The biomimicry designg espiral as inspiration for current design challenges and innovative sustainable solutions
Research Article | Artículo de Investigación
Raquel Cabrero-Olmos (12*), Luis Calle-Sánchez (3), Beatriz Rodríguez-García (2) y Victoria Sevilla-Lucio (2)
1 Universidad de Valladolid
2 Dpto. Proyectos e Investigación, Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño de Segovia “Casa de los Picos”, España | Calle Juan Bravo, 33 - 40001 Segovia.
hola@raquelcabrero.com; brodriguezgarcia2@educa.jcyl.es; mvsevillal@educa.jcyl.es.
3 Ambientólogo. Asociación Biomimicry Granada, España | Calle Real Cartuja, 7-9, local - 18012 Granada | biomimicrygranadaformacion@gmail.com
* ORCID: 0000-0002-8424-6766
Received: 20 March 2021 | Accepted: 11 May 2021 | Published: 29 June 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25267/P56-IDJ.2021.i1.6
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Introduction
"People who design our world have usually never attended a biology class, believe it or not. So they are newbies in how the world works" (Janine Benyus).
Today's society faces great ecological, demographic and coexistence challenges and the question that arises is what we can do from our role as designers (Redesigning tomorrow, 2021). The quote from Janine Benyus that opens the article is revealing in this regard, calling into question how we can design the world without knowing how that world works (Benyus, 1997). It defines the reason for the concern that leads us to carry out this innovative experience in the field of the application of methodologies for the creation of a sustainable future. This will only be generated if the creators of our artificial world, the designers who are currently training, are trained to solve design problems within cyclical principles in the image and likeness of our nature.
Biomimicry literally means imitation of life, combining the Greek roots "bio" (life) and "mimikos" (imitation). Benyus, responsible for the development of the term, defines biomimicry as "...a new science that studies natural models and imitates them or takes inspiration from those designs and processes to solve human problems..." (Benyus, 1997).
The possibilities offered by biomimetics to the field of design are countless. Organisms and their ecosystems provide design masterclasses that can lead to innovative solutions to design challenges through analogy. The biological analogy allows to make a technical interpretation of something that already exists in nature without the need to generate an invention; it establishes a transfer of knowledge (López-Forniés and Berges-Muro, 2014). In this sense, biology and its specialists are indispensable to abstract the functional logic of each of the organisms and their strategies of adaptation to their contexts.
Based on these references, an interdisciplinary project is initiated. It puts in direct contact the Biomimicry Granada association, composed of professionals from different disciplines (highlighting in particular the figures of environmentalist and expert in biology for the idea of our work), with professors and students of the teachings of Product Design in the School of Art and Design of Segovia, united with a common concern, the preservation of the environment.
The field of biomimetics is just one of the possibilities of nature-inspired design; and, in turn, it covers a wide range of strategies and approaches. Several research groups and institutes are specialized in this area, each with a slightly different approach. (De Pauw, Kandachar, Karana, Peck and Wever, 2010). The experience we develop follows the premises of the Biomimicry Institute, co-founded by Janine Benyus in 2012. It promotes the learning of biomimicry, studying and emulating natural forms, processes and ecosystems to create clean designs and technologies, where there is no waste concept, only circular reuse systems.
The Biomimicry Granada association, together with the network of local groups of Biomimicry Iberia, uses this methodology to seek to incorporate the knowledge of nature into our environment and create practical and sustainable solutions by spreading biomimicry.
The opportunity to generate a direct collaboration with this association is taken in order to introduce inspiration in nature within the design process that product designers usually follow. The experience is structured through a series of collaborative workshops between future product designers and biology advisors from Biomimicry Granada. This interdisciplinary collaboration does not seek the mastery of many fields, but the opening to new disciplines that can offer different, more sustainable and innovative tools to define and/or face design challenges.
Other work has already been done for the introduction of biomimicry in the field of design training, sometimes lacking mandatory subjects that cover this aspect in a theoretical or practical way (López-Forniés and Berges-Muro, 2014) (Santulli and Langella, 2011). Although the curriculum of the Degree in Product Design that we manage does include topics related to biomimicry within some subjects such as Bionics, Ergonomics and Anthropometry (in a more direct way), or Fundamentals of Design (in a more transversal way), the possibility of carrying out an interdisciplinary collaboration with experts in the field is the most outstanding innovation. It promotes knowledge and work with the methodology of the spiral of biomimetic design, through a guided application by the hand of biology advisors. Actions carried out during the three-month collaboration, as well as the results achieved in terms of learning and sustainable innovation, are described in detail below.
