Bionics in Actions: The Design Work of Franco Lodato

The book was written by Jens Bernsen, follows Lodato's career designing consumer products ranging from shaving razors to mountain climbing axes to frying pans to mobile phones, while demonstrating consistency of design philosophy even among the most diverse products. Says Bernsen: "Writing this book was a gift. Franco Lodato is unique as a designer because he is deeply committed to the idea of using the designs of nature - physical, chemical and electric - as a source of his designs, rather than simply paying lip service to this idea. Lodato is to the design world what Santiago Calatrava and Renzo Piano are to the world of architecture." "Bionics draws from the simplicity, efficiency, functionality, and beauty of design in nature and applies these principles to the design of everyday things," said Franco Lodato, IDSA, now VP Design Exploration and Development for Herman Miller Inc. and subject of the book. "No matter what product you are designing, nature is always the best database. There is more in the world to be discovered than there is to be invented." Examples of bionics at work in nature include the camouflaging effect of zebras' stripes, which are designed to confuse their prey yet help young zebras recognize their mothers. The opposite effect holds true for flowers, which are brightly colored to attract bees. Each is a communication method with a purpose and function as well as an aesthetic appeal. At Motorola, Lodato worked on future concepts such as wearable computing systems that integrate wireless goggles with mobile phones and the development of the Birdcage 75, a seamless integrated technology car for Maserati and Pininfarina .The result is a new class of products so elegant and inconspicuous that they are evolving into wearable communications devices, such as goggles that show holographic displays, take pictures, and transmit audio. These future technologies may one day be integrated within the human body, according to Lodato.