Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Thinking Approach
Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Thinking Approach
Strengthen your products, systems, and solutions of tomorrow with biomimicry
October 1, 2021
BIOMIMICRY DEFINED
Simply put, biomimicry is the conscious emulation of nature’s genius. Nature contains thousands of years of research; rather than start from scratch, we should look to nature to help solve our innovation problems. Andrew Meador borrows from the organization he works with, The Biomimicry Institute, to help explain biomimicry by breaking it down into three ideas: reconnect, emulate, and ethos.
Reconnect refers to the consciousness of biomimicry. It is intentional and requires a connection to nature. In the case of the yellow garden spider, researchers have observed that this species spins webs that reflect in ultraviolet range—light humans cannot see but birds can. The spiders’ design prevents birds from flying unwittingly through their webs, saving the insects from potential catastrophe and reassembly.
Innovation and design thinking then emerge through emulation. Emulation acknowledges the utility of nature’s designs and, in the case of German company Ornilux, translates them into real business solutions. Ornilux used the yellow garden spider research to manufacture glass with a coating that reflects UV light to protect birds from colliding into windows. Simple observations of nature can help make our modern world a safer environment for the natural one.
Andrew’s final component that defines biomimicry, ethos, encourages the acknowledgement of nature’s genius. The natural environment has been conducting research and development for a long, long time. Its findings have produced an astonishingly diverse network of successful organisms and ecosystems and they have huge implications for how we do life.
THE CASE FOR BIOMIMICRY
In practice, biomimicry is at the forefront of innovation. The lead engineer of Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train had a problem: every time the train rode through a tunnel, it built up so much pressure it created a sonic boom when exiting, damaging nearby homes. But the engineer was also a bird watcher and he often observed kingfishers diving into water without creating so much as a splash. In studying their beaks and other bird species, the engineer redesigned the trains to eliminate sonic booms by reducing air resistance by 30% which also shortened travel times.
Biomimicry is the launch pad for groundbreaking innovation in a sustainable future. Consider utilizing biomimicry to breathe new life into your offerings for the following reasons:
Biomimicry is a captivating and innovative design thinking approach. Biomimicry combines our knowledge of UX and system integration with nature, the animal kingdom, and exploration for a strengthened approach to innovation. Nature is made up of deep ecological niches, all working together to create complex ecosystems which help deliver us from pervading bad design in our built environment.
Biomimicry is holistic. It reintegrates nature into our lives which leads to healthier habits and psyches. In fact, the further we move away from nature, the greater the rise in nature-deficit disorder, a non-medical condition in children resulting in behavioral problems caused by insulation from nature. Additionally, as much as 50% of North American residents can go an entire week without touching a natural surface, leading people to see the natural environment as a tourist attraction.
Biomimicry presents a framework for environmental accountability and regeneration. It allows us to measure if design is life-friendly by evaluating whether it embodies resilience through variation, redundancy, and decentralization. A forest, for example, represents good design. Forests embody resilience through their variation in species; they embody redundancy as the trees all serve a similar purpose; they embody decentralization since no single species bears the weight of the entire ecosystem’s success.
OUR REGENERATIVE FUTURE
It is easy to look out into the world and identify bad, life-inhibiting design. Yet this simple fact should actually give you hope; the world is increasingly becoming aware of bad design and how it affects our built and natural environments. And as we all know, awareness is the first step to solving a problem. Professionals are realizing they are disconnected from nature, especially since the start of the pandemic. A massive opportunity exists to inject the innovation industry with a biomimicry boost.
Consider ECOncrete as an example of sustainable design. While over 50% of the world’s population lives along coast line, most coastal materials are made from sterile, traditional concrete which is toxic to the environment and leaves a large carbon footprint. ECOncrete’s product cuts their CO2 emissions in half by incorporating byproducts and recycled materials which attract organisms to live on its surface. The presence of the organisms create a natural biocalcification process that fortifies the concrete and actually strengthens it over time.
Biomimicry can do the same for your organization. While we’re not experts in biomimicry, we are in human-centered design which achieves similar results by solving complex challenges with creative solutions. We offer the best industry tools and guidance for developing successful UX and new innovative solutions—start a conversation with us!
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