“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” -Maya Angelou

Butterfly wings are inspiring new technology.

When you picture the first whispers of spring, and the vivid colors of flowers and butterflies in your garden, perhaps your mind doesn’t first go to the study of photonics in butterfly wings.

Now, maybe, it will. 

As a big fan of biomimicry, I was excited to read this 2024 paper about bio-inspired nanostructures based on the photonic structure of butterfly wings. 

It was facilitated by interdisciplinary research and perfectly demonstrates the power of combining fields to bring new insights to tech. 

The best part is that this isn’t the only example of new tech taking inspiration from biology, and today I want to talk to you about how you can look to this same source for inspiration as well.

#1: Define the challenge. 

It’s hard to imagine how to organically translate what you see on a hike or long drive into a ground-breaking new invention. 

If we could all just look at butterfly wings, chameleon skin, anthills, or gecko feet and see new technology, we would not only have a more efficient world, but also one that is more harmonious with the social and environmental forces around us. 

But let’s start with the (seemingly) easy part: identify the challenge. 

What criteria does a potential solution need to meet?

#2: Discover nature’s strategies. 

The number of natural adaptations and weird but cool talents out in the kingdom of plants and animals (let alone fungi, archaea, bacteria, and protists) is daunting. 

How can one begin to whittle it down?

Align your constraints. 

If you are trying to create a new material that can be used in tropical climates to naturally cool indoor spaces, look to species that live in tropical climates, and research how they keep cool. 

Similarly, if you are interested in keeping warm, why not research a species that lives in the Arctic? 

And if you are interested in understanding how to synthesize materials that can manipulate light, look at butterfly wings!

Don’t narrow it down at first, but think in terms of traits- species that live in particular climates, species that can effectively digest toxins, species that hunt with a particular technique, and so on. 

Once you have honed in on some key inspirational figures in your niche of nature, go deeper. Distinguish their strategies, and think about how these approaches would carry over into your own work. 

#3: Abstract the mechanisms. 

This step is where you shift from biology to design by uncovering how the biological system works. 

Don’t just describe what the butterfly does — ask what principle makes it work. 

Focus on function, structure, and interaction with the environment.

In the case of the Morpho butterfly: The shimmering blue of its wings isn’t from pigment but from nanoscale structures that reflect specific wavelengths of light through interference. These microscopic ridges amplify or dampen certain light waves depending on the viewing angle or environmental conditions.

Abstracting that, we can say the mechanisms at play are:

• Responsive color change through microstructure manipulation, not chemical change
  
• Use of light interference to encode or reveal information
  
• Passive sensing (no energy input required)

#4: Translate into a design idea. 

Now take that principle and apply it to a problem you care about. This is where the “bio” becomes the blueprint for your invention. You’re not copying nature—you’re adapting its logic.

With the Morpho butterfly, researchers studied how its wing structures reflect specific wavelengths of light without using pigment, relying instead on nanoscale ridges that manipulate light through interference. 

The key is not to recreate the butterfly’s wing exactly, but to borrow its logic. 

Ask yourself: how could I achieve a similar effect using modern tools like 3D printing or thin-film layering? 

What problem in my domain could benefit from a responsive, low-energy, visually communicative surface? 

Begin with a rough sketch, a simple material test, or even a thought experiment. 

The most important part is taking that natural strategy and reshaping it into something new, useful, and rooted in elegant efficiency—just like nature intended.

Thought To Action 

1. Start a “Future Self” Journal: Write one page from the perspective of your dream self—what are you building, learning, wearing, prioritizing? Use this to guide daily decisions.
2. Identify Your Personal Design Criteria: What makes a task or project feel deeply worth it to you? Make a mini checklist. Use it to evaluate new commitments before saying yes.
3. Create a “Someday Stack” of Ideas: Start a list of odd, impractical, or ambitious project ideas that you don’t have time for yet. This becomes your personal innovation vault.
4. Study Someone Whose Job Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago: Look up someone in a role like climate designer, circularity strategist, or biofabrication artist—and reverse engineer how they got there.
5. Fuel Up With Fiction That Thinks Ahead: Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book this month. Start with something weird. It will stretch your imagination more than any TED Talk ever could.

