Glossary

In environmental and scientific contexts, abiotic refers to the non-living physical and chemical elements of an ecosystem - such as sunlight, temperature, water, soil, and air. These factors shape environments and influence how living organisms (biotic factors) behave and survive.

At UAL, understanding abiotic elements can be useful in practices like sustainable design, site-specific art, or environmental storytelling - where the material world and natural systems directly inform creative work.

A design approach that allows objects, structures, or systems to adjust dynamically to environmental changes. 

Please note that in the context of fashion, the term "adaptive" typically refers to adaptive clothing, which is designed specifically to meet the needs of people with disabilities or limited mobility. This includes features like easy fastenings (e.g. magnetic closures), seated wear for wheelchair users, or garments that accommodate medical devices. It is a recognised and specialist area within inclusive or accessible design.

However, "adaptive" can also carry broader meanings in other contexts—such as adaptive reuse, adaptive systems, or even adaptive fashion in the sense of responsive or smart textiles (e.g. materials that respond to the environment). So depending on the broader discourse, "adaptive" might not only refer to disability design.

Bioinformed design is a creative and problem-solving approach that draws from biological knowledge—including insights from natural systems, organisms, and evolutionary principles—to inform and enhance human-made designs. Unlike biomimicry, which often involves direct imitation of natural forms or processes, bioinformed design emphasises understanding the underlying principles of how biological systems work, and applying that knowledge to design challenges in innovative, context-specific ways.

See Bio-informed design

A material derived from naturally occurring sources, such as plants, animals, or microbes. Bio-materials are often renewable, biodegradable, and can offer unique properties compared to traditional materials. (e.g., spider silk, bamboo fabrics, corn starch bioplastics)

The ability of a material to break down naturally and return to the environment without causing harm.

Bioengineering, also known as biomedical engineering, is a multidisciplinary field that applies principles of engineering, biology, and physical sciences to develop technologies and solutions for healthcare, biological research, and the life sciences more broadly.

It involves the design, development, and application of tools, materials, systems, and devices to understand, interact with, or enhance biological systems—from molecular and cellular levels up to whole organisms and ecosystem.

The use of biological organisms, such as bacteria or fungi, to produce materials or structures for design applications.

The practice of learning from and imitating nature to solve human design challenges. Biomimicry can involve studying the structures, forms, and processes of living things to create new products, materials, or technologies. (e.g., velcro inspired by burrs, self-cleaning lotus leaves). See also bio-inspired design and bio-informed design. 

The term biophilic comes from "biophilia", meaning "love of life or living systems." In design and architecture, biophilic refers to approaches that aim to connect people with nature in built environments, based on the idea that humans have an innate affinity for the natural world.