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http://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/02/nanocellulose-fibreboard-all-natural-replacement-mdf-moulded-plastic-rca-yunting-lin/

The two materials are mixed with water and then compress-moulded into the required shape.

"Eco-friendly material doesn't need to be boring – it can be desirable," explained the Taiwanese designer.

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Biomimmicry examples

Graduate shows 2015: the Fall dress by fashion design graduate Birce Ozkan loses its fabric panels over time, like a deciduous tree shedding its leaves (+ movie).

Ozkan, who graduated from New York’s Parsons The New School for Designthis year, created the Fall dress to mimic the natural seasonal responsiveness of trees using a hidden electronic mechanism.

“The behaviour of the garment is inspired by nature’s seasonal behaviour of defoliation, the process through which trees naturally lose their leaves,” Ozkan said.

The garment is embedded with a sensor that detects low light levels and triggers a reaction, echoing the automatic response of trees to decreasing amounts of daylight in the autumn.

“In the fall, as the days shorten, and the temperature gets colder, the trees, without the light they need to sustain their chlorophyll, shed their leaves to keep their energy to survive for the winter ahead,” the designer explained. “This process was the inspiration for creating my garment’s mechanism.”

“To prepare for the fall of leaves, trees activate ‘scissor cells’ that split to create a bumping layer that forces the leaves out of place, destabilising them so that they fall,” she added.

To recreate this effect, Ozkan incorporated four rotating motors into the cotton dress that forms the base for the design.

The dress is covered with leaf-like muslin panels. Clear tubes are integrated into the garment, wrapping around the body at various heights. Each carries a steel wire that is exposed through small holes at points of contact with the panels, which are attached using wax.

When the sensor identifies low light, the information is interpreted by an Arduino computer circuit that activates the motors. These pull the steel wires sideways, knocking the wax bonds against the edges of the holes and causing the muslin panels to become loose and fall off.

“My thesis project was evolved around the questions: what if when the temperature got hot suddenly, our clothes would start to break apart in response?” explained Ozkan. “What if they had the skill to behave depending on the surrounding conditions? What if garments had the ability to sense the environment just like living organisms?”

The designer spraypainted the muslin in four colours to represent autumnal shades found in nature. This creates a gradient across the laser-cut fabric panels, which blends from yellow at the top of the dress to brown at the bottom.

“I used mimicry to capture the beauty of falling leaves and I believe that the piece will make audiences appreciate the natural world,” Ozkan said. “This piece opens new ways of creating wearable technology not just to serve a functional purpose, but also to create artistic, performative and expressive pieces.”

Photographs and movie are by Rebecca Enis.

http://birceozkan.com/works.html

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/03/fall-interactive-dress-parsons-fashion-graduate-birce-ozkan-drops-panels-seasons-autumn-leaves/

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Simply drop it in a cup of hot water to make little solutions to everyday problems. When it's cool it's really strong like nylon, so you can make solid durable solutions with it, and then you can reheat it again and again to adapt, change and reuse it. Because it's a convenient card size, you can keep one in your pocket, wallet, kitchen drawer or tool box so that it's there whenever and wherever it's needed.

A great benefit is that when it's very hot, it sticks to some other plastics, so you can actually use it to instantly fix say.... a favourite plastic shovel when you are on holiday.

(please remember that hot water and hot FORMcards should be handled with GREAT care as either can scold you. Very hot FORMcards are sticky when they first come out of the hot water and can also stick to wooden surfaces. Work on a ceramic plate and if in doubt about using it, let it cool down first, you can always heat it up again later on!)

FORMcard is designed and developed by Peter Marigold and launched on Kickstarter on the 11th November 2015. It was successfully funded on the first day and completed the campaign with 816% funding and more than 2000 backers. It will soon be fully commercially available around the world. It would be great to connect with you on social media where we will be posting updates as the project develops by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page.

