Unexpected Material Engagements 

Unexpected Material Engagements has introduced me to the material-driven design approach, which challenges my conventional design perspective of finding the “right material” for a function. Instead, this approach emphasizes the process of exploring the possibilities of a material and its unique properties. The project we went through was about reusing orange peels from juice production and transforming them into functional and meaningful objects that could be bio-plastics, care products and packaging. Through this process I gained insights into different approaches and realized that unpredictability and temporality play an important role in material design.

This course had a huge impact on my understanding of C&A as I explored how material properties influence the narrative and emotional resonance of a product and material. By working on the prototypes and going through the different production and experimentation phases, I also expanded my basic knowledge in T&R. 

The hands-on approach paired with the iterative creation of material mixtures was crucial in this process. By blending fundamental theoretical concepts with hands-on experimentation, UME has informed future projects such as Oyster Matter and ReBarking by recognizing the importance of linking material properties to a social and environmental context.

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