Design and Technology: Guide

​Using Biomimicry as a Design Approach in Design and Technology

Silveira, V. & Mburu, P. K.

Using biomimicry as an approach in a D&T classroom aligns with the National Curriculum framework DfE (2013, p.2) in England which states:

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to use a variety of approaches. For example, biomimicry and user-centred design, to generate creative ideas and avoid stereotypical responses. 

Biomimicry affords a pedagogical approach which places a pupil as a creative thinker and designer working jointly with others on a  real-life design problem. This way of working gives a Design and Technology learner the opportunity to avoid generating product design ideas that are a direct copy of what they are familiar with.

Originating from the professional fields of design and technology, biomimicry is  a process inspired by nature to drive innovation and improve current methods of product design, manufacturing, and life cycles (Benyus, 1997). In other words, biomimicry is the science and art of emulating nature's best biological and sustainable solutions by mimicking patterns and strategies that have been tested through time in nature (Vierra, 2019; Appio et al., 2017). This has led designers to apply biomimicry in everyday products, for example, in designing high speed trains, designers have used a long beak-shaped front nose that mimics the ability of the kingfisher bird in travelling between air and water with minimal splash. Additionally, George de Mestral invention of the Velcro was inspired after observing the easiness it was for burrs to stick to his dog’s hair. Upon studying burrs under a microscope, he noticed the simple design of tiny hooks at the end of the burr’s spines (Goddard, n.d). Indeed, nature often serves as a wellspring of inspiration for human innovation and progress. As Reed et al. (2009) suggests that nature has the capacity to inspire us with new possibilities, akin to how Leonardo da Vinci's study of birds in flight fostered the idea of human flight. However, it's important to note that our advancements in aviation, enabling us to carry heavier loads at greater speeds than birds, did not hinge on imitating the flapping motion of wings. Rather, our progress stemmed from recognising the importance of wings with adaptable curvature in optimising lift and drag across different velocities. Consequently, this approach of imitating nature can be useful in helping pupils grasp design concepts and provides an authentic learning experience in Design and Technology classrooms.

Pupils can be supported to use a biomimicry approach to solve a real-life problem for a client. An example of such a design context could be ‘to design and prototype a range of nature inspired products to be used to encourage wildlife habitation in their school compound’. Teacher support could be applied in different ways, for example:

• Introducing the concept of biomimicry by using examples of informational texts, images, videos of inventions imitating nature.
• Providing intervention materials such as observations in nature that sparks pupils thinking to identify, comprehend and adapt natures strategies.
• Support decision making when designing and making to avoid design fixation.
• Assessment of learning throughout the unit of work, for example by using interdependent decision making (Barlex and Steeg, 2017) parameters. These are stakeholder, conceptual, aesthetic, technical and constructional parameters.

The interdependence of these five areas is an important component of making design decisions. The change of decision within one area will affect some if not all of design decisions that are made within the others. It is the juggling of these various decisions that leads to a clear design proposal which can be achieved to the point of a fully working prototype.

Table 1. An example of a biomimicry-based unit of work interweaved with Barlex and Steeg (2017) interdependent decision-making parameters.

A biomimicry based approach to design and making could be embraced by pupils to develop a range of original and creative nature inspired products, for they value opportunities that involve questioning solutions presented by nature. In addition, incorporating discussions  (before, during and after interventions) that include questions and answering questions for clarification during a biomimicry-based unit of work would mostly lead to pupils producing a prototype that mimics nature and solves a design problem. As a closing activity, students could share their design solution with the class. The context of the department and the resources available to the teacher could influence the outcome of pupils’ use of biomimicry as a design approach.

References and further reading

Appio, F., Achiche, S., Martini, A., & Beaudry, C. (2017). On designers’ use of biomimicry tools during the new product development process: an empirical investigation. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 29(7), 775-789. doi: 10.1080/09537325.2016.1236190

Barlex, D. & Steeg, T. (2017). Re-building Design & Technology. Retrieved June 26, 2022, from David and Torben for D&T: https://dandtfordandt.wordpress.com/resources/re-building-dt/

Benyus, J. (1997). Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York: William

Morrow.

Department for Education (2013). Design and technology programmes of study: key stage 3. Retrieved on 02/01/2024 from https://www.gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-englan...

Goddard, G. (n.d) Biomimetic design: 10 examples of nature inspiring technology. Retrieved on 25/02/2024 from https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/biomimetic-design-10-exam....

Reed, E. J., Klumb, L., Koobatian, M. and Viney, C. (2009). Biomimicry as a route to new materials: What kinds of lessons are useful? Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A., 367 (1893), 1571-1585). http://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2009.0010

Vierra, S. (2019, September 21). Biomimicry: Designing To Model Nature. Retrieved on 02/01/2024, from Whole Building Design Guide: https://www.wbdg.org/resources/biomimicry-designing-model-nature