A field guide to

Biomimicry
A brief overview of the core elements
and practice of biomimicry.
 “ Strictly speaking,
there is no such thing
as human nature.

There is only nature

and the very human
expression of it.

Nature then, is not

something out there.
We are of it and in it.
”
A Field Guide to Biomimicry
- Dr. Ian McCallum
Version 01, 2021
© Learn Biomimicry
What is Bios Mimic
biomimicry? = =
Life Imitate
Biomimicry is the practice of learning
from, and then emulating nature’s
genius to solve human problems and
create more sustainable solutions.

Biomimicry is a design and

leadership discipline that seeks
sustainable solutions by emulating
nature’s time-tested ideas.

Biomimicry is a branch of science,

a problem-solving method,
a sustainability ethos, a stance
toward nature, and a new way of
viewing and valuing biodiversity.
Credits for images on opposite page:
Top: Schoeller, Bottom: StoLotusan
“ What can
we learn
FROM
nature? ”
Through studies, articles, documentaries or
other sources, you may have have accumulated
a lot of knowledge ABOUT nature.

Biomimicry is different in that it shifts our lens Biomimicry is

to one where we are learning FROM nature.
a new way of
This shift in the way that we think allows us
to gain more insight, through quieting our
viewing and
cleverness. By learning from nature, we gain valuing nature.
access an entire living library.
 Biomimicry requires (and inspires)
us to be constantly curious...

On a visit to a mall, Dr. Frank Fish (biology professor & biomechanics

expert) noticed a statue of a humpback whale. Seeing the tubercles,
or bumps, on the leading edge of the whale’s fin, he assumed that this
was an error, as it was “common knowledge” that all air / water blades
require smooth edges. But, upon researching this observation with
Laurens Howle (a mechanical engineering professor & fluid dynam-
ics expert) they discovered that tubercled blade designs resulted
in a reduction of drag and improvement in lift – basically the “holy
grail” of fluid dynamics! This meant that blades could move through
the air more easily and with less chance of stalling. The inspired duo
Image credits on this page: WhalePower
partnered with businessman Stephen Dewar to start WhalePower; a
company that creates efficient and effective wind turbines and fans.
Who Biologists, Engineers, Designers,
Businesses... almost anyone!
practices
biomimicry?
The answer to “WHO PRACTICES BIOMIMICRY?” is essentially
“anybody and everybody”! Biomimicry can be applied to any
field from product design to urban design, from businesses to
government to social innovation. It is not limited to any field.
Biomimicry is both an interdisciplinary and a transdiscipli-
nary practice. It generally works best when there are a mix of
skill-sets. Biomimicry can be just a tool in your general tool-
box, or a specialised skill, or the main focus of your work.

Integration
of expertise
Why practice Organisms and ecosystems
face the same challenges
biomimicry? that we humans do,
but, they meet those
challenges sustainably.

Whatever the design challenge, the odds are high that one
or more of the world’s 10 million+ creatures has not only
faced the same challenge, but has evolved well-adapted,
effective strategies to solve it.

Organisms and ecosystems can provide us with innovative

and progressive solutions to the design, engineering,
business & innovation challenges that we now face: energy,
food production, clean water, benign chemistry, information
systems, packaging and more.

The long-term vision is to create products,

processes, organizations, and policies – new ways
of living – that are well-adapted to life on earth.
Seeing nature Using nature as your:

through a MODEL
new lens
When we EMULATE nature, we look to nature as a MODEL for
our designs. There are millions of species with billions of years
of experience resulting in great design models for structures,
blueprints, recipes, etc.. that we can “reverse engineer”.

Nature as:
MODEL | MEASURE | MENTOR
The practical tool:
Biomimicry Thinking Methodology

Nature as
inspiration

model

measure mentor
Using nature as your: Using nature as your:

MEASURE
After 3.8 billion years of evolution, nature has learned what
works, what is appropriate, and what lasts. Every organism
and ecosystem contributes to nourishing life. Can this be our
compass too? In biomimicry, we evaluate our designs using
an ecological standard, informed by nature’s genius. E.g.
Biomimicry’s Life’s Principles could be used as design bench-
marks, or a Genius of Place review can provide ecological
performance standards.
MENTOR
Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature.
When we look to nature as our mentor we reconnect to the
genius of nature and apply biomimicry thinking at a different
level – e.g. Biomimicry’s Life’s Principles could be used as
aspirational ideals for our designs, or simply asking “how does
nature do x?” and digging deeper by asking why and how to
improve understanding and enable deeper biomimicry.

