This is a hands-on biomimetic design studio in which students will explore several biological themes in building an individual portfolio of design work. The course will include field trips, guest speakers and a science lab exercise at UC Berkeley where we will make and test our own bioplastic. 

The short problem sets comprising the coursework will be based on themes such as self-organization, scale hierarchy, modular construction, environmental stimuli, and optimization. A typical problem set will include an introduction to a natural form, process or system, an explanation of design and biological concepts, and a design exercise that demonstrates or employs an abstract concept in a tangible product or service. All design work will be individual; there will be no team projects in this course.

By the end of the course students should be able to conduct a basic biological literature search, use abstract biological concepts within the framework of traditional industrial design methodology, and be able to employ a bio-inspired design process as an additional technique for innovation in their work.