Module 2 : Design & Natural Phenomenon
  Lecture 4 : Paradigm in Nature ; About Biomimicry
 

Nature has number of limitations in the evolution process sometime they are even irreversible. Limitations of nature’s evolutions are the followings- 

  • Nature’s evolution is indigenously processed based on the available resources
  • Nature cannot forecast in the design process.
  • The evolutionary design process is based on the local environment and various other conditions.
  • Natural design evolution cannot transport something from distance. It would only adjust and try to make changes on the locally available material and resources.
  • Nature, because of its limited mobility and dependence on the local resource cannot create solve the problem faster.
  • In order to process, rationalized and standardized nature fails to provide solution.
  • On the other hand, machine can rationally standardize the entire process.
  • The predictability in the design process is an essential quality that nature cannot provide.
  • Mass production requires such quality control and standardization.
  • The irony is when try to compare nature with machine in the design process we do not consider the purpose which nature or machine is created.
  • Nature does not have to project its utility and success through mass consumption and consumer market. Whereas, the creation of machine demands such performance. 

(Ref. Wake, Warren K., Design Paradigms A Source for Creative Visualization)

Design Paradigm constitutes basic forms, techniques, and devices upon which design depends. Man-made designs are becoming increasingly less meaningful because machines are now regularly solving problems and designing useful things. Machines can use the backup information to assimilate and give a suitable solution.

The overuse of machine or dependence on machine has drastically reduced the scope of creative variety or uniqueness because machine cannot explore the fundamentals of design paradigm that are available to human beings all around them. Nature cannot produce instant solution.The solution in nature is a slow natural process that may take considerable time. Hence, it will be useful to conclude in our consideration of design paradigm solutions arising from human,evolutionary, and automated process.