27 research outputs found
Identifying divergent design thinking through the observable behavior of service design novices
© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Design thinking holds the key to innovation processes, but is often difficult to detect because of its implicit nature. We undertook a study of novice designers engaged in team-based design exercises in order to explore the correlation between design thinking and designersâ physical (observable) behavior and to identify new, objective, design thinking identification methods. Our study addresses the topic by using data collection method of âthink aloudâ and data analysis method of âprotocol analysisâ along with the unconstrained concept generation environment. Collected data from the participants without service design experience were analyzed by open and selective coding. Through the research, we found correlations between physical activity and divergent thinking, and also identified physical behaviors that predict a designerâs transition to divergent thinking. We conclude that there are significant relations between designersâ design thinking and the behavioral features of their body and face. This approach opens possible new ways to undertake design process research and also design capability evaluation
Topple dangers posed by free-standing soccer goalposts
The toppling (or `tip-over') of soccer goalposts has resulted in many human injuries and fatalities worldwide. One design of a soccer goalpost, the `free-standing' type, is particularly susceptible to toppling. This paper presents analyses of the safety and design issues surrounding free-standing goalposts. First, a mathematical route for the generation of topple data is outlined. Second, data-sets for Mini-Soccer goalposts are used to scrutinise real-world toppling scenarios. Design steps are proposed for reducing the likelihood of (and subsequent severity of injury from) goalpost toppling. The results are compared against current safety provision contained in the British Standards Institution's (BSI) documents BS EN 748:1996 and PAS 36-1/2:2000. It is intended that manufacturers apply the analysis techniques outlined in this paper to gather quantitative data on the safety of their own products
Materials Innovation in Acoustic Guitars: Challenging the Tonal Superiority of Wood
The authors explore perceived sound properties of acoustic guitars built with foamed polycarbonate soundboards rather than spruce or cedar. The research seeks to establish the extent to which polymer acoustic guitars are an acoustically credible alternative to wood instruments. Data are generated through participation by members of the public (n = 320) in blind listening tests. Remarkably, participants are found unable to distinguish much beyond a 50% success rate whether sound originates from wood or polymer acoustic guitars. The findings challenge deeply rooted ideas about traditional material-instrument relationships and champion the use of design as a driver for instrument innovation and artistic engagement
Materials Experience: Expanding Territories of Materials and Design
Materials Experience 2: Expanding Territories of Materials and Design is the follow-up companion to Materials Experience published in 2014. Materials experience as a concept has evolved substantially and is now mobilized to incorporate new ways of thinking and designing. Through all-new peer-reviewed chapters and project write-ups, the book presents critical perspectives on new and emerging relationships between designers, materials, and artifacts. Subtitled Expanding Territories of Materials and Design, the book examines in depth the increased prevalence of material-driven design practices, as well as the changing role of materials themselves, toward active and influential agents within and outside design processes. The book is essential reading for anyone involved in materials and design, containing 11 authoritative chapters and 18 illustrated accounts of contemporary research projects and practices.
Key Features
- Presents both the knowledge and understanding of what ânew and emerging materialsâ are, where they come from, and how they can be used effectively in design
- Looks at how the professional responsibility of material selection is evolving into a more complex and active role of material âcreationâ and âappropriationâ
- Explores how an elevated sensitivity to materials influence peopleâs experiences of the designed worl
Expanding Territories of Materials and Design
Peopleâs experience of materials, regarding their here-and-now and possible
futures, is largely bound into complex accounts of how materials are mobilized
in the design of artifacts. The first volume of Materials Experience, subtitled
Fundamentals of Materials and Design (Karana et al., 2014), focused on describing
peopleâmaterial relationships, with the central premise that materials experience
can be viewed from the perspective of the designer who creates artifacts
and from the perspective of people who own and interact with those artifacts.
In this second volume, we have drawn upon our observations of how materials
experience as a concept has evolved and been mobilized to incorporate new
ways of thinking and doing in design. We have subtitled the book Expanding
Territories of Materials and Design, encompassing a critical perspective on the
changing role of design/designers, the increased prevalence of material-driven
design (MDD) practices, and the increasing attention among design scholars to
the role of materials themselves as active and influential agents within and outside
design processes. Materials Experience 2 is therefore a companion to the first
volume. In this introductory chapter, to benefit readers venturing into the field
of materials experience, we first provide a concise account of where materials
experience originated from, alongside its main concepts
The Material: An Active and Dynamic Medium in Design Education
In design education and practice, the material is considered one of
the essential and transdisciplinary elements. New materialsâ various
properties, attributes and applications attract designersâ attention. The
investigation and exploration of materials inspire and help designers
achieve better design results and improve their hands-on ability and
design intuitions. In the past years, although the material in the field of
design education involved much knowledge from the engineering field,
it developed its own approach for designers to dialogue with the material
world. In some design classes, students learn and attempt to place
the material in a privileged position in their design process, putting
materials at the beginning, and exploring their infinite potential from
their characteristics, applications, and future evolution path.
The discussion on the relationship between materials and objects,
human beings, the environment, systems, and the planet has been
booming. Nowadays, many designers choose to develop their careers
in the material field to promote healthy and eco-friendly material selection
and development. The material designer has become an emerging
profession dedicated to designing material strategies and anticipating
future impacts on material choices in the intersection of art, culture,
technology, and design. Although material education in design has
different layers and it is not aimed at making every young student
become a material designer, it is essential to understand the dynamic
material world and materialsâ evolution process for design students.
Design educators are gradually aware that material can be an active and dynamic medium to facilitate designersâ cognitive sensitivity and handson
ability to all the worldâs substances. In other words, the material can
be an effective medium for design instruction.
This chapter will elaborate on the changing role of materials in
design education during the decades and discuss the future pedagogical
functions and approaches materials can have in the field of design
Building a Unique Method to Teach How to âDesignâ with and for ICS Materials in the Wearable Domain
In this paper, we discuss the results of the ongoing research project âDatematsâ funded by the European Commission - aimed at developing novel teaching methods for both design and engineering students in the field of Emerging Materials & Technologies (EM&Ts). Specifically, we will focus on Interactive, Connected, Smart (ICS) EM&Ts in the field of Wearable technologies. We framed a new innovative syllabus covering theoretical knowledge (materials and design) practical knowledge through a learning by doing approach (coding skills, manufacturing processes) and skills about how to design successful products by involving companies in the design curricula. The methodology for the preparation of the syllabus and identification of learning contents and methods is described. The structure and contents of the syllabus are presented, and finally, the future steps for the implementation of the syllabus are discussed
Natural fibre composites in product design: an investigation into material perception and acceptance
Natural fibres and their composites have significant untapped potential for product designers and are widely recognized as having good sustainability credentials. Nevertheless, applications for these materials are stifled because of low esteem and a generally low perceived quality compared with conventional materials such as plastics and metals. Current impressions of this material class are therefore not favourable, and their future acceptance in mainstream product design will depend on understanding how, particularly, the sensorial qualities of the materials may be modified to contribute positively to user experiences. This position paper outlines the motivations and methods for a planned research project into the perception and future acceptance of natural fibre materials for industrial product design