A new area of study that is quickly gaining popularity is the approach to innovation that seeks to
solve human challenges by emulating nature’s strategies and patterns and coming up with self-
sustaining solutions. Biomimicry is defined as the contrive and production of systems, structures
and materials that are simulated on biologic procedures and entities. Through this study,
scientists have been trying to improve existing technology as well as innovate new products,
processes and policies that are well adapted to life on earth. Biomimicry seeks to not only help
people learn from nature but also be able to emulate nature's forms, eco-systems as well as
processes so as to create more sustainable and healthier human technologies and designs. This
article will, therefore, seek to show the relation that exist between design departments and
production departments biomimetic companies
A product design is a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system., it is a plan
or drawing that is produced to show the look and functions of a building, garment or other
objects before they are built. Designing structures, systems and materials that are simulated on
biologic entities and processes is a consuming process as one needs to undertake a lot of research
and development before the design is accepted for production. Therefore, designing in the
biomimicry industry is a strategic activity that requires inputs from different parties including the
production department. Production, on the other hand, refers to the act of making or
manufacturing products from raw materials. For the successful interaction of the two
departments, it is essential that the production department is flexible so that it can easily adapt to
the business strategy being adopted.
While these two departments seem quite different, they are highly interrelated and to a large
extent depend on each other. Additionally, the performance of these two departments is critical
to organizations overall performance. The first basic relationship between the design departments
and production departments of biomimetic industries is the fact that the designs developed by the
designing department of companies in the biomimicry industries provide a concept of the project
while the production department executes these designs. Designs are vision oriented and contain
a detailed description of the final product. Designs are created by designers who understand the
evolution of the target market. They demonstrate the level of the brand through their designs. A
design therefore contains a strategic side of things while the production departments of systems
materials and structures, modeled on biological processes and entities takes the conceptual or
strategic solution and implements the mechanical files for solution.
Designing of systems materials and structures, modeled on biological processes and entities in
most cases necessitates considering the functional, aesthetic socio-political as well as economic
dimensions of both the design object and the process. It will always involve research modeling
and thought as well as interactive adjustment and re-design. However, production only entails
the implementation of the design. Production does not require any research rather the board of
the organization or management convenes to set the general rules that guide the production.
modeled on biological entities and processes
Another aspect that shows the relationship between the design departments and production
departments of systems materials and structures, modeled on biological processes and entities, is
that a design is usually created to compete with the competitors that already exist, hence
designers will most likely travel for inspiration, and creating designs, however, production only
involve the transformation of an input to an output. The main objective of a production is to
ensure that the process has achieved an optimal level. The production process does not compete
with any external competitor. Instead, they try to outdo the set targets and goals.
Designing also interrelates with production through the fact that the development of a new
product must also require the development of a prototype to prove that the new technology is not
only working but can also effectively meet the current needs while performing better than the
existing product. This has to be done before committing resources to full-scale manufacture. In
fact, many scholars have stated that production is an integral part of the design process since
designs are usually a problem-solving exercise that is made up of seven stages namely
• Design brief
• Product design specifications
• Concept designs
• Testing
• Detail design
• Production and further testing
• Refinement and sales.
The inclusion of the production process under the design umbrella is important especially in this
new field of biomimicry since the product development of any new product must always follow
a sequential process where the outcome of one stage is passed on to the next stage. This will
tend to lead to an iteration of the design that is beneficial as it will allow for the designer to
easily correct mistakes that have been identified by taking the product back and correcting the
mistakes. Although this might have an effect on the timely delivery of products to the market, it
will go a long way in ensuring that support for the new technology is quickly garnered and
adopted by the customers.
Lastly the relationship between the design departments and production departments of systems
materials and structures, modeled on biological processes and entities can be evinced from the
fact that without the production process what the designers conceptualize will always remain just
an idea and will never be something tangible. The technical knowledge of the production
department is, therefore, pivotal to the design process hence for a product to survive and thrive in
the market, a balance needs to be established to allow for flexibility and growth in this new field
of study so that the designed products fully satisfy the challenges or wants of the customers
while staying true to the biomimicry goal of self-sustenance
In conclusion, the design departments of biomimetic industries and their production departments
are directly related as the production of systems materials and structures, modeled on biological
processes and entities, only produces what the designers have created. Additionally, any
modifications to existing products have to be carried out by the designers before taking them
back to production. The production departments of these biomimetic companies, therefore,
implements the conceptual or strategic plans of the design team. Hence, the two interrelate and
one can’t exist without the other.
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