Modeling inspiration for innovative NPD: lessons from biomimetics

In biomimetic design, nature - natural phenomena, systems or organisms - is used as a source of inspiration for producing new ideas or concepts. While being widely recommended this approach lacks rigorous analysis and manageable systematization that would be needed in industrial contexts. Better modeling of this process of bioinspiration is a condition for applying bioinspiration to stimulate innovation in a controlled way. This paper presents a model for bioinspiration based on the framework of the C-K design theory. This model was elaborated considering a review of the existing literature on methods for implementing biomimetic design and an analysis of selected biomimetic product development case examples. The results reveal the main roles of biological knowledge in the design process (1) indication of a "design direction", meaning an expansion on the concepts space, (2) indication of knowledge domains where no or few knowledge is available, (3) reorganization of the knowledge base, activating knowledge bases that would not otherwise be activated. This improved understanding of the bioinspiration process outlines more sophisticated and profound conditions that have to be managed for creating value.