Nature has always been an inspiration for designers, both for its beautiful forms but also for the ways it solves problems. Here Emma Curtis, of the Design Museum, introduces the idea of using organic or nature-inspired forms in design.

Design Essentials: are you sitting comfortably? - for iPod/iPhone

Nature-inspired design: Frank Gehry’s Cross Check Chair

Theo Zamenopoulos, of the OU design faculty, offers a glimpse into the ideological and historical context of design ideas and principles. With Emma Curtis, curator of the Design Museum, and Nathaniel Hepburn, curator of the Mascalls Art Gallery, Theo looks at the key ideas that emerged as the driving force behind design using specific examples from the history of chair design. This material forms part of The Open University course T217 Design Essentials.

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Design Essentials: are you sitting comfortably? - for iPod/iPhone