Course Information

Learn from nature. Create for the future.

This self-paced online course introduces you to Bio-Inspired Design – a creative approach that takes cues from nature to develop sustainable, forward-thinking solutions. Whether you're a designer, maker, engineer, or just curious about how the natural world can inform human innovation, this course gives you the tools to reimagine your process and design smarter.

Start today and discover how nature can transform the way you think, create, and solve problems.

Is This Course Right for You?

This course is ideal for:

  • Designers, artists, and creative professionals exploring sustainable methods
  • Engineers and innovators interested in applying natural systems to modern problems
  • Educators and students looking to embed sustainability into design thinking
  • Anyone who wants to bring creativity and ethics together in their work

No prior experience in bio-design is needed – just an open mind and a willingness to explore.

By the End of This Course, You’ll Be Able To

  • Define Bio-Inspired Design (BID) and its role across industries
  • Identify key principles from nature that support innovation
  • Use the Double Diamond model to guide your design process
  • Conduct hands-on research and develop prototypes
  • Create a personalised plan to implement BID in your own work
  • Build confidence in applying sustainable design thinking to real-world challenges

Why Choose This Bio-Inspired Design Course?

  • 100% online and self-paced – fit it around your schedule
  • Taught by expert tutor Dr. Veronika Kapsali, a leader in sustainability and biomimicry
  • Hands-on creative tasks and a final Design Challenge project
  • Optional forum participation and personalised tutor feedback
  • Justice-informed approach, aligned with UAL’s sustainability and equity values

How the Course Works

Once enrolled, you’ll access the course through our easy-to-use Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The course is broken into 5 lessons, with short video chapters, hands-on activities, reflective journal prompts, and a final portfolio task.
You can start anytime and work at your own pace – we recommend 1–2 lessons per week, finishing in around 4 weeks.

You can also preview part of the course before enrolling using Guest Access – perfect for seeing the structure and tone before making a commitment.

Dr. Veronika Kapsali

Dr. Veronika Kapsali is a designer, researcher and author with a specialism in biomimicry and textiles. Her work explores how nature’s patterns, processes, and structures can inspire more ethical, effective design. She developed this course to empower learners to build future-facing practices grounded in creativity and sustainability.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

  • A sketchbook or drawing paper
  • Pens/pencils for idea generation
  • A computer, tablet, or phone with internet access
  • Optional tools for presenting ideas (e.g. Canva, PowerPoint, poster board)
  • Access to online resources for research (we’ll guide you)

Justice-Informed Creative Thinking

This course reflects UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social, and Racial Justice You’ll be encouraged to explore inclusive, ethical, and regenerative approaches to design – drawing from nature while imagining sustainable futures for people and planet.

What You’ll Walk Away With

By completing the course activities and submitting your final Design Challenge, you’ll earn a Certificate of Completion. This can be used to:

  • Enhance your creative portfolio
  • Support job applications or further academic study
  • Showcase your commitment to sustainable design practices

Not Sure Yet? Preview the Course

Explore before you enrol! With Guest Access, you can browse a read-only version of the course handbook and view introductory content. It’s a great way to get a feel for the course structure and experience.

Selected Feedback

General

Very relatable and broader contextualises BID in relation to fashion, furnishings and popular culture 

Glossary is in-depth enough without being overwhelming 

Lesson 1

Interesting socially contextualising what a material is and how it exists in the world within different socio-political contexts 

Good summary near the end of how bio-inspired design practices differ from/go beyond sustainable design, and how we respect the balance of life on earth 

Lesson 2

Range of references are rich, such as the clock as a simple, universal example which shows how bioinspired design is actualised through something domesticated and in our homes

Strong recap back to BID and end question for student to reflect on their design processes 

Lesson 3

Great linking back from the chemical processes behind this and back into biodesign context 

Lesson 4

Interesting as typical idea of gradients in design is colour 

Interesting breaking down the different layers of textiles, from woven, to filler, to soft – application to universal and habitual objects helps student reasoning and understanding. 

Lesson 5

Great that the process of double diamond is recontextualised into designers with social and environmental charged projects and companies 

Lesson has helped contextualise how BID works, and is integrated in designer’s practices after they have been established, as well as BID as a driving force before the project and product has been made