventions so far and how to push them further now. The panellists also provided information on projects they have currently been working on such as kids rooms in hotels offering plants to plant and they can watch it grown over their stay and even come back to see it in the future. I feel that the audience members enjoyed these insights into other ways nature is being utilised in the hospitality industry. However, unfortunately, the live audience didn’t ask any questions.
A vital angle that was discussed was around the utilisation of different online platforms to educate around biophilia, especially the power of LinkedIn, Pinterest and clubhouse. Subsequently, I will look to utilise these platforms in the future to create real change and reach a lot of people with my work.
The key point brought up to make my research process more robust was that I should consider developing a control experiment where I don’t rely on the chance of passersby and their arent so many random variables in my events. Although, for the purpose of my Herb Event, I did wish to utilise passersby as I wanted it to replicate normal customers coming into a hospitality space who had no prior knowledge of me or my work so that I could gather fair and reliable data on whether there is an audience for such events in the wider public. However, now I have conducted that event and gained that assurance in my data, I think it could be interesting to try and develop a form of controlled intervention whereby a fully imperial measuring tool is employed such as measuring blood pressure, as was suggested in the panel. This could then provide undeniable hard data to present to other hospitality businesses that adding these types of natural events and experiences into their spaces positively impacts their customers and that people would be keen to come to their space if they offered it. Something like this could be set up in a smaller context of perhaps a small pop up bar in a space that might have otherwise been closed eg: a cafe that only sells lunch and gathering a sample of 10 or more people to take part and visit the event. Their blood pressure would be taken upon arrival and as they left to measure the change.
At present these are all just in the ideas phase but I feel there are strong ways that these ideas can be applied to hospitality settings, as now that I have a site such as Chelsea where I can get experimenting, I feel there is a very interesting future ahead for this project.
The online sharing group I have developed via Facebook aimed to provide a space for customers of hospitality spaces to post applications of nature that they like or dislike accompanied by short comments as to why they hold this opinion. The change was to be created by this intervention utilising the data to develop applications of nature that are attractive to customers.
However, recent results from the group have been limited in regards to user posts as it has predominately involved posts just from myself that people have then liked or reacted to. This may be due to people being fearful to post in a new group or it may be a factor of people moving away from utilising Facebook as a key channel of social media. The group has gained a few members suggesting that there is an audience for this type of space/ community or conversation but perhaps Facebook isn’t the best way to access this audience. Therefore I review forming this Facebook community as a FAILURE.
Subsequently, I have adapted the Nature In Instagram page to move away from the initial idea of using the page to post a curated version of the posts from the sharing group. Instead, I have moved the Instagram to focus more upon the aspect of promoting hospitality spaces that are showcasing nature and improving connections to nature through directing people to spaces that incorporate nature already. This page is gathering a steady following which is currently at nearly 70 followers. However, no one has truly engaged conversation in the comments section so far meaning this type of content may be gauged towards one sided sharing of spaces rather than a community engagement in people sharing if they visit the spaces I display.
Posts
Below is a link to the Instagram page, as well as links to different posts on there showcasing different venues utilising nature:
In this below post I actually received a like and comment from the hospitality venue I was promoting. Suggesting that in the future, venues may wish to be featured on the page and it could add to the business’s aims to meeting sustainability targets if there were featured on a page promoting unison with nature.
I have also been utilising the page to post natural images and videos (see below) asking questions in the caption, like how do you get your inspiration? and informing people that connecting with nature aids creativity.
As the next step and iteration of this intervention, I will continue to spread the word and raise awareness for hospitality venues showcasing nature in innovative ways, to hopefully attract customers to chose to visit these spaces and improve their connection to nature. I will also post short facts on this page of the benefits of connecting to nature to add to the persuasion that it is vital to health to have connections to the natural world.
Furthermore, I will also look to other forms of social media and websites to get people engaged in the conversation around biophilic designs in hospitality and change the messaging that it is simply just about adding plants into spaces. This will also aim to make biophilic design more engaging, fun and novel for the customers, consequently aiding businesses through added customers. This intends to create a buzz around the use of Biophilic design in hospitality spaces which will, in turn, provide greater reception for the natural events and experiences I plan as iterations of the herb intervention I conducted at Chelsea.
