The recent academic literature on material practices within design has revealed the emergence of a new design discipline, DIY-materials or material design. Designers educated in DIY-materials and the Material Driven Design method, applied in design courses in major European universities are beginning to identify themselves as material designers. This paper presents a qualitative case study of the challenges faced by material designers and design students developing DIY-materials from the stage of a small sample with promising experiential qualities and technical properties, towards a more viable material. A comparative case study of twenty-eight material driven design projects and four explorative semi-structured interviews were conducted with designers. The result suggest: (a) that designers have a tendency to focus more on the experiential attributes and aesthetical qualities rather than the technical attributes in the early stages of material development, (b) projects that are situated in specific contexts or systems have a higher success rate, (c) bio-based DIY-materials are in general sensitive to moist and high temperatures, (d) a systematic approach during tinkering combined with analytic skills are crucial for the development of DIY-materials. In this paper we also build on our previous research, regarding the development of reflective material practices for design students in higher education. It is hoped that this research can contribute to the further development of material design as a new design discipline.
There is an essential visionary element to design that affects how we experience and shape our environment. Reacting to our current reality with climate change and exceeding our planetary boundaries, designers are increasingly involved as catalysers of innovative and interdisciplinary material research by generating alternative proposals and scenarios for more sustainable futures. Recent academic literature on material practices within design has revealed a lack of strategies to support designers during the different stages of developing bio-based materials when using a DIY approach. Earlier studies have shown that the most successful material designers strategically gathered knowledge through literature, systematic material experiments and external expertise. The choice of strategy was related to prior experience and the material designers' level of education. This paper suggests a strategy based on a comparative case study combined with a contextual literature review. The bio-based materials in this study are produced by using local resources; they promote sustainability, are placed in a circular context and underlines the importance of the connection between a context, a community and the designer. Material-driven design practices, applying DIY approaches to material development processes combined with a theoretical framework from circular design and sustainable development can provide entry points to address parts of the complexity and envision new alternative solutions. Conclusions aim to encourage designers, researchers and tutors to respond to emerging needs by re-thinking material practices in design.
This study aims to explore the scope of 'knowledge-carrying' objects in learning situations. The study is based on a qualitative content analysis of a design project conducted in a science centre for children aged 7-10 years, learning about polymers and circularity. The design project is based on research through design and has been an iterative process where design experiments and observations were intertwined. The main purpose of the study has been to understand the role a 'knowledge-carrying' object may play in learning situations, and whether an object can convey knowledge between learners or between the object and the individual, without the presence of a facilitator. The study also aimed to explore what type of properties or requirements can be claimed by such an object. Different types of documentation from the design project has been analysed through a qualitative content analysis in a topdown process in order to explore and identify how the iterations of the objects changed the objects' capacity to carry knowledge during the project's time frame. The goal was to create an initial concept of how designers can work with 'knowledge-carrying' objects in learning situations. Finally, the understanding of the role of 'knowledge-carrying' objects is discussed in relation to other types of mediating objects used by designers in design processes and using 'knowledge-carrying' objects as pedagogical agents in design education.
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