Biomimetics for Designers: Applying Nature's Processes & Materials in the Real World

The first visual resource on the rising field of biomimetics targeted at design professionals and students, showing concrete examples of nature’s most fascinating processes and their applications in the real world

This timely overview is the perfect introduction for designers of all disciplines, and a reminder that inspiration may be just down the garden path.

The importance of biomimetics – imitating life’s natural processes – has been known for years. Designers are increasingly looking to the natural world for formal solutions, drawing inspiration from nature’s infinite examples of how to achieve complex behaviours and applications by using simple materials in a clever way.

In the popular imagination, the best-known example of biomimetics is the microscopic ‘hook’ on burrs that led to the development of Velcro, but there are many more applications, from kingfisher beaks inspiring the shape of bullet trains to shark skin being used as a model for advanced swimsuits.

This book presents more than 80 examples, showing each natural phenomenon alongside its application, with an accessible explanation of the biology and the story of the design. While most are concrete examples that have already been developed, others point the way to what might be possible for an enterprising designer, providing a starting point for creativity.

Veronika Kapsali is a Reader in Material Technology and Design at University of the Arts, London. She is also the co-director of MMT Textiles Limited, a company that specializes in biomimetic fibre-based textile technology.