Sources

The Biomimicry Institute. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved July 13, 2025, from https://biomimicry.org/

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“Biomimicry is…the conscious emulation of life’s genius.”-Janine Benyus

Without using biomimicry, companies spend a lot of effort developing “new and improved” products and services to sell to consumers: a new iPhone, a new car, new sneakers, a new watch. 

It always seems like the best is yet to come. Moreover, it seems like what was the “best” version of a product last year is now barely acceptable. 

But what if perfect designs have already existed for millions of years? What if the most insightful inspiration is available all around us, for free? 

Good news. 

It is.

What is biomimicry?

According to the Biomimicry Institute, biomimicry is “a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies used by living organisms to solve challenges comparable to the ones we face as individuals and societies”.

Let’s unpack this.

Nature has been doing its thing for way longer than we have, and as a result, has had lots of time to make its processes optimally designed for the tasks it is doing.

This means we are in luck, because wherever there are plants, animals, or any other biological entity, there is also a plethora of free inspiration available to inspire efficient design. 

So the challenge is not accessing inspiration from biology but applying it. 

Let’s break this idea of “applying” biomimicry into a few easy steps. 

Applying Biomimicry

#1: Define the Problem Clearly.

• Ask: What specific problem are you trying to solve? Focus on defining it in terms of functional challenges rather than just aesthetic or general inspiration.
• Action: Write out a clear, concise problem statement, emphasizing the functionality you’re aiming to improve (e.g., “designing a structure that is energy-efficient and resilient”).

#2: Identify Natural Models that Solve Similar Problems.

• Ask: Where in nature do organisms solve similar problems? Look for examples in ecosystems, organisms, or processes that align with your functional needs.
• Action: Research organisms or ecosystems known to embody solutions to challenges similar to yours (e.g., termite mounds for natural ventilation, lotus leaves for water repellency).

#3: Study the Biology of the Model in Detail.

• Ask: How exactly does this natural model achieve its function? Get specific about the mechanisms and adaptations involved.
• Action: Break down the biological processes or physical structures at play and take notes on any principles, materials, or patterns that could apply to your design.

#4: Abstract Key Principles From Biomimicry.

• Ask: What is the core principle behind this natural solution? Focus on what you can abstract rather than just copying.
• Action: Extract the underlying principles, such as shape, material properties, or mechanisms, without getting attached to the exact biological form (e.g., spirals for strength, surfaces that minimize drag).

#5: Brainstorm and Prototype Translational Ideas.

• Ask: How can I adapt these principles into practical design features? What form could these take in my design?
• Action: Use sketches, digital models, or small physical prototypes to explore how these principles can be integrated. Aim to keep these iterations quick and experimental to test feasibility.

#6: Evaluate and Iterate.

• Ask: How effective is the biomimetic feature in practice? Does it solve the problem as intended?
• Action: Test your prototype against your initial problem criteria. Evaluate whether the biomimetic feature enhances performance, efficiency, or sustainability. Based on the outcomes, make adjustments or try alternative approaches.

#7: Refine and Implement the Final Design.

• Ask: What additional adjustments or integrations are needed to bring the design to life?
• Action: Integrate the biomimetic features into your final design, ensuring functionality and aesthetics align with the intended purpose. Document your process and insights for future projects.

Let’s Apply Biomimicry. 

After all that, how do you put any of this information into good use?

You can use the flowchart below to begin applying biomimicry to problem-solving in your own life!

Thought to Action 

1. Optimize Natural Lighting: Position workspaces near windows to maximize daylight use, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Use reflective surfaces and light-colored walls to enhance light distribution.
2. Insulation: Improve insulation to minimize heat exchange. Seal gaps around doors and windows to mimic how natural shelters (like bird nests) retain warmth.
3. Iterative Design: In project management, use fractal thinking to test ideas at a small scale before scaling them up. For example, prototype a single feature of a product rather than building the whole system at once.
4. Feedback Loops: Nature’s fractals rely on constant feedback (e.g., coral growth responding to water conditions). Incorporate feedback loops to refine your processes or strategies iteratively.
5. Composting: Repurpose food scraps into nutrient-rich compost for plants, mimicking the nutrient cycles of forests.

Sources

The Biomimicry Institute. (n.d.) What is biomimicry?https://biomimicry.org/inspiration/what-is-biomimicry/

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