Process in Algorithm

I know I saw at least a few students from our class at the design lecture yesterday. For those who weren’t, nervous system is a design group that looks at naturally occurring systems and tries to find algorithms that can be used to mimic these natural forms. I know we have talked a lot about process and how one conducts design thinking and I found their way most interesting. They first study a natural system such as leaf growth and how it’s veins form. From there they try to create an algorithm that can mimic this systems construction. They then use multiple iterations upon iterations to see how it can be applied. Such as jewelry, lamps, cats and so forth. It was quite an intriguing idea. We have been discussing how computer programs merely aid the design process at the moment but they are using programs like processing and cinder to actually do the designing for them. They created the program which spits out iteration upon iteration of the same concept. It is quite interesting how this may be one of many steps in this computational way of designing. I was thoroughly intrigued by their presentation and would like to see more design spawning from natural processes and systems. Who knows where we will be in the future.