Material tinkering for design education on waste upcycling

Materials are primary elements in the process of design and more and more are gaining attention in the design education. The present work illustrates the practice of material tinkering, concentrating on its effects on design education, as regards the upcycling of waste into material demonstrators, deemed to assess their possibility to evolve into sustainable artefacts. After a general illustration of scope and objectives of material tinkering, the exposition describes the recent experiences of this practice into design schools, highlighting its pedagogical significance worldwide, and in the particular case of the Italian situation. Finally, the exposition concentrates in the specific case of work carried out in two prestigious Italian Universities (Università di Camerino and Politecnico di Milano) from 2015, trying to clarify its position and significance concerning previous literature, for what appears relevant to the education of designers and for their formation in the local context to be applicable worldwide. The research method evolves from trial-and-error, typical of experimentation on materials, to the conception of material demonstrators and suitability to be applied into products, having as boundaries the fact to use some kinds of waste in an upcycling philosophy

Material tinkering for design education on waste upcycling

Materials are primary elements in the process of design and more and more are gaining attention in the design education.  The present work illustrates the practice of material tinkering, concentrating on its effects on design education, as regards the upcycling of waste into material demonstrators, deemed to assess their possibility to evolve into sustainable artefacts. After a general illustration of scope and objectives of material tinkering, the exposition describes the recent experiences of this practice into design schools, highlighting its pedagogical significance worldwide, and in the particular case of the Italian situation. Finally, the exposition concentrates in the specific case of work carried out in two prestigious Italian Universities (Università di Camerino and Politecnico di Milano) from 2015, trying to clarify its position and significance concerning previous literature, for what appears relevant to the education of designers and for their formation in the local context to be applicable worldwide. The research method evolves from trial-and-error, typical of experimentation on materials, to the conception of material demonstrators and suitability to be applied into products, having as boundaries the fact to use some kinds of waste in an upcycling philosophy

Embracing material surface imperfections in product design

Imperfection is not a usual aim within the context of industrialized product design. Under general norms, products are manufactured as clones of a ‘perfect’ original and product surfaces are prized for their ‘perfect’ flawless state. The mass production of products against these principles seems counterintuitive. Yet within the world of materials, and especially considering material surfaces, imperfection is widespread. This research set out to identify and scrutinize circumstances when material imperfection in products is appreciated, from mass manufacture to artisan practices. By synthesizing literature with analyses of material and product samples, five sources of surface imperfections are characterized: inherent material properties, production effects, workmanship of risk, planned and foreseen events, and everyday wear and tear. Following this, a research-focused concept design project is reported, leading to eleven product designs that exemplify how to design for, and with, imperfect material surfaces. A significant challenge facing designers is one of persuasion: of designing products where imperfect material surfaces are regarded as contributing to rather than detracting from product value. To this end, the paper culminates in a visual guide to embracing material surface imperfections in design practice

On the aesthetic significance of imprecision in computational design: Exploring expressive features of imprecision in four digital fabrication approaches

Precision of materialized designs is the conventional goal of digital fabrication in architecture. Recently, however, an alternative concept has emerged which refashions the imprecisions of digital processes into creative opportunities. While the computational design community has embraced this idea, its novelty results in a yet incomplete understanding. Prompted by the challenge of the still missing knowledge, this study explored imprecision in four digital fabrication approaches to establish how it influences the aesthetic attributes of materialized designs. Imprecision occurrences for four different digitally aided materialization processes were characterized. The aesthetic features emerging from these imprecisions were also identified and the possibilities of tampering with them for design exploration purposes were discussed. By considering the aesthetic potentials of deliberate imprecision, the study has sought to challenge the canon of high fidelity in contemporary computational design and to argue for imprecision in computation that shapes a new generation of designs featuring the new aesthetic of computational imperfection

From undesired flaws to esthetic assets: A digital framework enabling artistic explorations of erroneous geometric features of robotically formed molds

Until recently, digital fabrication research in architecture has aimed to eliminate manufacturing errors. However, a novel notion has just been established—intentional computational infidelity. Inspired by this notion, we set out to develop means than can transform the errors in fabrication from an undesired complication to a creative opportunity. We carried out design experiment-based investigations, which culminated in the construction of a framework enabling fundamental artistic explorations of erroneous geometric features of robotically formed molds. The framework consists of digital processes, assisting in the explorations of mold errors, and physical processes, enabling the inclusion of physical feedback in digital explorations. Other complementary elements embrace an implementation workflow, an enabling digital toolset and a visual script demonstrating how imprecise artistic explorations can be included within the computational environment. Our framework application suggests that the exploration of geometrical errors aids the emergence of unprecedented design features that would not have arisen if error elimination were the ultimate design goal. Our conclusion is that welcoming error into the design process can reinstate the role of art, craft, and material agency therein. This can guide the practice and research of architectural computing onto a new territory of esthetic and material innovation

