An Approach to Incorporate Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Means to Include Biomimicry within Industrial Design

Abstract

Biomimicry is most commonly defined as “innovation inspired by nature.” Biomimicry has the potential to make industrial design more sustainable, but has yet to be fully realized within the industrial design process and community. There are defined approaches to using biomimicry, but none specifically dedicated to applying biomimicry in industrial design, and this thesis aims to address this challenge. Typically, industrial designers begin with a design brief, move onto the research phase, and then ideate and test design solutions from there. However, in many biomimetic design solutions, inspiration precedes the brief, possibly posing a challenge to industrial designers looking to nature for solutions post-design brief. Combining aspects of existing biomimetic methods, industrial design methodology, and considering growing AI workflows, a new approach to biomimetic design is developed that incorporates generative artificial intelligence technology to strategically include biomimicry in industrial design.