Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design discipline that studies nature`s best ideas and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example of this innovation inspired by nature. The core idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with.
Based on nature`s 3.8 billion years of R&D history designers and engineers are developing new products, new materials, new manufacturing systems, enhancing systems flow, and creating effective distribution models... just to name a few. Companies adopting the Biomimicry Guild`s design methodology include: Boeing, City of Seattle, Ecotrust, General Mills, Georgia Tech, Hewlett-Packard, HOK Architects, Nike, Proctor & Gamble, Shell, Seventh Generation and many more.
On this page we have gathered links to online Biomimicry resources, a few examples of companies using nature-inspired design to create sustainable products, and a video of Biomimicry author Janine Benyus.
Register for the Future of Design: Biomimicry Workshop, January 7-9, with E4S and The Biomimicry Guild and put biomimicry to work in your business.
Suggested Links:
Biomimicry Meets Cutting Edge Architecture:Click here to read a recent 2007 article in The Architects Newspaper
Biomimicry Institute www.biomimicryinstitute.org
The Biomimicry Insitute is a non profit established by Janine Benyus, author of "Biomimicry-design inspired by nature", and Dayna Baumeister, co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild. The Biomimicry Insitute supports the education of the next generation of potential Biomimics.
Learn how companies have used principles of Biomimicry to design sustainable products:
email this page to a friend
Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design discipline that studies nature`s best ideas and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example of this innovation inspired by nature. The core idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with.
Reflection