PhD Studentship: Embedding care for people and planet? Designing sustainable floristry

Coventry University Group - Coventry University – Creative Economies

Introduction

Flower bouquet design has its roots in artisanal production driven by aesthetic qualities. However, a wider range of factors are beginning to influence bouquet design including deep dives into data from online consumer feedback and the embedded environmental footprints of each stem. This project will focus on the interface between the product’s aesthetic and data-augmented generative design systems.

Project details

Whilst the cut-flower industry is undergoing steady growth in European markets, there are increasingly fraught debates in public forums concerning the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the industry. Such discourse is being triggered by concerns such as high carbon footprints, pesticide residues, biodiversity loss for commercial production, usage of land for non-food crops, labour exploitation and the multi-faceted impacts of climate change.

This research project will explore how the market can respond to these challenges of polycrisis by delivering research in partnership with a leading European online florist whose mission centres on social and environmental responsibility driven through cutting-edge technological advances.

Floristry has traditionally been driven by aesthetic qualities, product availability and economic value which collectively enable the resultant bouquet to embody an ‘ethic of care’ within the transaction between the donor and recipient. Now, a wide suite of environmental factors are beginning to influence bouquet design, such as embedded carbon, water and biodiversity footprints. In addition, data from consumer feedback is influencing product design. Such a shift in product design, with a greatly enhanced focus on data processing, raises many conceptual questions about the relationships between people and flowers. Deconstructing and translating these relationships will be a central component of this project with the ultimate aim of informing the design of a data augmented generative design system for floristry. Such a “creative solver" may utilize emergent insights from growers, designers, and LCA assessments and other stem-level attributes to generate bouquet concepts within contemporary and consumerist gift-giving expressions of care.

Benefits

The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills. All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and Development, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.

Entry requirements

• A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.
• PLUS
• The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years.
• A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS academic overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).

How to apply

To find out more about the project, please contact Professor David Bek

All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, plus a 2000-word supporting statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project.