Material: Tree bark
Functions: Protecting and cooling the skin in the event of injuries
Application: As a dressing material in first aid kits
Together, this workshop group developed a speculative scenario in which tree bark could be used as a dressing material in the future, applying their perspectives as a graduate in environmental sciences, a public engagement coordinator, a handicraft enthusiast, and a process designer.
When freshly harvested tree bark is mixed with a little glycerin, it remains moist and flexible. The group combined this flexibility with the cooling effect of the moist bark as the basis for their speculation: Together, they imagined that tree bark could be used in the future in a home first aid kit as a dressing material for minor injuries.
»We noticed that the moist bark is incredibly cool. When you apply conventional bandages to the skin, there’s something plastic-like about it, and it often smells unpleasant. And I think that in addition to being flexible, bark is closer to the body because it comes from nature. … We can easily imagine it in a home first aid kit.«