Owain Pedgley

On materials experience

A decade ago, in 2003, Denis Doordan published an article titled “On Materials” in Design Issues.1 His emphasis was on “how the material employed affects the form, function, and perception of the final design.” Accordingly, he suggested a new framework to discuss materials based on the following three terms: fabrication, concerning the preparation of materials for initial use; application, dealing with transformation of materials into artifacts; and appreciation, dealing with the reception of materials by users. During the past decade, the third term appreciation has lured attention in the materials and design domain, which has adopted a broader sense that corresponds with the experiences we have with the materials embodied in the artifacts around us. It refers to the mix of sensory (or aesthetic) appreciations, meanings, feelings, and thoughts that we have toward—or that are triggered by—a material, at any certain time and place. In this essay, we elaborate on the notion of the appreciation of materials and its wider implications. Our starting point is a simple observation: In the material infrastructure of today’s world, whether in products, buildings, or other creations, we see such variety of materials, driven largely by advances in technology. The layperson’s knowledge of these materials, in the sense that they are recognizable and identifiable, is probably at an all-time low.2 Similarly, new and emerging materials, along with the increasing demand to seriously adopt a discourse of sustainability, conspire to continually challenge the designer’s competence in materials selection. The morphological character of materials—as expressive as they are functional and structural—leads to the proposition of new forms and an experimental approach toward design.3 Materials are like words: The richer one’s vocabulary (in materials), the larger is the number of design solutions that can be seen and expressed.4 We argue that within the complexity inherent to materials and design—whether driven by technological or sustainability perspectives—users are the ones who determine the ultimate success (or not) of material choices. That is, success is a reflection of how people positively experience and react to the materials chosen by designers. A decade after “On Materials,” this essay elaborates on the topic of materials experience.5 1 Dennis P. Doordan, “On Materials,” Design Issues 19, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 3–8. 2 See Ezio Manzini, The Material of Invention (Milano: Arcadia Edizioni, 1986) for a foundational discussion on the abundance of new materials that has caused a shift in the relationship that people once had with materials, compared with previous eras of far fewer materials and finishes. 3 Paola Antonelli, Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1995). 4 Inna Alesina and Ellen Lupton, Exploring Materials: Creative Design for Everyday Objects (Princeton: Architectural Press, 2010). 5 This article is a considerably modified and extended version of the introduction to Elvin Karana, Owain Pedgley, and Valentina Rognoli, Materials Experience: Fundamentals of Materials and Design (Oxford: Elsevier, 2014).

Materials Selection for Product Experience: New Thinking, New Tools

Abstract To meet the needs and desires of end users, design teams must select materials in a manner that thoughtfully balances functional and expressive product concerns. For functional concerns, materials information and selection tools of a technical nature, intended for use by engineers, are somewhat reluctantly adopted. For expressive concerns, designers usually rely on personal or company experiences, since no commercially available material selection tools exist. This chapter elaborates on the need to provide design teams – and industrial designers specifically – with improved materials selection tools, within the general remit of designing for product experience. Central to the argumentation is the proposition of what may be termed ‘user-centered materials selection’, for which four prototypical materials selection tools are presented. The chapter concludes that industrial designers should be encouraged to activate a personal material inspiration journey for their projects, prior to adopting any procedural material selection process typical of engineering.

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.

Materials Innovation in Acoustic Guitars: Challenging the Tonal Superiority of Wood

ABSTRACT 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.