Open-ended design : local re-appropriations through imperfection

Design for Sustainability (DfS) focuses on wicked problems that cannot be modelled in reductionist ways. Furthermore, when bottom-up local interventions prove to have positive effects in their context, they remain hard to spread and might face failure if transferred the other contexts. Here, a research through-design approach is present-ed for highlighting a new paradigm, that questions the very nature of both design process and outcomes. Specifically, Open-ended Design (OeD) is introduced pursuing the creation of unfinished and ever-evolving outcomes (im-perfect by intention), embracing the out-of control local instances. In this approach balance between openness and over-design is sought, to facilitate both the global diffusion of design outcomes and their local re-appropriation. The aim of the research is to highlight existing connections between OeD and DfS, listing its values and limitations through some reported cases. In conclusion, designers might start designing for emergent aspects of the designed solutions, supporting multiple local re-appropriations

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge

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

Introduction by the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano

In the contemporary panorama of design, materials are gained an important role. We are the witnesses of an incredible acceleration in the evolution of the design practices and processes related to materials developments and applications. In the present issue, we want to introduce and formalised the concept of “diffuse materiality” for describing these significant changes in the field of materials for design. In fact, all the classes of materials are transforming in something different: plastics become bio, composite materials change into smart, agricultural wastes turn into growing materials and those of industrial production in advanced materials, and the organic material becomes the border of the future design. For defining the concept of diffuse materiality we focused on the European context, and we collected various contributions from scholars describing their personal approach to materials. In the following introduction, there is a short description of all these articles.En el panorama contemporáneo del diseño, los materiales ganan un papel preponderante. Somos testigos de una increíble aceleración en la evolución de las prácticas de diseño y de los procesos relacionados con los desarrollos de materiales y aplicaciones. En este paper queremos introducir y formalizar el concepto de “materialidad difusa”, con el objetivo de describir estos cambios significativos en el campo de los materiales para el diseño. De hecho, todas las clases de materiales se están transformando en algo diferente: los plásticos se convierten en bio, los materiales compuestos se convierten en inteligentes, los residuos agrícolas se convierten en materiales de cultivo, los de producción industrial en materiales avanzados y el material orgánico se convierte en frontera del diseño futuro. Para definir el concepto de materialidad difusa nos hemos centrado en el contexto europeo, y hemos recogido varias contribuciones de los académicos que describen su perspectiva personal acerca de los materiales. En la siguiente introducción, hay una breve descripción de todos estos artículos.No panorama contemporâneo do design, materiais adquiriram um papel de liderança. Somos testemunhos de uma aceleração incrível na evolução das práticas de design e processos relacionados com o desenvolvimento de materiais e aplicações. Neste artigo apresentamos e formalizamos o conceito de “materialidade difusa” para descrever essas mudanças significativas no campo de materiais para o projeto. Na verdade, todos os tipos de materiais estão sendo transformados em algo diferente: plásticos são transformados em bio; materiais compostos em inteligentes; resíduos agrícolas em materiais de cultivo; aqueles de produção industrial em materiais avançados; e o material orgânico no futuro do design. Para definir o conceito de materialidade difusa focamos no contexto europeu, e recolhamos várias contribuições de estudiosos que descrevem a sua perspectiva pessoal sobre os materiais. Na seguinte introdução, há uma breve descrição de todos esses itens

The material experiences as DIY-Materials: Self production of wool filled starch based composite (NeWool).

This article presents the growing phenomena of self-produced materials, namely ‘Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Materials’, and illustrates the pattern of conditions and circumstances which led to the emergence of this approach to materials. The DIY Materials phenomena is derived from a broader concept defined as ‘emerging materials experiences’ and through their definition we think in new and meaningful interaction between users and these new materials qualities derived by a self-production process. Through the presentation of a case study, NeWool, a biocomposite made of starch and wool fibers, we outline a design practice based on direct experimentation, tinkering and envisioning for the designer

