A Fall 2019 DLab Case Study
The BUGS Design Lab team worked with with the Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS). BUGS is a non-profit that teaches youth and adults about the fundamentals of gardening through science, nutrition, and environmental-based lesson plans and activities. They also hold culinary classes for the Boise community and donate the harvest of the BUGS garden to charities.
The problem the team solved for was a lack of winter-specific programming for gardening and culinary opportunities. The team further defined the problem into a How Might We question: “How might we incorporate insects into the identity and programming of Boise Urban Garden School to help them own the name and bridge the gaps in their winter programming?”
The team decided to somehow incorporate actual live insects into the existing BUGS curriculum and program. The team’s approach to solving this problem was by designing two prototypes: creating an educational magazine - containing recipes using alternative proteins - to use during the winter months as a teaching tool in children’s classrooms, as well as a mealworm farming tower. As a bonus, the team also updated the Boise Urban Garden School website. With these solutions, the team hopes to improve the existing program at Boise Urban Garden School during the off-season months in order to continue inspiring the community about sustainability and gardening.
Design Team: Giovanni P., Baylee S., Riven M., Bebe B., JD R., Kayla K.
