bio-Logical innovation

Strategy of Design Innovation By Incorporating Natural Reference

Nature
“3.8 billion years of R&D”
-Janine Benyus
 evolved sustainable
Nature has

solutions to many human design

problems
Biomimicry?
 Bios - life
Mimesis - imitation
 The termbiomimicry is often
oversimplified and
misrepresented as creation of
man-made objects by copying or

mimicking nature
 Biomimicry is better defined as:

biology or nature inspired design

 Inspired design that leads to

advancement by way of
innovation
This thesis is about inspired innovation
Humans have successfully learned Lotus Effect Chain saw
from nature
Velcro Barbed Wire

on numerous occasions...
Three modes of nature inspired design
 Every nature inspired design falls into

one of three modes:

1- Science & Engineering

2 - High Design

3 - Mass Market Design

 Science & Engineering
Study nature to discover and develop
worthwhile technologies

Look for opportunities to apply

new technology

This process is commonly known as

applied research
Roots Rules Relevance 3R of applied research
of applied research Roots How did it get to be that way?

Rules How does it work?

This approach, often taken by

scientists and engineers Relevance How can it be relevant or helpful to humanity?

is the most prevalent.

Source: Robert Full
 Example of science & engineering
Adhesive inspired by microscopic hairs

on toe-pads of a gecko’s feet

-Robert Full
There aredesign resources that
facilitate applied research
technologies find a connection

to human need - Relevance

• Inventables

• Material Connexion

• Biomimicry Guild Database

 High Design
Corporate or personal statement of
nature inspired design or sustainability
 This is the approach taken by

high-profile designers
and

image-conscious corporations.
 High production cost
Low production quantity
High profile
 Example of high design
Go-Chair inspired by bone geometry

- Ross Lovegrove
 Mass Market Design
Pre-defined human need

Look for solutions found in nature and apply

to design problem
 Mass market design is

most applicable to the field of

industrial design.

But, it is

least common.
 3R of applied research source: Robert Full

Roots How did it get to be that way?

Rules How does it work?

3Rs of applied research adapted for Relevance How can it be relevant or helpful to humanity?

Adapted for industrial design

industrial design
3R+A of industrial design

Relevance
‘3R+A of industrial design’
What human need should be focused?

© charles chul kim, bio-Logical innovation 11.26.05

Roots How did it get to be that way?

Rules How does it work?

Application Transfer How do you apply what you have learned?

Opportunity identified!
 There is a need to provide industrial

designers with guidelines.

A strategy of referencing nature in their

practice as a viable solution for the

industry.
bio-Logical innovation
 a strategy of design innovation by
incorporating natural reference
Sustainability, economic
viability and elegance
in design are the aspirations of

bio-Logical innovation
Evaluate examples of nature inspired design
 divine
limit of human achievement

cognizance self awareness

equity

A metric for nature inspired design: progressive coexistence ecology

sustainability
systems approach

environmental approach

bio-Logical Strata
generation creation process manufacturing process

social relation behavior empathy

affordance

performance advancement

Examples of nature inspired design

economic viability marketing

function utility engineering materials engineering

manufacturability
mechanism

adaptive
construction

and their placement on the Strata

structure physics
anthrophometrics

texture

material color

inspirational appearance aesthetics form

result of intuitive sense

serendipitous did not seek reference result of happenstance nomenclature

natural reference : design analogy: human application transfer:

bio-Logical strata
What aspect of mother nature How did the reference How did the analogy manifest
served as reference? affect design? through design?
 divine
limit of human achievement

cognizance self awareness

cradle to cradle design (W. McDonough) equity

sustainability

progressive coexistence ecology systems approach

environmental approach
generation creation process manufacturing process

biodesign process (F. Lodato) social relation behavior empathy

affordance

performance advancement
Pax streamlining principle (J. Harman) economic viability marketing

gecko adhesive (R. Full) function utility engineering materials engineering

manufacturability

anatomical studies (L. DaVinci) mechanism

adaptive
construction structure physics
anthrophometrics

texture

material color

go chair (R. Lovegrove) inspirational appearance aesthetics form

result of intuitive sense

serendipitous did not seek reference result of happenstance nomenclature

natural reference : design analogy: human application transfer:

bio-Logical strata
What aspect of mother nature How did the reference How did the analogy manifest
served as reference? affect design? through design?
A new approach to natural inspiration
 Creativity is about making
connections that are previously
unrealized
Combining and recombining
Forming relationships and

associations
Looking toward nature opens
your eyes to those connnections
Making the connection
 Process Inspiration
“learning,” dendrites of
In a process of

a neuron cell searches out and

establishes seemingly random

connections with other neurons.
 An
Designing is a cyclical process of aly
n ze
ar
Le

Learning Estab
lish
Analyzing
Establishing

Connections
 There are three distinct and successive cycles

Open yourself to new perspectives Connection: associate, relate, combine Produce

Contemporary industrial design phases
 Learn Analyze Industrial
Determine/ Design
Establish

