Lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! Well, that's not exactly how our story goes but it does involve animals. Interior design and animals? What?! It may seem like a stretch at first but as our Digital Presentation students found out, there's a lot about good design that both animals and plants have mastered. Those design lessons are out there everywhere just waiting to be tapped into. This is not the story of OZ but of DI students learning about biomimicry to change how they see the world and design.

See what they did >>

Come to the DI Library for books about the art and science of looking to nature for design insights. Animal Architecture, published by the Finnish Museum of Architecture, examines the intricate homes of weaver finches, honeybees, and other birds and insects. Delve into Hidden Beauty: Microworlds Revealed, by France Bourély, to see patterns and structures visible only through a microscope. Find out what specific technologies have been adapted from nature in Biomimcry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, by Janine M. Benyus, and Bulletproof Feathers, edited by Robert Allen. All of these and more are available for checkout today!

A stack of fabric and finish samples neatly organized on the desk nearby; flimsy, pencils and markers within reach - the hands of the clock in an architectural office in down town Los Angeles are quietly ticking as the time nears 8:30 AM. Anticipation is building as the charette officials open their packets and begin to distribute page after page of instructions and information. A ripple of excitement and anticipation moves quickly through the room as twelve teams of design students listen to the charette instructions, and begin organizing their thoughts. The 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) 1:2 Student Design Competition has officially begun. At stake? Thousands of dollars in prize money.

Find out how Karem and Isaac placed >>

Sometimes people know they want to be a designer and sometimes the calling finds them. For DI grad, Polina Nezami, it was a little of both. Being a gifted artist in high school landed her a job in an art gallery which had connections with an interior design firm in Seattle. Asked to bring her talent to the sister company, Polina found herself interacting, and eventually working with, numerous interior designers. This fateful experience opened Polina's eyes to her true calling. All she needed now was the education!

Our interview with Polina >>

Jeff Hines found his way back to the Mainland and into the profession of Interior Design via Honolulu, Hawaii where he moved upon graduating with a Bachelors in Business/Marketing from University of San Diego. As a Consumer Lending Officer at First Hawaiian Bank, Jeff quickly learned that his earnings did not measure up to his lifestyle. Falling back on another talent he picked up during college, painting houses, he augmented his earnings while realizing that as a painter he was not only introduced to many Interior Designers but his clients were asking for advice about colors, furniture placement and other design elements. This exposure inspired Jeff's return to California to attend the UCLA Extension Interior and Environmental Design Program.

Get to know Jeff Hines >>