Double Duty Ducks

With just one action ducks meet various needs, saving energy and materials.

If you close your eyes and think about all the stuff that is in your room and you had to put it side by side on the street, how much space would you need? We humans create things that are usually meant to do just one thing. Think, for example, about the different bottles of soap, shampoo, lotions etc. in your bathroom.

Other organisms do things differently, they often use multifunctional design. Have you ever seen a duck preening itself? This single action makes the duck waterproof and keeps its beak and body healthy.

This activity focuses on multifunctional design (a single product with multiple uses), and encourages pupils to rethink their stuff.

• Ask pupils to find items/objects in the classroom that are meant to do one thing only.
• Invite them to think how they could combine them into one object to save energy/materials.
• Now try to find items/objects that serve more than one function. Can they find any?

Simple explanation

Ducks ‘comb’ their feathers to align them in the optimum position. This is called preening and it prevents water from getting underneath. When they are preening, the ducks release oil from a special ‘preen’ gland on their back. This creates a layer on the feathers, making them more waterproof. The oil is also a lotion for their beak and in contact with sunlight the oil turns into vitamin D, keeping the bird healthy. One action, four benefits!

More detailed explanation

Birds groom their feathers to keep them in good condition. This way of cleaning is called preening. With preening they remove dirt, dust and parasites from their feathers. This keeps the individual duck healthy and also protects the flock or nest from an outbreak. With preening, ducks straighten their feathers to follow the body shape and make them more aerodynamic. This makes ducks more energy efficient when it comes to flying

On its back, near its tail, a duck has what is called an uropygial gland, or preen gland. When a duck starts preening, the preen gland releases an oily, waxy substance. The duck spreads this oil to each feather using its beak. This oil helps to keep the feathers flexible and waterproof, and provides insulation. This way they are protected from extreme hot and cold temperatures.

In addition, the oil serves as a moisturiser for the duck’s beak. Also, preen oil contains a precursor (building block/ingredient) of vitamin D; this precursor is converted to vitamin D when it comes in contact with sunlight and is then absorbed through the skin.

When we can combine more functions into fewer objects/products we need less material and energy to produce each of those products and we have less waste. Of course, holistically, there is no waste in nature. Making the most out of the least amount possible is captured in this strategy of multifunctional design.

A good example of multifunctional human design is the smartphone. One device for calling, gaming, filming, photos, alarm clock, flashlight etc. And the Swiss knife of course.

Team NexLoop are developing a product called AquaWeb. This is a device to collect, filter, store and distribute water from the atmoshere. Learn more here.

There are lots of examples of multifunctionality in furniture design. You can find some inspiring examples here.

The Karen Blixens Plads square in Copenhagen serves as a bicycle parking, recreational space, outdoor auditorium and it contributes to climate adaptation by capturing rainwater.

With some of these examples it is important to note that although multifunctional designs are often more efficient, they are not always needed. Consumerism encourages people to buy more than they need, leading to overconsumption, waste generation and pollution. However, the point here is to keep multifunctionality in mind during the design of new products/services. In this way, our designs can be made more resource-efficient, versatile to different needs and situations, and space-saving.

Some STEAM opportunities include:

• Consider design criteria to inform innovative, functional and appealing products that are fit for purpose.
• Investigate and analyse a range of existing products.
• Evaluate their ideas against their own design criteria.

• We are used to creating products that serve only one function. Is there a way we could do this differently (think for example about all the different kitchen tools we have)?
• Why is multifunctional design important? What are the benefits of having products that can serve multiple purposes (for example, how can it reduce waste)?
• Can you think of any examples of multifunctional design that have had a significant impact on society or on the environment?
• What are some challenges or limitations to multifunctional design? Are there situations where single-function products are still necessary?

Explore other examples of multifunctional design in biology.

Learn about elephant tusks (find out more).

See how the swordfish has a multifunctional hunting tool (find out more).

What can we learn from plants? (find out more).