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How we consider trends/ future trends

Referencing the laminates used by the italian group alchimia in the late 1970’s, design duo lanzavecchia + wai created ‘fools gold’, a furniture collection consisting of a tall cabinet and a console. the pieces of furniture are constructed out of corrugated steel sheets that are then covered with gold-chrome car wrap. the designers appropriated this laminating technique from alchimia, which was what gave the postmodernist pieces their unique and recognisable visual effect.

the wrapping material was chosen on purpose in order to increase the perceived value of the pieces while revealing at the same time its actual humble materiality. the corrugated property not only gives the metal sheet its structural strength but also maximizes the surface area for the car wrap application, therefore adding even more value to the regular steel layer.

referencing the 1970’s italian group alchimia laminating processes, the pieces were covered in gold-chrome car wrap

the ‘fool’s gold’ collection was first presented during ‘the alchemists’ exhibition at la triennale di milano during milan design week 2015. the show that documented the results of a lecture and workshop series held at singapore’s national design centre.

the corrugated shape of the metal sheet gives it structural strength and maximizes the covering surface

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

fool's gold' tall and low cabinet by lanzavecchia + wei

This collection made me consider this trend of DIY, How we are developing and utilising new materials and ethics, using old and new methods and combining them to create “new” designs with found objects.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom

http://www.designboom.com/design/lanzavecchia-wai-fools-gold-cabinet-console-11-12-15/

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Future trends/ new and old methods of design

the ‘ming 647′ cair by colin seah of ministry of design, is comprised of a steel wire seat that draws its silhouette from the traditional timber ming bow back chair, commanded, and challenged by the desire to invert itself into just its bare bones – light airy, and color infused. it is an answer to the designer’s questions ‘how can a ubiquitous piece of traditional furniture be challenged and updated.

http://www.designboom.com/design/singapore-design-the-alchemists-exhibition-milan-design-week-04-30-2015/

This is a great example of recycling and altering old concepts into new, fresh design.

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Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.

Biomimetics or biomimicry is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.

Kingfisher beak- bullet train in japan

Natural Burr Structure - Invented the velcro

reflective colour- Blue Morphis butterfly- Security devices nano technology holographic

Natural Pattern forest floor- Flooring that does not show coffee

Natural healing polymer

Shark Skin- 3d printed shark skin - SPEEDO

Sharklet

biomimmicry uses biological processes as a model for human design solutions

Self healing colour etc

‘aura tropicale’ is a scent diffuser that features a honeycomb structure that softly receives drops of lemongrass extract, allowing the essence to flow down its stem-like vessels and be absorbed. designed by outofstock, it utilizes a repurposed ceramic filter, possibly one of the most sophisticated industrial materials to be used in the diffusion of aroma. the porosity holds the oil, releasing scent slowly over time.

(Milan Design week)

http://www.designboom.com/design/singapore-design-the-alchemists-exhibition-milan-design-week-04-30-2015/

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http://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/30/studio-ilio-electricity-form-solid-objects-wire-nylon-powder-3d-printing-waste/

two Royal College of Art graduates have made a series of stools by running an electric current through wires embedded in waste nylon powder from 3D printing (+ slideshow).

Seongil Choi and Fabio Hendry – collectively known as Studio Ilio – worked together on the Hot Wire Extensions project, which uses a simple process to create solid objects. The process starts by building a shape from thin wire made from nichrome – an alloy of nickel, chromium and other metals – that fits within the dimensions of a cuboid container.

"Whenever you print an object [using SLS], half of the volume of the material turns into waste and there are not viable techniques on the market to recycle this material," said Hendry.

A battery connected to the ends of the wire sends an electric current of between 10 and 120 volts through the resistant metal, heating it to temperatures of up to 500 degrees Celsius.

This heat causes the powder mixture close to the wires to melt and fuse together into a solid material.

"You do a sketch with the wire and then transform it into a strong structure – growing the material around the sketch," said Hendry. "[The final shape] depends on how close the wires are together and on how you construct it."

To demonstrate the technique, the designers created 12 shapes that were used to make a set of stools.

Woven lattices, solid sections and thin legs were all created with various arrangements of wires.

Other samples they formed during experiments with the process include a cylinder that could be used as a vase and containers for storing small objects.