Intentions and objectives
The general objective of the action carried out is to root in future designers the concept of sustainability, through the application of the biomimicry method leaving the classroom and visiting the natural environment, in contact with professionals from biology and other disciplines that collaborate with the cause to the improvement of the environment, in different spaces of collaboration, jointly and individually.
This can be deployed in different specific objectives that are set out below:
- Deconstruct the learning of the modern imaginary based on productivity and lead it to reintegrate man into the natural.
- Experience a creative problem solving methodology with principles of sustainability, establishing analogies between the natural world and the established design challenge.
- Analyze and apply the biomimicry design spiral methodology directly from the hands of a professional who exercises it.
- Discover problems and define challenges in different areas of today's society.
- Create synergies with environmental principles, through group projects developed in collaboration with different disciplines.
Methodology
The methodology used in this project is based on the application, through different participatory dynamics, of the Biomimicry Design Spiral (Figure 1). This methodology integrates the learning of nature into design (Biomimicry Institute).
The application of this methodology in the design process will bring with it a new era of sustainable applications, technologies and approaches (Rossin, 2010). It is based on the generation of regenerative models that emerged in natural systems during more than 3,800 million years of earth's evolution. The study and research of these can determine their feasibility for solving challenges in design or engineering (Baumaster, Tocke, Dwyer, Ritter and Benyus, 2013).
Figure 1. Design process according to the Biomimicry Design Spiral (Source: Biomimicry Institute).
The spiral of biomimetic design is structured in six non-hermetic phases, that is, one is related to the others so that sometimes, the user can return to a previous one to better face the next one. This aspect in a practical sense allows to reevaluate concepts as important as the design challenge faced by the designer or to provide new biological data that help evaluate the viability of the solution created from the observation and knowledge of an organism or natural system.
The different phases are explained in detail below:
1 Define: The objective in this phase is to establish a situation map of the problem that you want to address, understanding what is the need you want to face with the challenge and the scope of it.
2 Biologize: At this point, the challenge established in the "Define" phase must be rethought by means of thinking how these identified functions can be found in nature, since it is the place where possible solutions will be sought.
3 Discover: It is about looking in nature for the functions that the final design should satisfy. That is why it is advisable to spend enough time in the first two steps to have a good scope of these functions that allows a fluid search for alternatives in natural systems. In this phase, biological knowledge prevails through detailed observation of the user, the search for bibliographic information and/or consultation with experts in the field.
The Asknature tool was the main source of information during the "Discover" phase (https://asknature.org/). Solutions in nature can be found through this extensive database once a series of functions have been identified in the previous phase.
4 Abstract: The objective here is to express the mechanisms through which the observed nature satisfactorily resolves the functions posed in the challenge using a non-biological language. It is important to achieve this step in order to correctly emulate the observed solution and apply it to the proposed design.
5 Emulate: In emulation all the lessons learned in the previous phases must be applied to a brainstorming in which the studied solutions are integrated into the resolution of the challenges through a coherent and sustainable design. The project related this phase to the unifying patterns of nature, a series of guidelines that nature follows and that allow it to be sustainable and efficient over time as a system. On the one hand, as criteria to understand the adequacy of the design and on the other hand, to have a greater understanding of how the design interacts with the rest of the elements of the system.
6º Evaluate: It is the final phase of the spiral, in which the practical viability of the design must be evaluated. In this project, due to its educational nature and time limit of the activity, this last phase was not taken into account since it was not part of the objectives described for it.
There are two possible ways to apply biomimetic thinking to the design process. The first approach, "from challenge to biology", starts from a specific problem and seeks biological inspirations for the solution. The second one, "from biology to design", begins with a biological inspiration that helps define a design challenge (Biomimicry 3.8., 2015).
The action developed is guided by this second approach, devoting the initial part of the process to identify and define a current design challenge and then move on to the search for innovative sustainable solutions.
Development
The experience is contextualized within the studies of Degree of Product Design, linked in a transversal way with several subjects of the curriculum. It integrates a total of twenty-two students of the first two years and three teachers of two subjects. The overall temporal development has been three months long; the dedication to the project has been part-time, combining it with the rest of the training of each particular educational level.
It is worth noting a direct antecedent that gives rise to what has now been developed. In 2018, a collaborative workshop was organized with the Association Biomimicry Granada in an intensive two-day format (16 hours). It began with a conference to briefly present what biomimicry is and its fundamental principles, and gave way to the development of an experiential workshop to strengthen these contents. The students were able to define projects based on nature through the direct observation of natural elements, the realization of simple experiments and the analysis of examples of application of biomimicry in different fields.
