Applying Permaculture Principles to a Website Design
Introduction
On my Diploma Pathway this project was set to be a business design. In the months since that initial design, my focus narrowed to specifically applying permaculture design to the development of an income generating website. I had read a lot about generating income passively online, which seemed to fit in well with the idea of maximum return for minimum effort. Passive income is when the cost and effort isn't tied to the amount of sales that you make. So, for example, an e-book with an automated sales process is passive income - you write the e-book, publish it online, set up a sales process, and then sit back and relax. Obviously, there is a little more to it than that, but it demonstrates the principle. The beauty of it is that it doesn't matter if 1, 100, 1000 or 1 million people buy your e-book, there is no extra work involved in satisfying that demand. The business is infinitely scaleable. Compare this with tradition business models, for example publishing hard copy books, where publishing 1 million books is going to take a lot more work than publishing 100! Just think of all the printing, management, distribution, and retail involved! So the idea of passive income has really captured my attention.
Developing passive income will allow me to:
So generating passive income online is a priority!
However, online passive income would not achieve all of my objectives. The most notable that comes to mind is the transformative nature of a real life Permaculture Design Course. I have attended two PDC's so far, one as a student, the other as an apprentice. It doesn't cease to amaze me just how spectacular these courses are! A group of people coming together with the common purpose of creating a better world, and then learning how to do that, whilst living in close community with others. I haven't really experienced anything like that in any other setting. Whilst I seek to replicate that power online, I believe that delivering real life PDC's is very important. The yields go beyond mere monetary gain. Creating a setting to nurture peoples desires to create a better world, and expand their horizons beyond what they ever imagined possible - that is the core of my business.
So, to correctly apply the permaculture principle of "design from patterns to details", I feel it is important to start from the fundamentals of the business. The "pattern" is my branding, which is the guiding force of every interaction that people have with my brand. From that strong core, the other details of the business can begin to emerge.
Developing passive income will allow me to:
- Have the money to meet my basic needs
- Save money to later invest in land and other projects
- Expand my income streams beyond what would be possible with regular income
- Devote time and effort to other ventures, such as further study, travel, volunteering, and permaculture - without having to worry about money
So generating passive income online is a priority!
However, online passive income would not achieve all of my objectives. The most notable that comes to mind is the transformative nature of a real life Permaculture Design Course. I have attended two PDC's so far, one as a student, the other as an apprentice. It doesn't cease to amaze me just how spectacular these courses are! A group of people coming together with the common purpose of creating a better world, and then learning how to do that, whilst living in close community with others. I haven't really experienced anything like that in any other setting. Whilst I seek to replicate that power online, I believe that delivering real life PDC's is very important. The yields go beyond mere monetary gain. Creating a setting to nurture peoples desires to create a better world, and expand their horizons beyond what they ever imagined possible - that is the core of my business.
So, to correctly apply the permaculture principle of "design from patterns to details", I feel it is important to start from the fundamentals of the business. The "pattern" is my branding, which is the guiding force of every interaction that people have with my brand. From that strong core, the other details of the business can begin to emerge.
Survey
- Many people make money through successful websites
- Successful websites boost reputation and create business leads
- Blogging about events, products etc allows you to claim the costs as business expenses, which is tax efficient.
- People find Permaculture courses on the internet, which seems to have become the main marketing tool.
- There are many arenas available online to build up the story of your brand. Options include youtube videos, facebook timelines, websites, and tumblr feeds.
- Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities presented with the internet and social media is the opportunity to create meaningful, genuine interactions with brand users.
Application of Principles
Capture and store energy: I am so full of ideas! My mind is constantly darting around from idea to idea, and project to project. I see a lot of value in the ideas that I have. However, I often struggle to actually bring these ideas through to fruition. After a few weeks, days, even minutes(!) my mind can jump off to the next great idea. A blog style website would allow me to capture my ideas by writing them down for all to see. If the ideas are as good as I think they are, then they will probably be of benefit to other people. Myself and others will find value in my mental energies, which may otherwise have disappeared into thin air!