Narrow Narrow Narrow

Orientate Establish possible Establish possible Establish possible Establish Production Production Marketing
Initiate yourself bearing Learn directions direction Learn connections connection Learn designs design Learn strategy development Learn strategy Product
Project Delivery

Take an empathetic Search out applicable connections. Gain indepth working knowledge Search out applicable processes Search out applicable
approach to learning Discovery, study and analysis with of reference. Search out other and methods of production. marketing methods.
about human needs. consideration to depth and breath. related connections.
Learn
Understand and recognize Sort and cull human need and Sort and cull knowledge gained. Develop a logic and understanding Sort and cull for viable production Recommend marketing
your biased views on the demand to be satisfied. Take Take technical viability and of how to apply reference to design. processes. strategies that may be
given topic. economic viability and competitive competitive advantage into Take technology and manufacturability utilized.

Analyze advantage into consideration. consideration. into consideration.

Determine your general Make a determination on Make a determination on Make a determination on Make a determination on a Finalized product
direction and focus for the direction to pursue connection(s) to use as rationale and materialize strategy for production. Take into
progress. connections. reference. design. consideration manufacturability

Determine and economic viability.

bio-Logical innovation defines a natural reference counterpart
 Search out and learn using following Research natural phenomena to Search out and learn environmental
techniques: gain working knowledge. Learn process from nature.
Novel combinations: Combine and recombine its roots,rules.
ideas from biology, science, engineering,
philosophy, etc.
Relationships: Observe in nature - ordinary
phonomina, behaviors, shape and function.
Try to form relationships to project.
Opposites: Look at nature for complementary
ideas and and shapes to apply to project.
Metaphore: Look for metaphorical associations

Learn between nature and your project.

Determine current evolutionary Select-out natural phenomena that Selection and development of Review available processes for
develpment. cannot be transfered to human application application transfer environmental impact
with current technologies. efficient use of resources sustainability
Analyze
Determine function or process Select the natural form, material, Select a process strategy :
to initiate research. process, function to reference with the least environmental impact
or adapt. with the most efficient use of resources

Determine that are most sustainable

Initiate Orientate Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Production Production Learn Marketing
Product
Project yourself bearing possible
directions
direction possible
connections
connection possible
designs
design strategy development strategy Delivery

Determine
Analyze Natural
Learn Reference
Incorporation of natural reference with industrial design

reveals the bio-Logical innovation process

 bio-Logical innovation Process

Learn Analyze Industrial

Design
Determine

Initiate Orientate Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Narrow Establish Learn Production Production Learn Marketing Product
Project yourself bearing possible
directions
direction possible
connections
connection possible
designs
design strategy development strategy
Delivery

Determine
Analyze Natural
Learn Reference

Open yourself to new perspectives

Connection: associate, relate, combine
Produce
Making the connection - a case study
Designing the next innovation in our modern stapler
 Evolutionary tree of the modern stapler

What is the current evolutionary state of

the stapler?
What is the demand or “human need”

satisfied by a stapler?
 Statement of function or process
“bind 2-20 sheets of paper together”

“puncture”

“store and release one after another”

“stack multiples”
 Natural analogies
binding in nature

puncturing in nature

piercing in nature

stacking in nature
 Affinity diagram ideation
easier removal

smart staple/data storage

recyclable staples

electronic staple
 New demand/need to be satisfied
“organize, group and manage
physical (paper) documents”
 Metaphorical relationship to nature
Manystinging and penetrating
biological appendages leave

something physical imbedded in

the receiving body
Connection made!
 Natural reference
Nematocysts (stinging cells)
&
Insect stingers
 Technical reference
Passive RFID tagging technology
 Smart Stapler
bio-Logical innovation

Networked
Computer Printer

Networked
Digital File Printed
Database Documents

Link Physical
& Digital Smart Stapler System

Smart Stapler
Physical File

Final design
Connection &
Storage Power Via USB

Smart Staple
Stapled
Documents Dock &
RFID Reader/
Transmitter

Smart Stapler (manual operation)

Rubberized Pads

Dock & RIFD Reader / Computer interface

L.E.D. Status indicators

To USB bus-power and data transfer

Antenna for RFID
 Smart Stapler / Staple
system enables user to
tag paper documents
and link it to a digital
database. Tagged
Document

Desktop scenario
(Digital Version)

The dock and receiver

Smart Stapler System enables placed
user to tag
near the file
cabinet will catalogue

paper documents and link all paper documents

itwithin
to aadatabase of
five feet radius.

digital versions.

The dock and receiver placed near the file

cabinet will catalogue all paper documents within

Tagged Document

a five feet radius.

 application of bio-Logical innovation process,
Through the

happenstance natural inspiration becomes

strategic and systematic.
bio-Logical innovation
is a

strategy of innovation.
 ...
Copyright 2005 : Charles Chul kim