This previous action has been the trigger to develop now a collaborative experience longer in time that would allow to deepen the inspiration of nature as a source of sustainable solutions, linking the methodology of the biomimicry design spiral with the usual design process in the studies.
Figure 2. Timeline of phases of practical implementation. Background (2018) and current experience development (2020-2021). (Source: own elaboration).
In the current experience, the intervention is organized into four large consecutive phases, working a complete cycle of the Spiral of Biomimetic Design (Figure 1).
In each of these phases there has been autonomous work by the student (future designer), a continuous follow-up by the teachers (designers or architects) and a collaboration with an expert in biology from the Biomimicry Granada association.
The contact between designers and consultants in biology throughout the process has been crucial, and is considered one of the greatest advantages and methodological innovations in the learning aspect carried out in this experience.
The aforementioned phases are described below, detailing the actions carried out in each of them, as well as the involvement of the different professionals.
Phase 1. Observation of nature.
Two complementary activities are proposed aimed at promoting the ability to observe natural elements and systems. On the one hand, each student is proposed to develop a nature observation sketchbook, drawing from nature two days a week for twenty minutes each day (Figure 3). It extends over 12 weeks and runs parallel to the rest of the actions. It is an activity of direct contact with nature, which is carried out individually and repeated over time.
On the other hand, an outing to nature is scheduled, guided by an environmentalist from Biomimicry Granada; the Botanical Garden is selected on this occasion due to the possibilities it offers at the time of year in which it takes place. This allows a directed observation, supported by drawings, with links to specific explanations about nature by an expert in the field. The concept of unifying patterns of nature (Biomimicry Institute) is introduced, reflecting jointly on each of them and looking for nearby examples that illustrate them.
Figure 3. Extract from two nature observation sketchbooks made by students, where the ability to observe and analyze natural elements stands out (Source: B.Vírseda / T.García).
In a way, this observation phase is related to the "discover" stage proposed by the spiral methodology, and will lead to the proposal of design challenges for the continuation of the process.
Phase 2. Work for the definition of a design challenge.
The first approach to design challenges identifies five major groups of needs in today's society. These are: production and sustainability systems; plastic and packaging; education and information; water use and distribution; and mobility and security.
A greater definition of these challenges is necessary in order to be able to work with them. That is the aim of this phase of the project. Working groups of two or three people are formed and will remained until the end, and the challenges to be solved in successive phases are specified starting from a template that favours the development, organization and realization of ideas through visual thinking (Figure 4a). This template starts the reflection with the question "what do I want my design to do?" looking for actions to solve more than specific products. It leaves space to collect the brainstorming and finish by concretizing them in three design questions that begin with "How could we...?"
All this takes place in a joint three-hour workshop (named as "Workshop 1" in Figure 2), facilitated by professionals from Biomimicry Granada association. After collecting the learning of nature from the previous phase, as a reminder, this workshop serves as an injection of energy for the continuation of the experience.
Figure 4. Work templates in the phases of defining (left) and biologizing (right) used during the development of the workshops facilitated by Biomimicry Granada (Source: Biomimicry Granada association).
Phase 3. Biologize and Discover. Inspiration in nature.
This phase begins with another joint workshop led by a biology consultant from Biomimicry Granada (named "Workshop 2" in Figure 2). Another template will serve as visual support for the development of thinking to translate the design language into a language specific to biology, which we call "biologizing the challenge" (Figure 4b).
The format of the template is very similar to the previous one. Reflection is encouraged from a central question, "what am I looking for in nature?", which gives rise to collect verbs and actions that translate the previous design language into one more typical of natural elements. It ends by extracting three biologized questions that begin with "How does nature...?"
Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in this phase to ensure a greater understanding of the biological part and integrate the work process of finding solutions in nature.
The final part of that workshop introduces the AskNature tool and teaches how it works. After an explanation of how it is structured from biomimetic taxonomy (Biomimicry Institute, 2017), several examples are developed to integrate the operation.
This allowed the students to work autonomously in their respective challenges, starting from the three previous biologized questions to develop a visual panel which collects the discoveries of nature that can support them in approaching sustainable solutions. During this phase, students are tutored on a regular basis by the teachers and on a timely basis by external collaborators.
Phase 4. Abstract and Emulate. Adaptation of natural solutions to design.
This is the last stage of the experience, where a solution to the design challenge is proposed, inspired by the investigation of the nature of the previous phases.
It is developed within the classroom, with a greater work by the students and a constant guidance by the teachers of the different subjects. The feedback from biology consultants is more punctual in this phase, aimed at resolving doubts in a deferred format.