From undesired flaws to esthetic assets: A digital framework enabling artistic explorations of erroneous geometric features of robotically formed molds

Until recently, digital fabrication research in architecture has aimed to eliminate manufacturing errors. However, a novel notion has just been established—intentional computational infidelity. Inspired by this notion, we set out to develop means than can transform the errors in fabrication from an undesired complication to a creative opportunity. We carried out design experiment-based investigations, which culminated in the construction of a framework enabling fundamental artistic explorations of erroneous geometric features of robotically formed molds. The framework consists of digital processes, assisting in the explorations of mold errors, and physical processes, enabling the inclusion of physical feedback in digital explorations. Other complementary elements embrace an implementation workflow, an enabling digital toolset and a visual script demonstrating how imprecise artistic explorations can be included within the computational environment. Our framework application suggests that the exploration of geometrical errors aids the emergence of unprecedented design features that would not have arisen if error elimination were the ultimate design goal. Our conclusion is that welcoming error into the design process can reinstate the role of art, craft, and material agency therein. This can guide the practice and research of architectural computing onto a new territory of esthetic and material innovation

Attitudinal perception of cosmetic wear and damage of materials within the use phase of portable electronic products

During the use phase of products, a series of obsolescing factors contribute to why a product is disposed of. Currently the visual state of a product is considered primarily in terms of aesthetic obsolescence which is synonymous with influential factors such as changes in fashion or personal preferences in style. The physical condition of a product is not commonly understood within the context of product replacement and the physical changes due to use are not understood fully. The research contributes to and provides original empirical research findings for the current literature on product lifetime extension, material semantics, the circular economy, emotionally durable design and material culture. Through an initial exploratory study (Photographic Analysis (PA) Study) of previously unexplained types of wear and damage that occur on portable electronic devices a taxonomy of damage (TOD) was established which provided the nomenclature for further studies. The second study (Retrospective Assessment (RA) Study) established the attitudes to wear based on the wear type, location, material and the stage during ownership that the wear occurred at. The RA Study highlighted the differences in the attitudinal responses to differing types of wear and damage and identified the differences in the temporal assessments of wear and damage. A third study (Real Time Assessment (RTA) Study) aimed to confirm or repudiate the findings found in the RA Study. The focus during the study was attitudes to the wear and damage in relation to the differences in materials, the location of the wear and the type of wear and damage was also looked at and led to a fuller understanding of how products and materials are perceived during the use phase; a stage of the product lifetime that is not currently well understood in terms of users aesthetic or cosmetic sensibilities. The final study (Semantic Perception of Materials (SPM) Study) focused on the visual and tactile perceptions of materials. The study established attitudinal perceptions of wear and damage of materials with a quantitative research methodology which has produced a better understanding of material semantics within the context of electronic objects. Through the four studies, discussion topics arose and major findings of the doctoral study were drawn out and seen to be interesting enough for further research and study. These discussions include the importance of including cosmetic obsolescence into the lexicon of product obsolescence and product lifetime extension literature, the differences in the perceptions of materials when they are within the context of a product or being assessed as samples, how differing product contexts affect user perceptions of wear and damage on materials and the potential inclusion of a material wear index that could inform the material selection process that goes further than the technical aspects outlined in current material selection tools and literature

The value of imperfection in industrial product.

This paper explores the defects during the production seen as a gain in usability and an economic opportunity for the industry; the strategy proposed here is to exploit the flaws as generator of unique products and inspiration for the mass customization. These defects, connected to each process, usually entail the removal of the product from the production chain, up to its elimination. Yet even EU directives on guarantees for consumer goods have focused on the lack of conformity of products [Directive 1999/44/EC] or ISO regulations, the usefulness to support Quality Management System [ISO 9001:2008] and authorize and propose strategies for enhancement of the defective products. Therefore this research suggests the involvement of industrial design in the optimization of defects in design and construction in the categories proposed by D.M. Bryce, in order to extend the life of the product from the production stage “This is what we want to do with design: discover and show opportunities” [22], acting primarily on the aesthetic and functional aspect. The method used begins with the identification of possible defects, examining the injection moulding process as a case study. The defects (coming from the state-of-art analysis, interviewing experts and visiting companies) were mainly analyzed critically and creatively interpreted: how do they look aesthetically, what are the causes of their defects, the implication on the moulded part, possible new uses and purposes, etc. This stage has allowed the comparison between typical defects in the injection moulding process and products (already commercialized and considered of high commercial and/or creative value) characterized by a similar morphology. For each defect some parameters were considered such as the possibility of intervention by the designer, the level and the type of this intervention. In conclusion, the research has investigated potential strategies for process innovation through the creative role of design, highlighting flaws and imperfections that can be recruited by the market, becoming a presumption for uniqueness on the inside of serial production