The practical tools: The practical tools:

Life’s Principles & Ecological Performance Standards Life’s Principles & learning FROM nature

Ecological Aspirational
standard ideals

model measure

mentor measure mentor model

The 3 Seeds Seed 1:

of biomimicry
EMULATE | ETHOS | RECONNECT
These 3 elements represent the core values and essence
of biomimicry. They also describe three different avenues
through which a person might come to biomimicry.
EMULATE
Emulation is what we know of as the action of biomimicry –
it’s what we read about in case studies. The practical
methodology of HOW to practice biomimicry fits here.
Emulation takes place on 3 different levels (which can be
used independently or in combination). We’ll cover these
in the next section.

Practical
methodology

emulate
re
c on
os ne
eth ct
Seed 2: Seed 3:

ETHOS
This is essentially the WHY of biomimicry. It is the
intention and ethics behind the practice of biomimicry.
“It represents our respect for, responsibility to, and
gratitude for our fellow species and our home planet.
It comes from a deep-seated belief that humans are one
of many species populating the planet, each with their
own inherent right to survive, and that our survival
ultimately depends on their survival.”
RECONNECT
Reconnect refers to how our human-nature connection
is enhanced when we explore the biology that is inherent
in the practice of biomimicry. It’s about going outside and
discovering nature’s genius and the deep connections
that we have with the natural world. It can also refer to
how different disciplines, that don’t typically work together,
reconnect in the practice of biomimicry.

(Credit: The Biomimicry Handbook, The Biomimicry Institute)

Essence of Discover
our intention connections
emulate

emulate
re re
s c on co
ho ne os nn
et ct eth ec
t
The 3 levels Emulating

of emulation FORM
Natural forms, shapes & patterns have evolved to be some
of the most effective at achieving specific functions. When we
emulate natural form it can lead to innovative improvements in
our designs that are often far more effective at achieving the
desired functions. We can emulate nano, micro, meso or macro

FORM | PROCESS | SYSTEM forms with a multitude of benefits to human designs - but they
may not necessarily be sustainable.

Example below: The PAX Lily Impeller mimics

the shape of vortex flows, used by fluids in nature

Shapes and
physics
Emulating
PROCESS
Nature’s physical and chemical processes have evolved
over eons to be well adapted and life-friendly. When we
emulate these processes we can realise innovative and life-
friendly solutions to design challenges such as life-friendly
chemistry, materials manufacturing at low temperature
and pressure, etc. When we combine biomimetic form with
the recipes for how nature achieves these forms - we may be
able to realise what we strive for in the ethos of biomimicry.
Example below: Blue Planet building materials
mimic the recipe and building process of hard corals
Green
chemistry
Emulating
SYSTEM
Systems in nature include: neurological systems, super-
organisms, networks, nutrient cycles, ecosystems, etc.
These systems have evolved over eons to be optimally effective.
Learning from nature’s systems provides insights into the
design of more effective and innovative systems including:
information systems, energy grids, urban designs, materials
cycling , water management, organisations and much more.
When we apply biomimicry at a systems level we can have
a significant impact on the design of our world.
Example below: Kalundborg Industrial symbiosis
mimics closed-loop value cycles found in nature
Distributed
networks
Life creates “Organisms surf the opportunities in their
habitat while respecting the limits… managing

conditions
these feats with a beguilingly simple set of
common raw materials, procured locally,
manufactured at body temperature and pressure,

conducive processed silently in water.

to life
At the end of their useful life, these materials
are re-gathered and reconfigured by other
organisms, upcycled again and again with the
energy of the sun.

