THE PRINCIPLE

Nature makes a great model for new ideas

It’s sometimes called ‘biomimicry’: innovation inspired by nature. One of the best-known examples is Velcro, which was based on the grappling hooks of seeds, but there are plenty of others:

• In order to develop new adhesives, scientists are studying how geckos are able to stick so well to walls.
• The sea cucumber, which normally is soft and pliable but can secrete chemicals to stiffen its skin, has inspired the invention of new plastics that go hard to soft when exposed to water.
• Engineers at Speedo studied shark skin to come up with a new swimsuit (it was worn by most of the medal winners in the 2008 Olympics, including Michael Phelps).
• The quiet operation of the Japanese bullet trains is due to noise-dampening designs mimicking the features of owls and the beaks of kingfishers.

You don’t need to be a scientist or engineer to copy nature, nor are the lessons of nature restricted to high-tech applications. As well as more literal versions of nature, we can use nature symbolically.

For example, consider the caterpillar that emerges from its cocoon and transforms into a butterfly. The model here is a transformation after a period of development. How might we apply this concept?

For my book, Your Writing Coach (published by Nicholas Brealey), I include a code word at the end of each chapter. When you have read the chapter (that’s the development period), you can go to the website (www.yourwritingcoach.com) and type in the code word, which unlocks a series of bonuses, including video interviews with the co-creator of the TV series 24, a book agent and others (this is the transformation into a different source of information).

Another example: if you have an online or offline retail business, how can you let your relationship with customers transform after they have spent a certain amount of money with you? Perhaps at that point they become VIP members of your club and get access to exclusive offers, or they become eligible for a monthly prize draw.

If you want to be inspired by nature, start with a list of things from nature that intrigue you. Then try relating each of these, literally or as a metaphor, to the problem you are trying to solve. You may find that Mother Nature knows best.