What if curiosity were the key to unlocking endless possibilities and breakthrough innovation?
At TGG, we live by our core value of Insatiable Curiosity. It drives us to explore the unknown and push the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s the spark that ignites our creativity and propels us forward, helping us evolve and adapt in this ever-changing world. Whether it’s expressed in daily interactions, trendsetting, or globetrotting, curiosity is in our DNA.
Check out our first TGG team member Op-Ed in our new “Staying Curious” blog series…
Biomimicry as Inspiration to Fuel New Product Development
by Melanie Humphrey, Lean Researcher
As most of you know, our approach to divergent ideation is anchored in Associative Thinking – the brain’s natural process of collecting and connecting lots of dots. Since my role at The Garage Group is gathering thought-provoking examples of how similar problems are being solved in analogous ways, one of my favorite places to find inspiration is nature.
I always start with the prompt “How might nature be solving a similar challenge?” regardless of the industry or client problem our team has worked for weeks on defining. Biologist and author Janine Benyus is credited with coining the term “biomimicry” which the Biomimicry Institute defines as “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.”
One of the most “sticky” examples of Biomimicry in practice is one we often share with clients to show the power of dot connecting from multiple sources – borrowing inspiration from a woodpecker to solve the protection of brainstems in hopes of curbing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Researchers looking to prevent brain injuries and concussions in football players turned to nature, and explored how a woodpecker withstands all that head banging. Woodpeckers have a long tongue that wraps around the top of their head and circles the jugular vein. This increases blood volume and creates a bubble wrap effect which keeps the brain from sloshing.
Today, athletes playing contact sports – including my nephew – are turning to the Q-Collar to help protect their brains on athletic fields and courts. Solutions such as the Q-Collar fascinate and excite me since nature has overcome many of the same obstacles and challenges we face today!
“Other organisms, the rest of the natural world, are doing things very similar to what we need to do. But in fact, they’re doing them in a way that have allowed them to live gracefully on this planet for billions of years.” – Janine Benyus, TED Talk: Biomimicry in Action
I’m currently inspired by…
- The way crocodiles deploy transparent membranes to protect their eyes while still enabling vision.
- Small projections over a large surface area on their toe pads enable geckos to adhere to and scale surfaces.
- Hydrophobic microscale bumps make the leaves of the sacred lotus plant self-cleaning.
- Hermit crabs use a social networking behavior called “synchronous vacancy chains” to exchange shells as they grow. They organize themselves by size and encourage the efficient distribution of limited, reusable shells, saving time and energy.
A few weeks ago, I walked into my local hair salon and the first thing I noticed was a display for K18 Hair Science touting it as “biomimetic hair care.” K18 uses a peptide that has a similar size and structure to natural keratin to help restore damaged hair. The brand has been touted by celebrities and influencers and went viral on TikTok. Yearning to understand the meaning and benefits of biomimetic hair care, I asked the salon’s professionals about K18 and one shared – in great technical detail – that she sees it as a competitive advantage since the products’ peptides mimic biology and attach themselves to hair and stay rather than being washed out.
K18 is not alone, as other beauty and personal care brands are beginning to harness the principles of biomimicry in the formulation of new products. And across CPG categories, these brands are leaning into nature and its processes for inspiration:
- Skincare brand Freaks of Nature has launched two products that work together to address the unique needs of athletes.
- Beekman 1802’s Milk RX line uses biomimicry to enhance skin health and longevity by incorporating goat milk exosomes and reneseed polypeptides in their formulas. These mimic natural processes to improve skin function.
- Taking inspiration from the regenerative properties of pea sprouts, the ingredients used in Better Roots Growth Support Shampoo include biomimetic peptides and Pea Sprout Extract to help reactivate hair growth.
- Cadence offers modular, leakproof, magnetic travel containers which fit together for efficient and simplified portability. The flexible, interchangeable design was inspired by the honeycomb whose hexagonal makeup uses space efficiently and is strong.
- INIKIN natural volcanic mineral water uses biomimetic nanofiltration membranes to help ensure the mineral water’s purity.
- GreenPod Labs created sachets that release natural compounds to activate the immune systems of fruits and vegetables after harvest. This process was inspired by the way plants naturally defend themselves and can extend the shelf life of produce by 40 to 60 percent, without cold storage.
Curious about biomimicry and how nature can inform and inspire innovation? Reach out! Our TGG team would be eager to help.
