Eco Divinity in Design & Eco Media

Role of Constructivist Grounded Theory Research

Unsustainable design practices and their media promotions are a drag on pollution, depletion of resources, and climate change asymmetries, with depressing consequences worldwide for ecosystems and human health. These unsustainable practices of designs and media have impacted human health and ecosystems all over the world.

1.   Designs as a Spiritual Dimension of Eco-Consciousness

Nature-Inspired Designs: Unity with Nature- Healing by nature

The design thinking reflects the designer's deep love for nature; the degree is variable. A  Biophilic Design expresses the connections between nature, human biology, and the design of the built environment, valuing   natural light and greens in an environment. Social psychologist Eric Fromm originally used the term "biophilia" in 1964, and biologist Edward Wilson (1986) popularized it further. Our innate human connection to nature, known as biophilia, continues to inform our design process and way of thinking. It has been demonstrated that biophilic design features enhance healing, lower stress, boost cognitive function, and favorably impact emotion, mood, and preference (Browning et al., 2014).

Mindful creation in design and media gives the creation a purpose, and can also aid creation with a sense of responsibility to the planet. While creating, the designers can serve by thinking about their legacy and the effects such actions may have on the environment. This spirit  can give results in products and media that serve a purpose and meet the goals of sustainable living.

Environmental stewardship is largely dependent on design and media. Projects like community art installations centered on either recycling or conservation help certain communities take a stand. Creativity empowers responsibility and underscores the capability of art and media to initiate change.

Sustainable design media carries with it a vital relationship that links beauty to responsibility. As we embrace sustainable habits and contribute to the energy that is transforming our environment, we are all in the same boat. The creative sectors now have even more sustainable options thanks to continuous technical advancements.

In today's fast-changing world, the intersection of eco spirituality in design and eco media is becoming increasingly important in shaping a sustainable future. With the goal of fostering harmony with nature, incorporating spirituality into sustainable design and eco media as a platform for spreading environmental consciousness becomes critical. Eco-friendly design changes that pave the way for a sustainable and interconnected society, the use of eco-media to convey environmental existentialness, and spirituality tied to nature through design are explored in following sections. We need to motivate one another to investigate how eco-divinity and eco-media might contribute to a more environmentally conscious future.

Integrating Nature-Inspired Concepts in Eco-Friendly & Eco Spiritual Designs

An infinite source of inspiration for eco-friendly and eco-spiritual designs is nature. Therefore, designers can use concepts attached to new designs, drawing inspiration from the beauty and functionality of everything natural. This gives the product or place a sense of harmony and flow towards nature, in addition to being beneficial for the earth.

“Man is an outdoor animal. He toils at desks and talks of ledgers and parlors and art galleries but the endurance that brought him these was developed by rude ancestors, whose claim to kinship he would scorn and whose vitality he has inherited and squandered. He is what he is by reason of countless ages of direct contact with nature.”

  James H. McBride, MD, 1902 Journal of the American Medical Association

2. The Blend of Eco Divinity, Eco Design & Eco Media

An Aesthetic and Ethical Bridging

Eco-Divine, in the magnificent marriage of design and media, is the sweet melding of beauty with responsibility. This principle embraces that green practices are all about relationship—humans with the earth. Eco-conscious design and media can and should fulfil spiritual yearnings while impacting the one's spirit and have a sense of duty to this world.

Exploring the Spiritual Element in Sustainable Design

Where sustainability meets spirituality in a designer's world, creators integrate their works into a connection with a much deeper understanding of the environment. Be it the conscientious choice of materials or production with higher eco values, sustainable design can come out thus termed as ‘eco divinity’ in resonance with our spiritual values.

Influence of Eco Media on the Promotion of Sustainable Behavior

Eco media has the power to influence the knowledge, values, and behaviors concerning the environment, therefore forming paths toward sustainability. It is capable of effecting a change in the lives of an individual for the benefit of the earth and posterity through thought-provoking narratives and inclusive discussions about the world.

Harnessing the Power of Eco Media for Sustainability

The primary mission of eco-media is to promote sustainable living habits and increase public awareness of environmental challenges. Active storytelling with engaging content gives these media an ever-inviting power of persuading audiences toward action for a greener and more sustainable future.

Communicating Environmental Messages Through Eco Media

Effective environmental messaging in eco media positively requires a blend of creativity, empathy, and strategic communication. Designers and Media persons can  devise messages that resonate with target audiences and provide pathways into action so that these media might really begin to enact change and further promote sustainability in the broadest terms.

