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How can principles of biomimicry be used to inform a human-centered design strategy?
Hello everyone, I’m currently a postgraduate student researching biomimicry and how it can be combined with a human-centered design process. Please share any experience or opinions you have about biomimicry and how human-centered design methods could be used in parallel or integrated with a biomimetic design process. Thank you for your help!
Heather Bybee
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dEg4bkl6cFRoellfRVNWLWdjbkRjU1E6MQ#gid=0
C.J. Ward
Concurrently, I have been having an ongoing debate with my father about the need to re-define Classicism in art and architecture, using the principles of biomimicry. His greatest concern is that we will lose beauty in form if we overly emphasize efficiency in function. Nature wins that particular debate because the majority of the buildings and products based on these principles are things of wonder and beauty, to which all humans respond. I think the real issue here is the need for more reference points between Classicism and the new aesthetic, a steadier progression of bio-design into everyday life so that people may become more accustomed to its beauty of form and function. Right now, this is cutting edge stuff and as such, has a certain elitism attached to it. In other words, it is not firmly rooted in the public consciousness and because of this, most people have no space in which to experience it and consider its merits from a human perspective. The cost and availability of these wondrous technologies can be prohibitive to the budget of most projects and until this changes, the new aesthetic will remain an ideal and not a reality.
Heather Bybee
Thank you for your comments. I hadn’t thought about garden and landscape design from that perspective before. My background is in product design so the way I view biomimcry is biased towards product/user problems and forms. And I am also on the side of efficient and functional things are also beautiful, again very product focused. I think the most beautiful products are ones that are unique in form but also exhibit efficient functionality. I think biomimcry can add greatly to both aspects: making things more beautiful and more efficient/functional.
I agree, I think more needs to be done to progress people into appreciating the value of this new aesthetic. I guess one great thing about biomimicry is that it can be a strategy, a pattern, a technique and those things don’t necessarily have to equal to more expensive and elite things. I think more has to be done from a communication standpoint about who is using biomimicry, why it’s good, and the results its brings. Possibly developing a human-centered biomimetic design strategy is a step to bring more users into a biomimetic design development process, resulting in more people knowing about it.
C.J. Ward
I am researching children's play spaces and am wondering if you know of any bio-mimetic products geared towards children that may be used in a playground, specifically with an educational or interactive element? This would be a terrific opportunity to showcase bio-mimicry while using organic or human-centre design principles. I have an idea forming in my mind that is part interactive science exhibit and part funky fun-house, where exploration and imagination shall find no bounds. I am most particularly fascinated with products and technologies based upon insect bio-mimicry. If there are any bio-mimetic products, technologies, web sites, books, documentaries, talks, et al that you think may be of some use, I would be grateful for your recommendations.
Heather Bybee
I haven't come across any biomimetic toys in my research so far, but I would suggest going to a children's science museum or a natural history museum and looking at the interactive displays there and try and spend some time observing which exhibits seem to be popular and why. I really do like the idea though. Incorporating an educational/fun/biomimetic exhibit or toy has a lot of potential. Maybe it could be combined with an outdoor area where you could also incorporate your knowledge of garden and landscape design. Good luck with your project!
Mark Hurych
One more. Inspired by nature: a recipe for delicious biosphere-friendly cuisine.
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_barber_s_surprising_foie_gras_parable.html
Mark
Heather Bybee
Mark Hurych
What do you MEAN &*@$## HUMANS have @**$!! EMOTIONS!?!! lol Just kidding.
Behavioral aspects. Behavioral aspects. Ouch you made me think again.
wants motivation happiness value
Ouch, BBL,
Mark
Mark Hurych
Principles of biomimicry can best be used to inform human-centered thrivability by matching our greatest needs with the most spectacular problem-solving examples in nature.
An example:
We are essentially poisoning ourselves and depleting the biodiversity and resources available on the planet as we become more and more addicted to the pleasures of "high standards of living." As a bee colony grows, the same thing happens on a small scale. But they are masters at efficiency as well as restraint from the use of deadly force. A worker bee will refrain from stinging and killing a competitor because it is more beneficial to work harder and faster for the good of the hive. It is a very simple solution that we are very reluctant to follow for ourselves among all of humanity. Bees have a kind of built in survival instinct for the group/colony/hive. We need our own collective survival attitude to flourish within us in the form of empathy. (Jeremy Rifkin)
In terms of resource needs, one of our most pressing needs is for energy. We found that oil is efficient and addictive, but problematic for sustainability. Let's look at the example of green plants. Microbes might be genetically programed to make biofuel, or it might be easier for us to learn piggy-back methods of getting energy with solar panels using designs that immitate the structure of leaves (even copied) on a nano scale. I personally hope we work on the nano-structures because it would be so much cleaner to burn hydrogen or generate electricity than to burn something that gives us more waste.
One more example. If we look at closed loops of energy and materials in ecosystems, we have another clue from nature about what we ought to do with our wasteful industrial model of production. Instead of mining raw materials, using them to make products and throwing out waste, we need to keep closed loops as in McDonough's regenerative idea "waste equals food." C2C
Mark
Heather Bybee
Thank you for your reply and insight. I definitely agree with how your biological examples could be beneficial towards improving the lives of humans in a functional way. I also hope that more time and effort can be put in to advancing biological nano-scale structures for alternative energy. But as we know, humans act emotionally as well. Do you think biomimicry can connect with behavioral aspects of human-centered design? (Such as wants, motivation, happiness, value) ....Can biomimicry inform design in a more abstract way?
Mark Hurych
Yes, biomimicry can inform design in a more abstract way. How about the way we get inspired and the way we form organizations that have innovational goals? Well, I’m cheating. This is more about Nature informing our organizational operations. There are 4 abstractly organic components to any organization, even if that organization is the marketing department of a corporation, even if it is the whole of humanity. We need lessons from Nature and we need to thrive and sustain ourselves.
1. divergent parts = diverse membership
2. convergent wholeness = priority envisioned
3. dynamic relationships = open conversations inside and with other organizations
4. self-integrating mode = management from all levels
See Michelle Holliday’s talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUIStx-nZ3I
Mark (whew)
Heather Bybee