When we are able to emulate at all three levels: form, process and
The tightly-knit forests, corals, tundras, and
system, we begin to learn from the deeper genius of nature to grass-lands of this planet are the envy of all
achieve well-adapted and life-friendly designs, ones that create
of us who thirst for a sustainable and equitable
conditions conducive to life.
world. As communities, they not only create,
This may seem like a big ambition for our designs, but when we but continually heal and enhance their places.
realise that all other organisms and ecosystem on Earth achieve
Our places, too.
this – it must be achievable for our designs too.

This quote sums up the essence of Life’s Principles: What better models could there be?”

Janine Benyus – Biomimicry Primer, 2009

The how of The framework

biomimicry
The 4 key stages in the Biomimicry Thinking /Design
framework are as follows:

EXPLORING, DISCOVERING, CREATING AND EVALUATING

This section covers the practical tools and

• Exploring: an exercise involving the identification of the
methodology of biomimicry.
core challenge and context, prior to designing a solution.

• Discovering: the process of exploratory research to

seek biological inspiration for solutions.

• Creating: an exercise in pursuing creative design solutions

Explore Discover for the challenge, based on the findings above.

• Evaluating: an exercise to measure, evaluate or estimate

the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of a
particular solution.

There are many ways to depict the iterative / cyclical / spiral

nature of this process. Design is fluid, and these categories
of exploring (or scoping), discovering, creating and evaluating
are not a set of linear steps with instructions, but rather the
Evaluate Create different components that need to happen throughout any
biomimicry design process.

Note: this is our distilled diagram of the biomimicry methodology phases.

Biomimicry3.8 and the Biomimicry Institute have their own versions,
and you can use any of these – the core approach is the same across all.
Approach 1:
BIOLOGY
TO DESIGN
New products, services or systems are designed,
based on inspiring natural models.
This approach is appropriate when your process is initiated by
an inspirational biological insight (including a Life’s Principle)
that you are driven to emulate in design. E.g. New solar panel
technologies are being designed as a result of researching how
leaves convert sunlight into energy.
Approach 2:
CHALLENGE
TO BIOLOGY
An existing design challenge looks to nature
for solutions.
This approach is useful for scenarios where you want to address
a specific problem and seek biological insights for the solution.
E.g. New types of plastic are being designed after searching for
how organisms (e.g. fruit) manage the challenge of “protect from
living threats” and “build with life-friendly chemistry”.
 Approach 1:

BIOLOGY
TO DESIGN

www.interface.com/US/en-US/about/modular-
system/TacTiles-Glue-Free-Installation

Top: Interface Tac-Tiles

1. DISCOVER: Uncover interesting adaptations, strategies
Left: Gecko foot
and mechanisms of your natural model. Right: Spatulae on toes
2. EXPLORE: Identify the functions and context of your
natural model, and bridge to human contexts.

3. CREATE: Abstract the relevant Design Principles from

the biology findings, and brainstorm ideas that
could work in your human contexts.

5. EVALUATE: Measure your ideas against Life’s Principles,

and revise them as necessary.
Credit: UMass Amherst
 Approach 2:

CHALLENGE
TO BIOLOGY

Credit: Adaptive Surface Technologies adaptivesurface.tech

1. EXPLORE: Identify the functions, context and parameters Top: Nonstick coating
of your human design challenge. Left: Pitcher plant, inside
Right: Coating mechanism
2. DISCOVER: Find natural models who match your criteria,
and find their strategies and mechanisms.

3. CREATE: Abstract the relevant Design Principles from

the biology findings, and brainstorm ideas that
could work in the challenge context.

4. EVALUATE: Measure your ideas against Life’s Principles,

and revise them as necessary.

Credit: Adaptive Surface Technologies

NOTE: Sections 1 – 6 hereafter are all “Challenge to Biology”
1. IDENTIFY FUNCTION 1. IDENTIFY FUNCTION
NATURAL MODEL | FUNCTION | HUMAN DESIGN
(Noun) (Verb) (Noun)

CACTUS | STORE LIQUIDS | DAM

A critical starting step in biomimicry is to establish a bridge

between the biological organism/system to the human design
application.