Use and value renewable resources: Ok, so I have fallen short on this principle. In my enthusiasm to jump over the first hurdle and get the ball rolling, I dove straight in and registered my domain name and set up my website hosting. I have since realised that there are many "green" hosting solutions available, that boast 100% renewable energy and carbon-neutral service. I have purchased three years of website hosting - but when that expires I will be sure to switch to one of these "green" hosting solutions. Supporting green businesses is important to me, and I do feel slightly upset that I have missed this element by jumping the gun.
Observe and interact: I already spend a good deal of time observing green/permaculture issues. My website will allow me to interact in this sphere. I will not only interact through my website, but also through social media outlets such as facebook, twitter, youtube and tumblr (Links open to my pages on the relevant sites. Like, follow and subscribe!). This lets me observe and interact directly with the people who will use my website - allowing me to find out exactly what kind of information and solutions they are looking for. I also observe a range of successful blogs and websites to deduct best practice, which will help ensure the success of my website.
Use edges and value the marginal: With a degree in Politics and Economics; experience of working in the Environmental Charity sector; a strong interest in Applied Success and Happiness Psychology; a Permaculture Design Certificate; growing experience in Bushcraft and Wilderness skills, and the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design - I am developing a wide variety of knowledge and skills. In nature, the most productive and diverse element of an ecosystem is at the margins of two or more habitats, such as a woodland edge between a forest and grassland. In the same way, I think that bringing together my range of skills and experience can generate a flourishing niche of content that will be quite unlike anything currently available. With regards to marketing and attracting readers, I will also have the advantage of being able to target a broader range of readers than if I focused on one specific element. Drawing these people together on the social media realms will also create a diverse and interesting range of activity!
Use and value diversity: This was largely explained in the above ^^
Design from Patterns to Details: The pattern I am designing is developing a website that will give people the tools, knowledge and inspiration to go out and take massive action to achieve social and environmental change. This mission statement will guide all of my articles and content, which will simply be means to achieve those ends.
Produce no waste: At this time, I cannot think of anything that would generate physical waste - but if I do then I will ensure not to produce any waste. I suppose business cards and promotional material might be a possibility further down the line, and I have been in touch with suppliers of seeded paper and stationary. This is recycled paper that is implanted with seeds! This would be one example of producing no waste - after the person is finished with the item they can simply plant it in their garden and it will grow into wildflowers, vegetables, or mulch. It is a pretty cool idea that would leave a longer lasting impression than simply throwing the card into the recycling bin!
In terms of "information" waste, I will explore the idea of reusing and recycling content. On the basis that my reader base will be fluid and not static, it would be useful to repost some articles for the benefit of new users. I could also create some pages such as a "resources" page and "click here if you are new to the site" which could have a breakdown of the most popular/important articles on my website.
Integrate rather than segregate: I could simply compete with all of the other permaculture websites and resources out on the web, trying to attract people to my website and stop them from going to others. Or, I could recognise these other websites as being valuable resources for information and also traffic. I have already made contact with the Permaculture Research Institute website about writing content for them. Why would I write content for another website? Because doing so allows me to get content in front of an already established reader base; gain feedback about what I write; build up a brand identity; and most importantly - link back to my website! If people find my PRI articles interesting, they may be interested to follow the link back to my own website. Building links from authorative websites is also an important part of my Search Engine Optimization strategy, although that's a whole other story!
There is another part to integrating with other permaculture websites, in the sense that we are all spreading essential knowledge for the 21st Century. We could either try and compete with each other and block each other out, or we could cooperate to ensure that we can maximise the spread of this core knowledge. This is something that I will explore in some depth!
Self regulate and accept feedback: Through my use of social media I can pay attention to what people think and feel about my content. I also plan to create an email subscription list, so that people can receive email updates every time I write new content. I intend to email each person and ask them what they would like to see more of on my website.
There exist a range of tools to help me to self regulate and accept feedback, such as google analytics. These produce data such as how long people spend on my website, what pages they clicked through to, what country they are from etc. Analysing this information will allow me to tweak and develop my content. There is even a tool that allows you to host multiple versions of a web page to analyse which is the most successful for achieving certain aims.
