I was up to doing the research myself, but it seemed fit that my product pitch would be centered around helping people take the first step without them having to do hours of research to understand where to start. From what I learned, I applied that to my existing sketches and created some rough marketing collateral to aid the renders, which I made entirely in Blender. Most of what I learned came from the initial research phase about how composting and gardening works, but practically speaking, I learn a lot from each design problem I approach. Different problems require different solutions and when a problem involves teaching people fundamentals, you can expect to be doing a lot of research so that you can solve that problem earnestly. Sustainable living is perhaps one of the most important preparatory skills we should be teaching as we grow more aware of our impact on the communities and the world around us. The way we live now is fundamentally unsustainable. Food waste is a real problem and it hurts even more to see it happen in the most affluent countries of the world. Growing our own food actually does a lot more than you think it would, as you not only save money on groceries, you eat more fresh, unprocessed foods, you get closer to your community, as you will likely have extra produce to share, but you also become healthier via your direct connection to nature. And I don't mean that in a wholistic, placebo-gemstone kind of sense—a consequence of modern urban living is our isolation from natural bacteria. Our immune system uses these low-risk bacteria sources to stay sharp and help maintain a lovely internal homeostasis that keeps you healthy. Studies show those in contact with dirt, animals, forests, etc. are less likely to develop autoimmune disorders.

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