ABSTRACT
The emergence of bio-design within the field of product design is shifting the limits within the discipline. This paper adopts a case study approach and presents a selection of product projects by designers that offer a unique perspective of this practice through primary source material. All of the case study examples are reliant upon biological growth processes and move away from biomimicry to instead explore how living organisms can be utilized by designers as actual material technologies. Parallel to each case study is a brief discussion of the alignment between bio-design and existing well-established design paradigms and methodologies, such as collaborative design and participatory frameworks. This chapter will explore this new material and the manufacturing (production) potential from a product design perspective and place it within current and emerging design frameworks.
