Abstraction of Biological Analogies for Design

Biomimetic design uses biological analogies to inspire design concepts. This paper describes a study on selecting and using relevant biological phenomena for design. A hierarchy of forms, behaviors and principles classifies how biological phenomena are presented as potential analogies. The type of similarity achieved between biological phenomena and resulting concepts is affected by the types of information presented in the descriptions of the phenomena. Results suggest that concepts based on strategically similar analogies occur more frequently in the presence of principles that explain the biological phenomena, rather than descriptions of phenomena that focus on forms and behaviors.