A qualitative study of the challenges faced by material designers when developing DIY-materials

Abstract

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.