Levels of Access to Biomimetics

The bio-inspired approach, whether applied to product, service, or material design, offers various levels of engagement with nature’s information transfer. Biomimetics can draw inspiration from biological systems through different lenses, starting with the most intuitive and accessible aspects, such as formal and external characteristics, and extending to more intricate realms involving behaviors like self-organization and learning. When designing biomimetic products, it is crucial not only to precisely define the organisms of reference but also to specify the biological traits and functionalities being incorporated, as well as the depth of engagement with nature’s principles. This chapter aims to introduce a structured interpretative framework and design methodology for biomimetic projects, based on different access levels to biomimetics: aesthetic-morphological, generative-constructional, structural, material, dynamic, physiological, communication, and behavior and organization levels. For each of these levels, we will provide descriptions of biomimetic products developed within the Hybrid Design Lab to illustrate and elucidate the interpretative framework.