The Book That Grew རྩྭ་ཟ་ལམ་སྟོན་དེབ།

Press Kit

Unique Properties

A book with 10 tangible lessons and 10 pieces of practical advice designed to help maximise sustainability. A book grown entirely from the very grass that Irish farmers nurture - with each page, each word, and each diagram shaped by real grass roots as they grew.

Dimensions & Packaging

Book closed: A3 - 29.7 x 42cm Book open: A2 - 59.4 x 42cm

Tags

book, design, Ireland, grass, farming, bank, idea

Production Technology

We used grass to grow a book. This is a genuine world first - with each page, each word, and each diagram shaped by real grass roots as they grew. Manipulated by a unique fusion of gardening and meticulous craft, the 'printing process' was fulfilled by nature itself - shaping the grass roots into legible symbols over a growth period of several weeks.

Design Challenge

This is a book that has completely come from grass itself. Designing for a root-based 'printing process' presented many challenges unique to this project. Every element from words to symbols to borders had to be inter-connected by channels for the roots to navigate. Complex farming processes were compressed into a bite-sized visual language of bespoke symbols, with the design of each individual glyph informed by the action or process it represented. A unique fold-out page allowed the reader quickly reference the symbol key while reading.

Research

The first step was to analyse the latest government reports and agricultural studies to identify the key areas of inefficiency in farming. Using the latest research and data on sustainability we isolated the 10 most effective methods of reducing emissions relevant to our target audience of Irish farmers. The application of each step was assigned a specific percentage of carbon savings, giving clear targets for farmers to reach, and a clear result that would translate into profitability through reaching these targets.

Inspiration

The roots of Ireland's economy are in agriculture, but if farming is to survive, it must become more sustainable. AIB, Ireland's largest bank for farmers, in partnership with Teagasc - the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority - wanted to enable farmers to maximize sustainability, by changing how they see our greatest resource: grass.

Project Duration

From October 2018 to May 2019, in Dublin and Amsterdam.

Operation Flow

Not only does this book lay out a practical plan of action, it symbolises the power of our natural resources. When grass is managed correctly, it can work wonders.

Image Credits

Photographer: Diana Scherer
Filmmaker: Jake Viramontez