This is our fourth and final installment of a case study developed to highlight PatternFox’s Biologically Inspired Design (BID) methodology while pursuing the design question: What can nature teach us about designing transport packaging for a decentralized delivery system? If you are new to this blog series, or need a refresher, you can find all…
Read MorePatternFox, has been developing a BID case study to illustrate how we apply a rigorous design method, as well as to learn about one particular important problem we believe can be addressed using biology: What can nature teach us about designing transport packaging for a decentralized delivery system? Part I of our case study introduced…
Read MoreIn this Part II of our case study, we continue to pursue the answer to the question, What can nature teach us about designing transport packaging for a decentralized delivery system? Part I of our case study focused on understanding the current system in which the problem exists and why the problem is a problem. …
Read MoreI don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I say that e-commerce has changed the way every one of us shops. From browsing and vetting products before in-store purchases to buying and shipping direct to our homes, the way we buy goods has changed. In 2017, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) online sales accounted for 7% of…
Read MoreSo, you have a problem, and you need a solution. You heard about biologically inspired design (BID) at a recent conference, and while it has piqued your interest, you’re not exactly sure it’s the right approach for your particular challenge. How do you know if you have a “good” BID problem? As a PatternFox Co-founder,…
Read MoreBiology, of course, is essential to biologically inspired design. It is the source of basic principles, solutions, if you will, that are used to generate a product or process. Ideally, the different ways that natural vs. human-designed products accomplish function is what makes biological knowledge both necessary and valuable. But, developing a product is an…
Read MoreProponents of biologically inspired design (a.k.a. bionics, biomimetics, nature-inspired design, etc.) suggest that the method holds great promise for innovative design, often with emphasis on sustainability. Successful designs range widely across domains, including novel nanoscale materials, more sustainable “green” chemistry, high performing mechanical systems and sensors, waste minimizing infrastructure ecosystems, and more efficient and robust…
Read MoreBio-utilization, biomimetics, biologically inspired design. What’s the difference? Why should we care? These terms all convey the use of biology to solve human challenges, and the relationships between biology and human technical problems. Yet, each term is subtly different and emphasizes a different type of relationship. These shifts in emphasis change the role of biology…
Read MoreWhen you and physics disagree, physics wins. Biologically inspired design (BID) can provide tremendous innovation in product design and development, but not every instance of bio-inspiration is destined for success. Even when the biology appears to align closely with a design challenge, it may not yield an effective solution. It all comes down to…
Read MoreMother Nature has been experimenting on her own designs for eons and many are looking to capture insights from evolution. Biologically inspired design (BID), which is a process of translating biological mechanisms to innovative solutions, is gaining a lot of traction for research and development. Some are turning to biology as a source of innovation;…
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