APPLAUSE

Trajna designed a series of paper and wood products as part of the APPLAUSE project, which was launched to address unresolved questions surrounding invasive plant species (IAPS) in terms of the zero-waste approach and circular economy. The conventional approach to disposing of IAPS biomass consists of composting or incinerating this plant material. Over the course of a 3-year project, Trajna worked on utilising their biomass for producing prototypes of new products, which will be produced in new publicly accessible workshops for wood and handmade paper on Povšetova in Ljubljana. Design became the subject of research through which we questioned how our selected audiences – families, school children & their teachers, and DIY-communities – could benefit from our creative proposals. By uncovering and analysing their needs, we worked towards designing products that enable »Do it yourself« production, raise-awareness about IAPS, and enable commercial activities for project partners, such as Trajna and JP VOKA SNAGA. Drawing from the creative skills of local product designers, graphic designers and illustrators and our extensive experience in design with invasive plants allowed us to prototype inventive, sustainable and context-driven products. Our final outcome, a unique collection of prototypes, thus has the capacity to animate diverse material cultures, production methods and economic practices that empower the citizens of Ljubljana and support them in adopting sustainable lifestyles.

Products were developed in cooperation with product designers Matija M. Biloslav and Rok Oblak, graphic designer Mina Arko, illustrator Kaja Avberšek, the Biotechnical Faculty (Department of Wood Science and Technology), the forestry company Tisa, the City of Ljubljana and the Public company VOKA SNAGA.