The bridge we use is based on what the design or organism

is doing (the verb), not what it is (the noun).
FIREFLY | ILLUMINATE | LIGHT BULB
There is a common language in the action of the natural
model and the design (what they are doing; verb), but seldom
in the name (what they are; noun). In biomimicry, we call this
action (verb) the FUNCTION.

All functions can be described as a verb, e.g. provide shelter,

create colour, cushion impact, communicate, avoid collision,
lubricate, manage storm water, etc.
SHARK SKIN | MANAGE BACTERIA | STERILE SURFACE

This can work in both directions: Biology to Design: identify

the function of the organism and then look for where we need
similar functions in our designs. Or, Challenge to Biology:
identify the function of our designs and look for organisms/
systems in nature that perform similar functions.
Biomimicry taxonomy
The Biomimicry Taxonomy was created as a way to sort
biological information according to FUNCTION (what the
organism is doing, rather than what it is). A taxonomy is
a classification (or sorting) system.

Typically biological textbooks are arranged according to

species, type of biology (micro, macro, cellular, marine,
biochemistry, etc.). It is difficult to search biological literature
when you are searching around FUNCTION. For example,
if we searched for: “How does nature FILTER WATER?”
we would find organisms and ecosystems from across the
board of different biological texts e.g. flamingoes, bacteria,
whales, wetlands, jellyfish, kidneys, etc.

It is for this reason that the biomimics at Biomimicry3.8

and The Biomimicry Institute, have created tools that sort
relevant biological literature according to FUNCTION.

These include:
1. The Biomimicry Taxonomy:
A comprehensive list of the functions of organisms and
ecosystems in nature, and just about every human challenge
to be solved using biomimicry should have a corresponding
function on the taxonomy.

2. AskNature.org:
A digital textbook of biological references and biomimicry
strategies sorted according to the biomimicry taxonomy.
Go to: www.asknature.org
Download from Ask Nature
2. DEFINE CONTEXT 2. DEFINE CONTEXT
In which contexts does your function operate –
where, when, how, who, etc.?

“ While understanding FUNCTION can bring

Context examples:
insight to the challenge, it does not guarantee
Temporal Scale
that the solution will be viable. Similarly, while
it broadens the solution space considerably, it
can actually create a space too vast to explore
reasonably. This is where CONTEXT comes in.”
- Biomimicry Resource Handbook (View here)
Distribution Industry

For example, almost every organism on the planet carries out

the function of “regulate temperature”, so that opens up the solution
(inspiration) space to be impractically vast. However, there are far
fewer natural models that “regulate temperature” in the same
CONTEXT that your design will be in. This filter helps to narrow
Location Financial
down the list of natural models to choose from.

It’s also important to recognise of course, that the actual and

critical context is the larger context of planet Earth. Integrating
Biomimicry Life’s Principles into the design brief helps to take
into account this larger context.

Manufacture PLANETARY BOUNDARIES!

By asking:
“What do I want my design to DO?”, and
“Under what conditions/ context does it need to do this?”
we begin to think differently about a design.
3. DISCOVER NATURAL
MODELS
Go outside
Ask a biologist
Biological books & journals
Asknature.org & other websites
3. DISCOVER NATURAL
MODELS
DISCOVER is where the key lessons from nature come in.
This is the phase where you find answers to your question:
“How does nature [FUNCTION] in [CONTEXT]?”
In most other design processes, some form of Discovering generally
follows the Exploring (Scoping). What makes the biomimicry process
different is that you include models from nature into your discovery.
Searching for those organisms/systems that meet your FUNCTION
& CONTEXT criteria, narrows down your search from 30 million
species to a far more manageable size.
The discovery of natural models is done by getting out into nature
physically, by combing scientific literature, reading popular natural
history literature, exploring internet sites, watching relevant nature
documentaries, or by using the Ask Nature website. You can also
collaborate with biologists: find naturalists and biologists at your
local university, school, natural history museum, zoo, nature centre,
etc. and ask them how nature would solve your challenge.
This type of research can be done by anyone, or it can be out-sourced
to professional biomimics who specialise in this kind of research.
4. ABSTRACT THE 4. ABSTRACT THE
DESIGN PRINCIPLE DESIGN PRINCIPLE

What is it doing?
>
BIOLOGICAL BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTED
STRATEGY MECHANISM DESIGN PRINCIPLE
How is it doing this?
> Principle in generic terms
Once you have found a natural model – an organism/ ecosystem
that has a strategy you are interested in – it will almost definitely
be described in biological terms.

