Oxman writes about the world and environment as organisms, changing regularly and responding to use, full of gradients of color and physical properties rather than sharp boundaries.
 She proposed developing a material ecology with "holistic products, characterized by property gradients and multi-functionality" – in contrast to assembly lines and “a world made of parts".
 On the interplay between design and fabrication methods, she said "the assumption that parts are made from single materials and fulfill predetermined functions is deeply rooted in design... [and] enforced by the way that industrial supply chains work.”

She describes her work as pursuing "a shift from consuming nature as a geological resource to editing it as a biological one."
 This leads to using mutli-scale biological shapes and textures for inspiration, and including living elements in fabrication processes, such as the glowing bacteria in Mushtari and using silkworms to construct the Silk Pavilion.

She has written that science, engineering, design and art should be more actively connected – with the output of each discipline serving as input for another.

Oxman has given presentations on digital and cross-disciplinary design, and on moving beyond mass-produced design elements.
 These included a presentation on form generation and environmental design, cited by rapid prototypers in other fields, and a popular TED talk on designing "at the intersection of technology and biology".
Her 2016 keynote at the American Institute of Architects conference proposed "a more profound role for architecture in society", by working hand-in-hand with science and engineering.

Oxman has used raycounting in her work, a technique that is the opposite of photo sculpting.
In raycounting a flat surface is conversed into a highly curved one through a specific layout of light parameters.
An algorithm calculates the intensity, position, and direction of one or multiple light sources placed in a given environment and assigns local curvature values to the relation between geometry and light performance.
Then produced by stereolithography, the three double layered, translucent objects show resin pockets wherever these surfaces intersected.
Oxman writes about the world and environment as organisms, changing regularly and responding to use, full of gradients of color and physical properties rather than sharp boundaries.  She proposed developing a material ecology with "holistic products, characterized by property gradients and multi-functionality" – in contrast to assembly lines and “a world made of parts".  On the interplay between design and fabrication methods, she said "the assumption that parts are made from single materials and fulfill predetermined functions is deeply rooted in design... [and] enforced by the way that industrial supply chains work.”
She describes her work as pursuing "a shift from consuming nature as a geological resource to editing it as a biological one."  This leads to using mutli-scale biological shapes and textures for inspiration, and including living elements in fabrication processes, such as the glowing bacteria in Mushtari and using silkworms to construct the Silk Pavilion.
She has written that science, engineering, design and art should be more actively connected – with the output of each discipline serving as input for another.
Oxman has given presentations on digital and cross-disciplinary design, and on moving beyond mass-produced design elements.  These included a presentation on form generation and environmental design, cited by rapid prototypers in other fields, and a popular TED talk on designing "at the intersection of technology and biology". Her 2016 keynote at the American Institute of Architects conference proposed "a more profound role for architecture in society", by working hand-in-hand with science and engineering.
Oxman has used raycounting in her work, a technique that is the opposite of photo sculpting. In raycounting a flat surface is conversed into a highly curved one through a specific layout of light parameters. An algorithm calculates the intensity, position, and direction of one or multiple light sources placed in a given environment and assigns local curvature values to the relation between geometry and light performance. Then produced by stereolithography, the three double layered, translucent objects show resin pockets wherever these surfaces intersected.
Neri Oxman