Some of the projects presented can be seen in Figures 5, 6 and 7, as well as in the summary table of results (Table 1). It should be noted that the development of the proposed solutions has remained at a preliminary level, obtaining more conceptual results that would require further technical development.
To conclude the experience, an evaluation of the proposals presented has been carried out by the experts in biology and environment from Biomimicry Granada Association. We believe that this would close a first cycle of the spiral, and new iterations would be necessary to further refine the proposals. This feedback is presented in the following results section, together with the joint assessment and evaluation that we have made of the experience.
Figure 5. "Bimar" project. Design of an experimental tobacco package aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco (Source: R.Martín and M.Centeno).
Figure 6. "Babybird" project. Design of a mobility and transport system for children (Source: D.Gómez and E.González).
Results
At the end of the experience, a total of eleven projects carried out in groups of two or three students were presented; five correspond to the first year level and six to the second year of Product Design.
It can be said that the experience has been satisfactory in its entirety. All students have completed the process of solving the challenge guided by the biomimicry design spiral. Of the eleven projects, only three have transferred nature observations in a dubious way; even having worked the phase of biologizing and discovering correctly, it is considered that the abstraction and emulation of these inspirations can be improved. Therefore, eight projects have validated proposals, which could continue to evolve in successive cycles of the spiral.
Some considerations should be made when viewing the results:
- it is an experience that focuses more on learning the methodology, not so much on the final product achieved.
- the development time of the collaborative experience has been brief. As a result, the resolution of the challenges has remained at a conceptual level, being aware that each of the proposed cases would need more development to deepen the observation of nature and resolve technical and technological issues.
- in general, due to the design challenge proposed in each case, it has been difficult to specify a single biomimetic application. This has led to an increase in the complexity of the projects.
Figure 7. "Retail system" project. Design of a system for the use of textile waste for the creation of a new material (Source: A.Gallardo, J.Santos and B.Vírseda).
The summary of the most interesting results from the point of view of biomimicry is presented in Table 1. The main characteristics of the project and the biomimetic inspiration are indicated, as well as the feedback that would support the further development of the project towards a sustainable solution.
Table 1. Summary of the most interesting projects developed by the students, from the point of view of biomimicry. Each comment is identified with the phase of the project to which it corresponds, described above: Phase 1. Observation; Phase 2. Define; Phase 3. Biologize and Discover; Phase 4. Abstracting and Emulating; and the expression 'Depth in the Study' (DE) is used to indicate suggestions for improvement in a possible continuation of the project.
At the end of the interdisciplinary experience, a survey was conducted with the participating students with the intention of assessing their perception of the development and application of biomimicry in the context of product design. It stands out that 94% have considered this collaboration 'very useful' for the development of their profession and all of them express the intention to reapply the methodology in the future. 94% perceive it as an incentive to search for sustainable solutions in their future projects, considering that it has had a greater impact on the 'definition of challenges and new products' (93%), on the 'search for the formal solution' (81%) and in 'technical solutions research' (70%). Finally, 53% consider the biomimicry design spiral to be 'easy to apply', while the rest (47%) values the support received through initial theoretical training, the guided collaborative process and the review of existing examples.
Conclusions
The objectives that were proposed at the beginning of the experience are considered to have been achieved, generating in the students a more conscious interest in sustainability and producing an approach to the natural world as an inspiring element of current design challenges and innovative sustainable solutions.
Several aspects can be highlighted as a conclusion of the collaborative experience carried out.
- There has been a good teaching-learning communication in the different communication contexts, especially highlighting the positive of teaching in the natural environment. Activities the botanical garden proved to be useful for the development of the observation ability and the understanding of concepts such as the unifying patterns of nature.
- As for the methodology, it has been proven that the application of biomimicry as a design process improves the ability to observe and helps students to develop creativity in design, enriching already known processes.
- The results show that the project requires more development time in some of its phases in order to achieve viable results in practice. One of the biggest problems encountered during the project was the definition of a challenge of precise scope by the students.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration stands out as a design tool, which favours understanding and the successful finding of solutions. The collaborative work generated interesting group discussions in the development of the proposals to achieve the definition of the project collectively by all the participants involved, in the experience and in each team. Synergies have been created between both disciplines, finding a new application to biological knowledge and a new source of inspiration in the design environment.
Finally, and as a final reflection, this experience is understood as a step forward in two paths that must be followed at this time: On the one hand, collaboration with the climate emergency and the need to address measures for the mitigation of climate change from all institutions. On the other hand, the renewal of methodologies in higher studies, based on eminently practical working methods, to define contact and understanding of the environment to which we belong: Nature.
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