Biomimicry Process Infographic
(B-Hive)
Biomimicry is an interdisciplinary approach that brings together biology, technology, design, and business. It is a promising methodology, but it’s challenging, and there are few strong case studies that demonstrate the deeply innovative potential of this approach. Creating an ethical product is already a challenge in a system built to extract wealth and health, in addition, practitioners need to break out of silos, communicate complex ideas across disciplines, focus on learning and growth as they work together shared goals.
Here we share lessons learned in an attempt to fast-forward others through some of the challenges. This document captures and shares the experience of B-Hive as they take inspired-by-nature products into the world of business. The pdf can be used as a crash course to biomimicry or as a detailed review of the biomimicry process with a focus on product design and development.
Adaptive Ecosystems conduced research on B-Hive’s process and designed this document based on their feedback. The pdf includes insights from interviews and meetings with the team, independent research as we apply biomimicry to various projects, and lessons learned in applying biomimetic concepts in business.
Introduction
The first page includes an introduction to the team and highlights of what we added to existing theory. and practice
Biomimicry and Business
A big part of the work was in placing biomimicry in a business context and sharing the challenges and opportunities inherent in developing, marketing, and selling a nature-informed product.
Definitions
This page it is a cheat sheet for those beginning or continuing their biomimicry education. It starts with definitions that create a common language.
Scale + Context
As bio-inspired practitioners we constantly shift between scales, from micro-investigations of organisms to considerations of their environment and context. These nested networks connect us to the organisms and ecosystems we study.
Team Composition
Successful teams will need an interdisciplinary mix with skillsets that cover biomimicry, biology, design, technology, and business. Each discipline takes the lead during different parts of the process.
Biomimicry Approaches
Here we’ve documented three commonly-used approaches to biomimicry and the general progression of steps for each one.
Skillset Check
A repeated set of questions help you track whether you have the right skillsets on the team. Diversity and complementarity are key to success, are you encouraging and supporting these traits?
Biomimicry Process
Part 2 includes a detailed process flowchart of the biomimicry process. Here we introduce the flowchart and it’s components.
Biomimicry Flowchart
This is the first page of Part 2 which documents the biomimicry process and considerations for each steps of a nature-informed approach. The flowchart anticipates your next steps which we hope will help you move quickly through some of the tricky bits.
Sample
This page covers two steps of the biomimicry process: ‘Identify Function’ and ‘Define Context.’
Learn More
This document combines B-Hive’s 40+ years of education and experience with nature-informed approaches.
If you’d like to see the rest of the biomimicry process flowchart, you can request a full copy here.