Use and value renewable resources: Ok, so I have fallen short on this principle. In my enthusiasm to jump over the first hurdle and get the ball rolling, I dove straight in and registered my domain name and set up my website hosting. I have since realised that there are many "green" hosting solutions available, that boast 100% renewable energy and carbon-neutral service. I have purchased three years of website hosting - but when that expires I will be sure to switch to one of these "green" hosting solutions. Supporting green businesses is important to me, and I do feel slightly upset that I have missed this element by jumping the gun.
Observe and interact: I already spend a good deal of time observing green/permaculture issues. My website will allow me to interact in this sphere. I will not only interact through my website, but also through social media outlets such as facebook, twitter, youtube and tumblr (Links open to my pages on the relevant sites. Like, follow and subscribe!). This lets me observe and interact directly with the people who will use my website - allowing me to find out exactly what kind of information and solutions they are looking for. I also observe a range of successful blogs and websites to deduct best practice, which will help ensure the success of my website.
Use edges and value the marginal: With a degree in Politics and Economics; experience of working in the Environmental Charity sector; a strong interest in Applied Success and Happiness Psychology; a Permaculture Design Certificate; growing experience in Bushcraft and Wilderness skills, and the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design - I am developing a wide variety of knowledge and skills. In nature, the most productive and diverse element of an ecosystem is at the margins of two or more habitats, such as a woodland edge between a forest and grassland. In the same way, I think that bringing together my range of skills and experience can generate a flourishing niche of content that will be quite unlike anything currently available. With regards to marketing and attracting readers, I will also have the advantage of being able to target a broader range of readers than if I focused on one specific element. Drawing these people together on the social media realms will also create a diverse and interesting range of activity!
Use and value diversity: This was largely explained in the above ^^
Design from Patterns to Details: The pattern I am designing is developing a website that will give people the tools, knowledge and inspiration to go out and take massive action to achieve social and environmental change. This mission statement will guide all of my articles and content, which will simply be means to achieve those ends.
Produce no waste: At this time, I cannot think of anything that would generate physical waste - but if I do then I will ensure not to produce any waste. I suppose business cards and promotional material might be a possibility further down the line, and I have been in touch with suppliers of seeded paper and stationary. This is recycled paper that is implanted with seeds! This would be one example of producing no waste - after the person is finished with the item they can simply plant it in their garden and it will grow into wildflowers, vegetables, or mulch. It is a pretty cool idea that would leave a longer lasting impression than simply throwing the card into the recycling bin!
In terms of "information" waste, I will explore the idea of reusing and recycling content. On the basis that my reader base will be fluid and not static, it would be useful to repost some articles for the benefit of new users. I could also create some pages such as a "resources" page and "click here if you are new to the site" which could have a breakdown of the most popular/important articles on my website.
Integrate rather than segregate: I could simply compete with all of the other permaculture websites and resources out on the web, trying to attract people to my website and stop them from going to others. Or, I could recognise these other websites as being valuable resources for information and also traffic. I have already made contact with the Permaculture Research Institute website about writing content for them. Why would I write content for another website? Because doing so allows me to get content in front of an already established reader base; gain feedback about what I write; build up a brand identity; and most importantly - link back to my website! If people find my PRI articles interesting, they may be interested to follow the link back to my own website. Building links from authorative websites is also an important part of my Search Engine Optimization strategy, although that's a whole other story!
There is another part to integrating with other permaculture websites, in the sense that we are all spreading essential knowledge for the 21st Century. We could either try and compete with each other and block each other out, or we could cooperate to ensure that we can maximise the spread of this core knowledge. This is something that I will explore in some depth!
Self regulate and accept feedback: Through my use of social media I can pay attention to what people think and feel about my content. I also plan to create an email subscription list, so that people can receive email updates every time I write new content. I intend to email each person and ask them what they would like to see more of on my website.
There exist a range of tools to help me to self regulate and accept feedback, such as google analytics. These produce data such as how long people spend on my website, what pages they clicked through to, what country they are from etc. Analysing this information will allow me to tweak and develop my content. There is even a tool that allows you to host multiple versions of a web page to analyse which is the most successful for achieving certain aims.