The longer the battery is left connected, the wider the girth of fused material around the wire becomes.

Most of the duo's samples were created in 20 to 30 minute stints, while diameters of up to 10 centimetres were achieved by leaving the electricity running through for an hour.

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/30/studio-ilio-electricity-form-solid-objects-wire-nylon-powder-3d-printing-waste/

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Gyrecraft from Studio Swine on Vimeo.

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http://www.studioswine.com/gyrecraft/

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http://www.wallpaper.com/video/design/the-making-of-the-next-big-thing-graduate-directory-2016-cover#tPGPguiv90KChSjy.99

http://whyj.uk/smash-objects

The Next Big Thing...

Watch RCA graduate Will Yates-Johnson make (break and remake) the striking sculptural lettering that appears on the cover of our 2016 Graduate Directory

In anticipation of our reveal of the year's hottest future design innovators, we invited RCA graduate Will Yates-Johnson to produce 'The Next Big Things' –  the striking sculptural lettering that appears on the front cover of the January 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*202), our annual Graduate Directory. Here, we go behind the scenes from start to finish, observing a process in which Yates-Johnson utilises Polyspolia – a recyclable material that can be repeatedly broken down and reformed – to realise the 3D letters. 'This is a joyful process of destruction and creation that enables products to accumulate beauty and depth as they are transformed through each remaking cycle' says Yates-Johnson. Through his new manufacturing technique, made possible with the help of cutting firm STF London to join and mould the pieces, 'The Next Big Things' are set to enter the spotlight via our cover shoot, by photographer Thomas Brown. Film direction: Jaroslav Moravec

Read more at http://www.wallpaper.com/video/design/the-making-of-the-next-big-thing-graduate-directory-2016-cover#phQrfrarM5tEYehl.99

- Also used within Wallpaper magazines current Magazine cover, with graphic design potential

Ethical potential- The use of this material is highly desirable, of the moment aesthetic that has the ability to be re-used and restructured with other materials to create a variety of effects.

Graphic design use- This material process can be beneficiary within graphic design as it has the potential to be moulded and integrated with other products, packaging and design.

It can allow the ethical moral of a material process and the unique ability to show different variation of colour, texture and purpose.

maintaining minimal waste effect and using theorems and equations to process materials and waste

How the structure is created:

“A diagram for a radical system of production. Beginning with a single cast, the first iteration is crushed and recast with fresh material into two new objects. These pieces are tests of form, material tolerance, utility, desirability, value. A choice is made between the two, and one is destroyed to be cast again. This process could repeat indefinitely. By cutting into the surface and revealing the aggregate, the narrative connection between the pieces is recognised. This prolonged experiment illustrates how a system of production might create a nuanced object that encourages an appreciation of the resources that exist within it, and seeks to question our rates of consumption and waste. -Jesmonite, pigment, wax” - http://whyj.uk/smash-objects

http://www.wallpaper.com/video/design/the-making-of-the-next-big-thing-graduate-directory-2016-cover

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After bringing in my object to the session I thought about the process of dying and looking at first of all, natural processes of dying and processes.

Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other organic sources such as fungi and lichens.

Typically, the dye material is put in a pot of water and then the textiles to be dyed are added to the pot, which is heated and stirred until the color is transferred. Textile fibre may be dyed before spinning ("dyed in the wool"), but most textiles are "yarn-dyed" or "piece-dyed" after weaving. Many natural dyes require the use of chemicals called mordants to bind the dye to the textile fibres; tannin from oak galls, salt, natural alum, vinegar, and ammonia from stale urine were used by early dyers. Many mordants, and some dyes themselves, produce strong odors, and large-scale dyeworks were often isolated in their own districts.