3. Spiritual Connections to Nature in Design

Instilling a Sense of Reverence for the Environment Through Design

Design can inspire reverence toward nature and serve as a reminder of its fragility and beauty. By designing environments and products that respect the Earth's resources, designers will inspire others to value them and preserve the Earth for future generations.

Incorporating Symbolism of Nature in Design Elements

Design elements that are inspired by nature stand for something deeper than cherishing aesthetics, at their best. One can create an atmosphere of respect and awe for the environment in general by adding these into their works whereby the setting itself becomes a statement.

Sustainable Materials and Techniques Applied in Designing

In eco-conscious design, the selection of materials is largely responsible for the environmental impact one will create. Unlike other materials out there, use of recycled materials, renewable resources, and non-toxic materials will significantly reduce the impact of design on the earth. Bamboo flooring through to recycled plastic furniture-all afford a trusty path to well-designated and enduring spaces.

Designing for Longevity and Minimal Environmental Impact

One of the big principles of eco-focused design is the operative durability. Creating solid, timely, and quality products and spaces minimizes replacements and waste. It benefits not just the environment but amplifies our lives through meaningful relationships with nature. 

4. Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) Research & Design Insights that Align with an Eco-Divinity Mindset

Research using Constructivist Grounded Theory for bringing out specific design insights that align with an eco-divinity mindset is similar to setting off on a journey with an adaptable road map. The following key steps are undertaken in Conducting CGT Research:

1.      Participatory development of data, especially visual, and immersion therein, is the first step.

2.      The discovery of themes and patterns and ongoing comparison and analysis follow to hone the findings.

3.      As we delve further into the material and your own viewpoints, the process becomes more dynamic.

4.      In Praxis Research/ Action Research/Social Science  Research, concepts and phenomena represented by codes are inevitably related to each other.

5.      In such qualitative data analysis, developing new codes using an inductive or grounded theory method is not random or pointless. A coding frame, which can be a manifestation of the study's conceptual framework customized for the researcher during coding, is frequently developed in a rigorous study that uses qualitative coding techniques.

6.      This  coding frame should make for an  organized and systematic approach to categorizing and interpreting the collected and/or generated data. Like a roadmap, a it  guides through data to find patterns, themes, and insights that are crucial to our research & design questions. 

7.      Triangulation - just as with other types of data, it can be employed to cross-check findings from audio or visual data. For example, the results from audio analysis could be compared with text, visual, or observational data. It also involves using different theoretical frameworks to interpret the data or having multiple researchers independently analyze the data.

8.      Validation in such  analysis, though quite challenging due to the subjective nature of material, where the researcher's interpretation is verified with the participants, and peer debriefing helps to enhance the trustworthiness and credibility of the findings.

‘A pivotal insight or realization of analytic connections can happen any time during the  research process’ 

Charmaz K. (2014)

5. CGT  & Eco Visioning -AI Fusion Casework

Mandala Art Design for Eco Divinity of Sun

As a highly exalted reality, the Divine Sun is a feature of cosmic justice in Indic cultural traditions and is essential to the social integrity it represents. Here are some key findings from CGT methodology has been applied to data generation and selection for developing eco-design insights through AI Fusion data about the mandala art related to eco divinity represented by the Sun.

Data Types: Images, Generative Images, Participant Elicited Data, Data Co-Constructed With Lead Researcher

Data Source: AI Fusion with prevalent Indic notions of Divinity of Sun

Prompt Engineering focussed upon expected data elements for generating a collection of 4 cases is  cited here:

– Mandala Art Design, golden Sun at the core, surrounded by lush emerald green forests, water colour effect, rich luminescent isometric gradients

– Mandala Art Design, golden Sun at the core, surrounded by fish in spiralling pattern, water colour effect, rich luminescent isometric gradients

– Mandala Art Design, golden Sun at the core, surrounded by rivers in entropic flow, water colour effect, rich luminescent isometric gradients

– Mandala Art Design, golden Sun at the core, surrounded by intertwined snakes  in entropic flow, water colour effect, rich luminescent isometric gradients

Codebook is  a list of codes according to what categories they belong to, a robust coding process relies on the hierarchical nature of codes distinguishing between sub-codes and the larger categories and themes that group them together. Codes that are related to each other in some way may not belong to the same part of the code hierarchy. This organization helps make the search for the relevant codes to apply to the data easier for coders in a project.

