 Bio-inspired structural design has been widely adopted in various engineering fields, but it is often limited to biomimetic forms, shapes, and materials. Nature is rarely considered as a source of structural design philosophy. This paper reviews existing bio-inspired solutions for structural robustness design, categorizing them into two main classes, compartmentalization and complexity. Examples of each are provided with mechanisms discussed in detail. Several existing ideas are revisited and scrutinized from a bio-inspired perspective with suggestions made for improvement. Additionally, novel bio-inspired concepts such as delayed compartmentalization, active compartmentalization, compartmentalization and intact parts and structural complexity are proposed for structural design under extreme loading conditions. This article was authored by Fawad Kiakajuri, Valerio De Biagi and Lorenza Abracciavento.