Cochineal insect (red)

Cow urine (Indian yellow)

Lac insect (red, violet)

Murex snail (purple)

Octopus/Cuttlefish (sepia brown)

Catechu or Cutch tree (brown) Gamboge tree resin (dark mustard yellow)

Himalayan rubhada root (yellow)

Indigofera plant (blue)

Kamala tree (red)

Larkspur  plant (yellow)

Madder root (red, pink, orange)

Myrabolan fruit (yellow, green, black)

Pomegranate peel (yellow)

Weld herb (yellow)

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"Left to his own devices he couldn’t build a toaster. He could just about make a sandwich and that was it."Mostly Harmless, Douglas Adams, 1992

The Toaster Project- Thomas Thwaites Lecture and presentation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation, it gave me insight into the deeper meaning behind the possibilities of working with material and process. Designer Thomas Thwaites “The Toaster project” introduces the effort and skill that is now taken for granted due to mass industry and the developing world which turns away from the very basic historical method, effort and skill that is involved with making materials such as metal, plastic and other material. His handmade Toaster was produced by foraging for materials, researching methods and trial and error experimentation. This project was sold and featured at the V&A for £20,000. “The Toaster project” book depicts his ordeal and efforts of creating this piece of design and is also available in a variety of countries and languages.

This process looked at “how far we have come” into our developing world as designers and makers by closely looking at what skill is required to make a simple toaster that is often overlooked from it’s complexity of many components and processes. 

I liked the originality of this project and it definitely made me consider recreating something for myself from scratch with experimentation and incorporate this into my work in future projects. 

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After the introduction I began looking at innovative techniques with hair, which is a very sustainable and easily available resource. Artist Kerry Howley’s jewelry is an example of an innovative process that has produced an alternative technique as a sustainable way of making jewellery. This example shares similarities with “Hair Highway” video by Studio Swine that demonstrates the potential of human hair and what the creative process can produce.

“Hair, according to Howley, is a familiar material which we take pride in, yet it becomes a source of aversion once it parts from the body.”  Howley wanted to see if she could make discarded follicles attractive again. Each of the resulting necklaces, inspired by Victorian mourning jewelry, required between 40 to 60 hours to make and mainly chooses to focus on symmetrical forms that share similarities of lace.

She has created what she describes as a “delicate balance” between delight and disgust. “Although theoretically contrasting emotional responses, attraction and aversion are oddly congruous, there is often an element of fascination to the repulsive.”

The hair itself looks felted in appearance, it appears to replicate fibres such as wool or fine yarn, with an intricate detail similar to elaborate lace. I particularly liked how she has manipulated the material to create such an intricate design. I am drawn to this concept because of the fact that I myself do not like the idea of wearing human hair, however this design would make me feel more inclined to accept this material as something wearable. 

Her work process has produced a highly interesting result, I feel that it looks beautiful despite the material being considered to repulse. I find the fact that she has used human hair as a far more interesting material and impact than using regular fibre to create her design, usually because human hair is very breakable and the fact that as a material that is ethical, which isn’t regularly used in this kind of process.

it references Victorian mourning hair jewellery that was also produced with a variety of outcomes and designs by using a resource that is easily available, much like the Hair Highway video by Studio swine. This is another approach of focusing on just the material itself and manipulating it,  rather than combining one material with another. 

This is a great example of how you can use any material that is often discarded to create something intricate and detailed. It presents the extremities of how far you can manipulate a material into an altered form. The design could be further developed and has the potential to be of greater detail, layering, combined with other materials and perhaps dyed to alter the “human hair” appearance from closer inspection. 

Ultimately I can see a better understanding of using and accepting materials such as this, and by introducing it into work it can have a greater impact and has benefits both aesthetically and ethically. 

http://www.kerryhowley.co.uk/

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Expanded Practice Introduction

Within our introduction we discussed the processes of materials and was presented with some existing examples of material process from designers and studios. Most of the examples shown were highly innovative and unique in direction, and produced much variety within their outcomes that had a fresh perspective and was creatively unique. The processes and concepts were often created with unusual practices in making and using materials that are not considered traditional.

The example of using processes and experimentations was very informative, and inspiring. I found the the video “Hair Highway” from Studio swing my favourite example. The video focuses on a process of applying resin to dyed and brushed human hair to create solid material, then processed laboriously and finished as a highly distinctive and beautiful design outcome.

This lesson made me consider how we can educate ourselves in using different material and processes for producing unique design production and combining methods that may have ethical and design impact.