Initial coding is about factoring the data to compare incident to incident for similarities & differences in beginning patterns in data-labeling important words/groups of words- identifying social/psych processes and actions as opposed to themes,  keeping codes as similar to data as possible and embedding actions in codes (process codes/used interchangeably with gerunds in iterative coding process. After data are sufficiently coded, the coded data are analyzed for relationship patterns and themes. Within the data,  a deeper understanding of the research question/objective and meaningful conclusions is sought. The analysis usually follows an iterative process of comparison, contrast, and refinement of codes and themes.

Code List:  Mandala, Isometric, Water Colour Effect, Vibrant & Rich Gradients, Radiant Hues Of  Green Lines, Central Golden Sun, Emerald Multilayered Trees Arranged Symmetrically, Dense Forest Envelop Of Template, Symmetrical Structured Golden Core, Seven  Green Layered Circular Koshas Around The Golden Core Radials, Seven  Green Leafy  Layered Koshas Around The Golden Core And Circular Green Koshas, Encasing Golden Green Circular Shield, Outermost Circular Encasing Of Fertile Emerald Zone, Quadrangular Green Leafy Fortifications, Foliage Growing Out Of Sun

Initial memos are related to why/how decisions were made related to data sampling, coding, collapsing of codes, making of new codes, separating codes, producing a category, identifying relationships abstracted to higher level of analysis)/ informal analytic notes about data & theoretical connections between categories-build analytic momentum & inform CGT findings

Axial/focused coding for interconnecting the categories i.e.  selecting core category with  data saturation, followed by Selective/theoretical  coding helped build a storyline from core codes that connect categories- producing a discursive set of theoretical propositions, which produced following advanced reflective memos and design insights about Eco Divinity Symbolised by Sun-

·       Green Power of Sun

·       Energy Rhythms of Creation

·       Rhythms of Sustainability

·       Symbols of Energy Rhythms

·       Ever Abundant Growth

·       Symmetrical Growth

·       Balanced Green Growth

The case has been developed,  in collaboration with budding ecopreneurs in fashion design and assistive AI, to understand and exemplify what role eco media plays in promoting inspiring eco-divinity designs for sustainability and environmental awareness.

In summary, the convergence of eco-divinity in design with eco-media constitutes an alternative vision for sustainability and environmental stewardship. The embrace of spiritual ties to nature in design, leveraging the tenets of eco media in promoting eco-conscious messages, and embracing  ecological design practices will help us  usher in a more sustainable future. Let us keep nourishing our relationship with nature, speak out louder through eco-media, and design with a strong  touch of reverence  for the planet in order to create a greener and more harmonious world for the generations to come. Let us celebrate eco-divinity in design and media to further a sustainable world with both creativity and conscience.

References & Further Reading:

Browning, W.D., Ryan, C.O., Clancy, J.O. (2014). 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. ew York: Terrapin Bright Green llc.

Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory. Los Angeles: Sage.:  Revised   procedures   and   methodological   principles   of   Grounded Theory    to   be responsive  to  contemporary thought  about  constructivism, sees   researchers’ perspectives as being pivotal.

Fromm, E. (1964). The Heart of Man. Harper & Row.

Gilgun, Jane F. (2014) Chicago School Traditions: Deductive Qualitative Analysis and Grounded Theory Vol 1 (Chicago Traditions), Createspace Independent Pub 

Glaser, B. (1978) Theoretical sensitivity: Advances in the methodology of grounded theory. Sociology Press, Mill Valley. This is a description of theoretical sensitivity    that   involves   researchers’  general   stores   of   knowledge,   including   personal   and professional experience, that is characterized by movement from theory to data to theory, or the kind of inductive-deductive reasoning.

Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. About the role of researcher’s perspective,  Glaser and   Strauss too  said that researchers are not tabula rasa and therefore they have perspectives that help them  ‘see relevant data and abstract significant categories from his scrutiny of the data’.

Higginbottom G, Lauridsen EI. The roots and development of constructivist grounded theory. Nurse Res. 2014 May;21(5):8-13. doi: 10.7748/nr.21.5.8.e1208. PMID: 24877905. The crucial components for GT are: simultaneous data collection and analysis, code and category construction, constant comparative analysis, and literature review after the analysis of data

Wilson E.O. (1986), Biophilia, Harvard University Press