I have recently confirmed the panellists and final details for my panel discussion happening on the 26th August at 1pm via stream yard. I am very excited to be hosting my second-panel discussion as I feel it will help to push my current work and future iterations of my interventions and project beyond the realms of the predictable and just my thinking by collaborating and discussing ideas with some of the top experts in the industry. I am also feeling a bit more confident the second time around and have worked on ironing out some of the slight issues that occurred in the last panel discussion. For instance, I am promoting the panel and asking panellists to do the same to try and secure a live audience for the event. I have also been more thorough in confirming how the platform stream yard will work and the time scale of the event. Finally, I have also tried to make the prompts I have sent out slightly more specific and clear to keep feedback accurate to the topics I wish the panel to cover. Images will again be utilised with the prompts wherever suitable to add clarity to the points discussed. For example, images of the Herb Event I ran at Chelsea or the online sharing group.
Details for the Panel:
The panel will run at 1pm UK time on the 26th August via Stream Yard, where an audience can view the discussion live via the link to Nature.In’s YouTube channel and comment any questions they have. Panelists have been asked to invite anyone they know that might be interested in viewing the panel online via the link to the Nature.In YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqNK8rZOlsj1UFpzT3pfuCQ
Pannel Aim: Discussing the most effective and impactful adaptations of the events and experiences that have already been conducted as a part of the Nature.In venture to re-connect people to nature in hospitality venues. Additionally, discussing new ideas and approaches of how to innovatively and dynamically introduce nature into hospitality venues, to target the senses and develop a personal connection to nature for each customer.
Prompts for the Panel: The panel will consist of working its way through the three main topics, these being the events and actions conducted so far as a part of Nature.In; followed by a final section of added thoughts of new ways in which to effectively bring nature into hospitality venues. The questions below are simply a guide for the discussion and we will spend as long or as short on each topic depending on the amount of feedback from the panellists.
Chelsea Collage of Arts Herb Event • The outcome of 2.5% improvement to people’s connection and 85% of participants stated that they would actively visit a hospitality venue if it was offering a natural event or experience are very promising. o How can we build on this? How can we make future iterations of similar events more dynamic and engaging? o How could it be ensured that interactions to nature were elongated, to improve the increase in connection to nature, as the shortness of the interaction was the most prominent feedback for a poor improvement in connection to nature? For instance, having herbs on tables as table decorations? Or through the transference of knowledge through providing plants names or species typed? • Utilising of inclusion of nature in self scale (Schultz, 2002: Kleespies et al., 2021) to measure changes in connection was useful in it being a simple and short way of measuring connection, allowing for a multitude of respondents. o But, what other ways be utilised to better measure changes in connection to nature in a similar context? o Could there be a way to measure connection that doesn’t rely on self report activity? • How could other aspects of nature, not solely plants, be introduced into similar events to develop a connection to the natural world?
Online Sharing Group • This is currently being run via a Facebook group page to target the existing users of the site as a customer base. o Is there a more effective platform to utilise? o Are there more effective ways to grow the page and reach out rather than just posting it in various places? • The page is accompanied by an instagram page which is steadily growing its following. o Is this possibly a better space to collate peoples views on different applications of nature? • Are there any other ways to get discussions going online that can reach a large number of people to develop rich data into people’s views around applications of nature in hospitality spaces, that I have possibly overlooked?
Utilising technology to connect people to nature • Do you feel that technology can be utilised to aid the connection to nature rather than hindering it, as many feel we need to step away from modern technology to feel the benefits of nature? • I am looking at utilising projectors to display natural images around the canteen space of Chelsea Collage of Arts, as well as utilising diffusers to add the accompanying natural scent and speakers to add sound. For instance, creating a woodland experience involving moving woodland images, with diffusers projecting smells of pine and sounds of moving trees and birds. Or, if the food offering is Italian for instance, projecting images of tuscan hills, with the accompanying sounds and smells. o Do you feel there are any ways to improve this idea? • Do you have any other ideas of how to utilise technology to connect people to nature in hospitality spaces? o For instance, utilising existing technology that most hospitality spaces have? • I have considered how to utilise personal technology devices such as sports watches to measure heart rate changes in connection to nature, but this would involve a controlled group of participants taking part in a hospitality space. o Do you now of any other ways to do similar that overcomes this issue?
Thoughts for future ways to connect people to nature in hospitality venues • Any innovative, dynamic and engaging ideas or thoughts you may have to connect people to nature in meaningful ways within hospitality spaces.
Stream yard link: Below is the link to access the stream at 1pm UK time on Thursday the 26th August. https://streamyard.com/s3cxm6vq3v
Reflection:
I am intrigued to see how this discussion will flow and how in-depth and critical feedback from the experts will be, as this panel has a slightly different aim from my first panel. The first panel was more about outlining what the possibilities for change in the target area could be. However, this second panel aims to create change in connecting people to nature in hospitality spaces by directly collaborating with leading experts in the field to develop the most innovative adaptions of work I have already started, to create the most impact upon people’s connections to nature.
