Robert Suarez, a former senior director at IDEO, was inspired by zebra patterns while on a stroll at the San Diego Zoo to develop digital credit card security. He applied biomimicry, a design approach that borrows from nature to solve problems, to create a pattern that abstracted credit card numbers, making them harder to steal. Biomimicry is the conscious emulation of life’s genius, and it’s often used in physical disciplines like architecture, but less so in digital design. Suarez and other experts believe that biomimicry can be applied to digital design, leveraging principles like those found in nature to solve UX challenges. The approach involves understanding life’s principles, a framework that consists of six core principles and 20 sub-principles, and using natural analogues to solve design problems. Biomimicry can be applied to digital design by emulating natural forms and processes, referencing AskNature.org, and internalizing the principles without feeling the need to explain the underlying biomimetic rationale. Experts suggest starting with simple questions like “What would nature do?” and incorporating natural history books and basic biology into one’s design process. Biomimicry can lead to innovative solutions, such as an energy management system inspired by honey bee swarm patterns and a machine learning model inspired by insect nerve impulses.
Inspiring Innovation through Nature-Inspired UX Design
