Performance Based Abstraction of Biomimicry Design Principles using Prototyping

Abstract

A key challenge faced by biomimicry practitioners is making the conceptual leap between biology and design, particularly regarding collaborating across these knowledge domains and developing and evaluating design principles abstracted from biology. While many tools and resources to support biomimicry design exist, most largely rely on semantic techniques supporting analogical translation of information between biology and design. However, the challenges of evaluation and collaboration are common in design practice and frequently addressed through prototyping. This study explores the utility of prototyping in the unique context of biomimicry by investigating its impact on the abstraction and transfer of design principles derived from biology as well as on cross-domain collaboration between biologists and designers. Following a survey exploring current practices of practitioners, in depth interviews provided detailed accounts of project experiences that leveraged prototyping. Four primary themes were observed: (1) Approximation; (2) The Prototyping Principle; (3) Synthesis and Testing; and (4) Validation. These themes introduce a unique abstraction and transfer process based on form-finding and collaborative performance evaluation in contrast to the widely accepted semantic language-based approaches. Our findings illustrate how designers and engineers can leverage a prototyping skillset in order to develop boundary objects between the fields of biology and design to navigate challenges uniquely associated with the biomimicry approach.

The Education Pipeline of Biomimetics and Its Challenges

“…For example, measures of sustainability are not critical to some advocates and practitioners of biom* design, whereas, for others, it is a fundamental tenet of the approach and ought not be considered biom* design without it. Reaching the implementation phase can be correlated to using prototyping, also for making decisions in the context of considering trade-offs between, for example, practicality and sustainability or innovation and cost-effectiveness [64]. Much has been done to address these challenges, including the formation of an International Standards Organization committee (ISO/TC 266 Biomimetics; https://www.iso.org/committee/652577.html, accessed on 28 April 2022) to create an international standard for the evaluation of biomimetic technologies.…”

Building from the Bottom Up: A Closer Look into the Teaching and Learning of Life’s Principles in Biomimicry Design Thinking Courses

“…This research is to promote a continuation of foundational biology knowledge, foster interdisciplinary thinking in problem solving and train students to keep a flexible and adaptable mind as the world changes. Rowland [ 11 ] wrote of the biomimicry step-by-step methodology, and Rovalo & McCardle [ 12 ] cited the difficulty of making the analogical transfer of the strategies and mechanisms from biology to design. Applying strategies from nature correctly through the translation of biology into design continues to be one of the most challenging steps in the biology inspired design realm [ 3 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

Biomimetics Linked to Classical Product Development: An Interdisciplinary Endeavor to Develop a Technical Standard

“…In all three cases, a general biomimetic process description is required that is adaptable and applicable to specific research questions and development projects. Moreover, the biomimetic process still exhibits various challenges in theory, research, and practice [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. One of these challenges is the clear understanding of what needs to be done and how this can be achieved during the biomimetic process.…”