On Design Methodology and Practice of Bionics

It has been 50 years since Bionics were first being studied and developed. However, the findings and scholars in Bionics were rather deficient comparing with its developing history, and that made Bionics unable to become a leading subject among all the other disciplines, let alone the achievements of Bionic applications to designing. Under the principle of interdisciplinary research, this study has reviewed the concepts and knowledge system of Bionic design, and further by the given examples of the Biology of crabs, this study has also analyzed a hands-on practice in applying the Biological knowledge to designing. The logic of Bionic design, which is also the ultimate expectation of this study -- is to reload and transform the elements of Biology and technology/material after the comprehension of Biological knowledge. To sum up, this study aims to inference the education approaches of Bionic design, and to construct and analyze the methodology of Bionic design by the achievements of former approaches. Aimed at the third year university students in Taiwan, the hands-on practice revealed the following effects: 1. the designers usually have a good sense on connecting the shape and functions of organism to the product design, and result in a visual completeness. 2. Knowledge of different organisms indeed enriches education, thought and sense, and opens up a new route of designing. 3. Interdisciplinary study is necessary for breaking the closed subjects, and for accepting another new knowledge to widen the view. I believe this worth a better development by more designers and researchers in the future.