Material activism. New hybrid scenarios between design and technology

La década pasada es, según algunos académicos, caracterizada por una onda hacia una nueva revolución industrial [1]. Principalmente gracias al hecho que la tecnología ha salido del dominio de la industria para quedar en las manos de la gente común. Los materiales están poco a poco comenzando a presentar el mismo tipo de comportamiento, dado que hoy en día mas y mas personas están experimentando con la creación de materiales de manera disruptiva. Este artículo presenta el concepto de Activismo Material como mecanismo para entender el fenómeno en crecimiento que esta permitiendo a los materiales democratizarse a través de una aproximación de base.The past decade it is considered by many scholars as the new industrial revolution wave [1], mainly by the fact that technology has jumped out of the industry into the hands of the people. Materials are also starting to perform the same behavior as more and more people are starting to deal with the creation of materials in a disruptive way. In this paper we present the concept of Material Activism as a way to understand the growing phenomena that is allowing materials to democratize through a bottom up approach.A década passada é, segundo alguns acadêmicos, caraterizada por uma onda até uma nova revolução industrial, devido ao fato que a tecnologia saiu do domínio da indústria para ficar nas mãos das pessoas comuns. Os materiais estão pouco a pouco começando a apresentar o mesmo tipo de comportamento, já que hoje mais e mais pessoas estão experimentando com a criação de materiais de modo disruptivo. Este artigo apresenta o conceito de Ativismo Material como mecanismo para entender o fenômeno em crescimento que está permitindo aos materiais democratizar-se através de uma aproximação de base.&nbsp

Speculative tinkering on circular design materials through 3D printing

Despite the spread of new circular materials and digital technologies, designers’ awareness of how to practically implement them is not fully achieved yet. Therefore, new ways to foster digital craftsmanship skills and experiential knowledge should be implemented. This contribution aims to reflect on digital technologies, especially 3D printing, in speculative design approaches with circular materials through the development of the materials library from the FiberEUse research project. This “materials and product library system” is an adaptive experiential tool that goes beyond merely collecting physical materials samples. It also includes possible products, speculative applications, and non-textual content, merging physical and virtual learning experiences. Its physical section comprises a materials library with flat samples of the materials and a product library with applications or cut-offs of some meaningful details of products. By analyzing the library’s development path, three incremental phases emerge in terms of interaction with circular materials and 3D printing for speculative approaches: experiencing materials, technology, and products. The first phase aims to preliminary explore the potential and qualities of materials through traditional craftsmanship skills. The second phase deals with the first experimentations with the technology, understanding the limits and influence on the expressive-sensorial qualities. The third phase is oriented toward new applications, investigating the possible outcomes from a formal point of view. As a synthesis, the tinkering process emphasizes the active role of experiential tools in spreading the use of circular materials and digital technologies, helping acquire new skills through an experiential approach. It also adds a further level to the exploitation of materials libraries, paving the way for new possible uses, i.e., distributed replication, participation, and implementation. As a result, materials libraries assume a more active role in the experiential knowledge transfer even during their development, representing a practical path to building new skills. Hence, a new model of materials libraries may emerge as a replicative learning and speculative design tool

A Broad Survey on Expressive-sensorial Characterization of Materials for Design Education

The expressive-sensorial dimension of materials is becoming increasingly important in the context of both theoretical and practical design. This has necessitated a corresponding and growing engagement in the field of design education as well: the topic must be included in didactic programs, and tools expressly designed with the aim of transmitting to students an awareness of the management of this important and subjective design dimension. During the educational process the future designer must acquire the skills required to select materials suitable for specific applications, which also implies the awareness that materials have both a technical profile with objective properties and a sensorial profile with subjective characteristics. This article provides an overview of current and past theoretical research, undertaken by the Design Faculty at The Politecnico di Milano, which aims to consider the evaluation of the expressive-sensorial dimension of materials in design education. Following a contextualization of the topic, we will explain the expressive-sensorial atlas of materials: the initial tool which was used to investigate theoretical aspects of the theme in greater depth and which led to further reflections. Then, we will describe the chromatic atlas of materials, a tool designed to examine the relationship between colour, material and process and to underline the significance of this topic in design education. Finally, our most recent research in the ambit of the expressive-sensorial dimension of materials will be illustrated. The two most important studies focus on; firstly, the development of thematic atlases dedicated to specific classes of materials, beginning with textiles; and secondly, further investigation of the relationship between the sensorial and emotional qualities of materials and sustainability.Publisher's Versio