Biologically inspired optical materials have garnered attention for development of next-generation coatings, color-changing garments, and interactive/adaptive displays. While biological systems employ tightly coupled chemical, mechanical, and/or electrical controls to achieve changes in color, pattern, and texture with relatively low input energy, engineered systems typically provide less comprehensive function and have significant power requirements due to the limitations of off-the-shelf materials available for manufacturing. The stark differences in performance between bio-inspired, engineered materials and their sources of inspiration necessitate a re-evaluation of the approaches used to build systems designed to emulate biology. In this talk, I will highlight how adaptive display systems in nature have inspired emerging technologies like wearable multispectral light sensors and discuss important considerations for the design and development of future optical and photonic material systems