Although this may inspire you with an idea, in general, it helps to

be sure the inspiration is accurate and to take the time to distil the
relevant component and translate it into a design idea.

Humpback whale easily Tubercles on leading edge Bumps on leading edges This step is also a translation step – in that you are translating the
makes sharp turns in the of the whale’s fins cut break up fluids - reduce drag
open water through the water & increase lift
biology into design. In biomimicry, we call this ABSTRACTING the
DESIGN PRINCIPLE.

Abstracting means to extract or remove something. So we extract

the key principle we are interested in from the biology.

A principle is a general or fundamental (often a scientific theorem or

Natural ecosystems have Food webs and green Benign chemistry and key
no (harmful) waste. chemistry allow for system- relationships allow for
law) that is the foundation of how something works and has numerous
wide nutrient (up)cycling closed-loop value cycling applications across a wide field.

SCALES FOR DESIGN PRINCIPLES: When we abstract a principle from biology, it may be applied in
many different designs in many different fields. We usually abstract
LEVEL the principle from biology and translate it into design language so
Form Process System that it is useful for a designer.
We then call this the DESIGN PRINCIPLE.
INTERPRETATION
Literal Metaphorical

SIZE
Nano Micro Meso Macro

APPLICATION
Generic Specific
5. CREATE DESIGNS
THE DESIGN PROCESS:
1. ABSTRACTED DESIGN PRINCIPLE
The abstracted design principle is
the idea that can be emulated in
design. Diagrams are very use-
ful to visually represent design
principles. This image shows the
design principle of the mecha-
nism of the function of tubercles.
5. CREATE DESIGNS
This is the phase where we take the information we discovered
in the phase before and begin to brainstorm and refine a solution
to our design challenge.
Using the abstracted design principle as a basis, brainstorm some
ideas for your design solution. Numerous models and abstracted
design principles can be integrated into your design. Keep in mind
the distilled function and context of your challenge.
Use systematic processes for brainstorming and creativity.

2. DESIGN IDEA
The design idea is the specific
application of the design prin-
ciple. In this case it is the ap-
plication of the design principle
of tubercles to a wind turbine
blade. Other design ideas could
be the application to aeroplane
wings, etc.
Design Thinking processes are helpful for ensuring all ideas are
captured and managed well in the Creating phase, and even to test
your ideas through prototyping.
Bringing biomimicry into the Creating phase has the potential to
generate truly innovative designs, and even help to SOLVE DIFFICULT
CHALLENGES that have eluded solutions by many.
Nature’s strategies may also reveal why existing solutions don’t
work as well as expected, or may reveal new ways of thinking
about the challenge.

3. FINAL PRODUCT
The final biomimicry product is
the design idea as tested and
proved in a product for a specific
application. Here is an image of
a WhalePower wind turbine that
has been tested and proved as a
final product.
6. EVALUATE 6. EVALUATE

As for any design processes, you will have an evaluation step.

In biomimicry design processes, the evaluation phase adds
Life’s Principles as an evaluation tool.

Biomimicry evaluating is essentially ensuring you’ve designed

with the larger Earth context and Systems Thinking in mind. It is
a check to ensure that your design passes a sustainability & resilience
test, as well as a check for missed limits and opportunities.

The Biomimicry Life’s Principles checklist is not designed as a yes/

no kind of tool, but rather encourages you to ask questions around
each: “How well, if at all, does your design [...]?” If your design does
not match a principle well, or at all, this needs to be addressed by
reconsidering this again in the Creating phase.
Curious? Want to take your biomimicry
learning journey further?

Start now with our 3 online short courses – then take the
next step and apply biomimicry to your personal context
with our Biomimicry Practitioner / Educator Programme.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE

www.learnbiomimicry.com

A Field Guide to Biomimicry | Version 01, 2021 | © Learn Biomimicry