Carl Hastrich (carlhastrich)

I am an Industrial Designer, co-teaching classes on Biomimicry with architect, Bruce Hinds, for the past 4 years. The biomimicry classes at the Ontario College of Art and Design explore the role of the designer in Biomimicry and includes industry based projects that have been done in partnership with the Biomimicry Guild. Our students are experimenting with biomimicry design thinking as it relates to their areas of discipline interest, graphic design, environment design, industrial design, material art and design, and the occasional fine artist.

My background involved working in the Toy Industry in home town Melbourne making a variety of products, from collectable figurines to yo-yos. Having been exposed to the unsustainable practices going on in Toy Design and the toxic manufacturing environments in China I took a leap over to Canada to explore biomimicry as a new avenue to address these issues.

I am now exploring biomimicry on multiple levels, as an educator, using my students as willing and enthusiastic guinea pigs, while consulting with the Biomimicry Guild and the Biomimicry Institute, and establishing my own side projects.