Biomimicry Design as a Spark for Innovation

What if the smartest designer in the room isn’t human, but nature itself?

Biomimicry is the practice of learning from 3.8 billion years of natural wisdom. From bees making democratic decisions, to pine trees creating shade for entire ecosystems, to lichens thriving in harsh conditions, nature offers strategies we can apply to our daily challenges.

In this hands-on 90-minute workshop, you’ll:

• Discover surprising stories of how local organisms collaborate, adapt, and thrive.
• Reflect on how these patterns already show up in human systems like leadership, teamwork, and community life.
• Work in groups with “mentor organisms” from our local environment (Cascais) to design creative solutions for real challenges in our Community Garden at Nova SBE.
• Leave inspired to see nature not as a resource to extract, but as a mentor to learn from and protect.

No background in biology needed! just curiosity and an open mind. Whether you study business, ecology, design, or simply love new perspectives, this workshop is for you.

Who is it for?

• Students, community members, and anyone curious about creativity, leadership, and sustainability.
• No prior knowledge of biomimicry or biology required.

When & Where

November 12, 2025

Community Garden at Nova SBE (depending on the weather)

Structure (90 min)

• Opening
• Introduction: What is biomimicry + inspiring examples.
• Nature stories: Bees, ants, starlings, pines… and what they teach us.
• Group Challenge: Work with local “mentor organisms” to solve a real garden challenge.
• Sharing & Reflection: Seeing ourselves as part of nature.YOUR FACILITATORBeatriz Bento is the current DESIS Lab @Nova SBE Community Manager, a Teaching Assistant at Nova SBE at Design Thinking for Social Innovation and Leading Social Enterprises with Impact in International Development courses and recently became a certified biomimicry educator, passionate about connecting people with nature through creative learning experiences, also leveraging her background in Arts.THE DESIS Lab @NOVA SBE DESIGN GYM FALL 2025

The new Design Gym is a series of fast-paced, hands-on workshops designed to help you build and expand your design toolkit. Each 90-minute session focuses on practical, in-demand skills across a range of design practices.

But it doesn’t stop there. After each workshop, participants gain access to dedicated office hours where they can get personalized feedback from the facilitators, explore how to apply their new skills to real-world projects, and develop stronger portfolios and case studies.

Whether you’re sharpening your current capabilities or breaking into new territory, the Design Gym is here to help you confidently practice, explain, and showcase your growth as a designer.

These workshops are organized by the the DESIS (DESIGN for Social Innovation and Sustainability) Lab @ NOVA SBE with the support of students' Nova Growth Club, which focus on unleashing a new generation of future leaders who are aware of the impact they want to have in their lives and know exactly which ways of behavior they can utilize to balance demanding work with a joyful life.The DESIS Lab is the programming and community engagement arm of the ERA Chair in Social Innovation. We believe that to innovate with purpose and develop sustainable solutions to complex social issues requires creative collaboration and a design thinking mindset. It is part of the DESIS International network, a group of academics, researchers and students who orient their design and research activities towards social innovation. If you want to know more: https://socialinnova-chair.com/desis-lab/