Nature offers boundless inspiration for sustainable design, but how do we access the wealth of biological information available and apply it effectively to design? This course provides an introduction to biomimicry, a discipline that emulates nature’s best ideas and blueprints in order to solve human design challenges sustainably. Each week will include three lessons following one of three main themes: Biomimicry Basics, Observing Nature, and Biomimic’s Design Studio. A typical lesson will include an introduction to the topic, readings, and an (ungraded) assignment. Your coursework will include getting outside to explore nature and learning a key biomimicry design concept that you’ll then apply to develop a novel biomimetic design. This introductory course is primarily self-directed, with peer-to-peer feedback and engagement. An instructor will be present to facilitate and provide guidance, but individual feedback will be limited.mmm