Inspired by Nature, an exhibition in Paris created by matériO and produced by Le Lieu du Design, has us thinking about a trend in product design that has been in the works for a few years and is just starting to reach the mainstream -- biomimicry. Biomimicry first made its way onto my radar a few years ago when the movement's founder, Janine Benyus was making the rounds at speaking engagements in New York City. Her talk was widely popular amongst forward thinking, eco-conscious circles and emphasized the potentially powerful and profitable discipline of studying nature’s best ideas and imitating these designs and processes to solve human problems.
Two years, and six books later, Benyus stands at the helm of a rapidly growing discipline that serves the ever-elusive "Triple Bottom Line" (People, Planet and Profit). From paint that mimics the self cleaning agents of flower petals to water turbines shaped like underwater flora and fauna, biomimicry has found its way into marketable applications that benefit all.
Learn more about biomimicry at the non-profit Biomimicry Institute, the consultancy Biomicry Guild or if you are in Paris, check out Inspired by Nature starting March 17, 2010 at Lieu de Design, 74 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris.
Jean Lin
USA Editor, Interiors
[image courtesy of the Biomimicry Institute]