The Spring Institute is an organization that works to put nature at the center of space exploration. Ultimately, its goal is to successfully create a forest on the Moon. We are obviously far from achieving that, and for now, they want to send a closed terrarium into orbit around the Earth to study the effects that will occur in such a special environment.
However, a problem arises before that: there is little scientific data on closed ecosystems, even here on Earth.
That’s where we come in! The organization has reached out to designers to work on a closed terrarium that would be offered through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, allowing everyone to acquire an object that collects scientific data to gather a sufficient amount for ongoing research.
We began this project by examining what a closed terrarium truly is and how it functions. We conducted initial research on its biological and scientific aspects to better understand what was feasible or not with a closed ecosystem.
We also quickly started identifying the constraints of this object. As a vector for a scientific experiment, it was crucial to determine what could or could not be done with it, as well as what the user would or would not be able to do. These constraints are particularly significant: in order not to disrupt the ecosystem, the user must neither open the terrarium nor interact directly with it.
It was important for us to quickly identify and define our users because, at first glance, they are very diverse, given that today, terrariums are quite common as decorative elements and many people already have them in their homes.
Astronauts
They devours everything he finds about space exploration and would be thrilled to participate in an experience that could bring humanity closer to the stars.
Green thumbs
He spends a lot of his free time taking care of the plants he has at home.
Experimenters
He wants to discover new things and is always looking to try original products.
Once this problem statement was clearly identified, we began generating our initial concept ideas together through a workshop on a large sheet of paper.
We quickly decided to focus on three main creation axes:
A gamified terrarium
An evolving terrarium
An adaptive and modular terrarium
Once all these ideas were in place, we gathered them together and tried to build on each of them, which ultimately led us to develop three more refined pre-concepts.
Finally, we worked on the product itself, which aims to be more than just a terrarium. Since the user won’t have control over the interior (the scientific part), we decided to make it something contemplative by incorporating magnifying glasses with different effects that allow for discovery from various angles.
However, we also identified that users have a strong need for direct interaction with the plant, especially to develop an emotional connection with the terrarium, which is essential for the longevity of the experience. To meet this expectation, we decided to integrate a space at the top where the user can grow a plant of their choice.
Work with science
UI design
Product Design