The students also dove into the subtle art of natural dyeing, with Nienke and Tim introducing the group to their own guide on natural dyeing techniques H.E.R.B.S. In the book, Nienke and Tim acknowledge the medicinal effects and positive contributions to health that herbs have long provided. But would herbs have this same positive effect on textile design? Citing the unhealthy and polluting effects of artificial dyes in the textile industry, the pair quickly show that natural dyes are the only way forward in terms of social responsibility and environmental sustainability. With a massive pair of pots perched atop one of the group’s workspaces, the group experimented with pieces of avocado, pomegranate skin and madder roots, boiling each substance to produce safe, chemical-free dyes that feed into the designers’ core philosophical approach to design. And with the help of an ordinary, unassuming iron, the designers even showed the students how to influence and manipulate their colors, transforming the deep, vibrant red of madder root dye, for instance, into a new and unique spectrum, pulsing and otherworldly.