Irene Joris - Linda de Valk - Bram van der Vlist
13 OCTOBER 2007

You can buy a banana when it is still green, and it is already possible to eat it. But when you wait for the banana to turn yellow, before eating it, its taste will be completely different. You can choose the proper moment of eating yourself, when you like the taste of the banana best.

A banana is an example of a product in which a combination of two aspects of Next Nature can be found. These aspects are mass customization and manipulability.
Mass customization replaces mass production. People more and more control their own products to support their identity. Manipulability (“maakbaarheid”) is never ending. Culture has to be maintained otherwise it breaks down: lawns have to be mowed, software has to be updated. Nature on the other hand has an ongoing life cycle.

There are a number of products that enhance these two aspects. These products are interesting as they change because of their user (customization) and evolve over time (manipulability). Their optimal state is reached further on in the lifecycle, and thus not at the moment of purchasing, which strengthens the bond with their user.

These products are at their starting point when buying them and develop during use towards an end state. This time line is very important as it creates a bond between the product and the user. We have developed a design that fits this line of products: IVY.