Abstract

Various systematic approaches to generation of bionic design concepts, following an analytical direction that involves seeking inspiration in nature to solve a given problem, have been proposed. Three such methods were analysed considering their perceived ability to support the attainment of five design goals. The latter were deemed representative of the high level aims sought by those using bionic approaches to design, even if not every single goal considered is necessarily sought in every project. A major shortcoming that was found, concerning the approaches scrutinized, is that these rarely prescribe any verification procedures regarding the level of attainment of the goals sought. Hence, in order to support the use of those methods, within systematic approaches to design, a validation itinerary is proposed, encompassing the five goals identified for bionic design. The paper also presents the deployment of the validation process proposed within a design case study, consisting of a novel CD shelf, which is inspired on the spider-web.