A Materials Design Practice Between Crafts, Creativity and Technology

Combining craft and design processes with technologies and digital tools creates a positive tension in which a hybrid approach emerges. This approach can be recognised by the fusion of analogue and digital perspectives. This combination has demonstrated great potential in design research with and for new materials. In the experimental process of materials design, where the final aim is to foster responsible design, this practice is becoming more popular. It is argued that combining material tinkering, crafts practices and digital tools can expand the possibilities of emerging materials design and future materials applications, fostering local materials' cultural and economic values. This argument is supported by the resulting pathways from an international collaborative workshop organised by the National Taiwan Craft and Development Institute (NTCRI). The results reveal the potential of this combined creative practice by using a local biobased material from fish scales and 3D printing as a manufacturing method. Two pathways' narratives describe how this hybrid practice can be unfolded, highlighting the use of local materials and a collaborative, explorative approach. To conclude, recommendations for this hybrid and collaborative practice of materials design are elaborated based on the reflections of the workshop.