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& Design
Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145
www.elsevier.com/locate/matdes
Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
Abstract
For an efficient materials selecting process, the content and presentation of information about materials should be accustomed to
product designers’ approaches and needs. This paper aims at determining these approaches and needs by a series of interviews with prod-
uct designers. Four needs were found: the need for comparable information, information related to product issues, information on multi-
ple detail levels and material samples. Four empirical studies elaborated on these needs to evaluate how currently used information
sources deal with them. Strategies coming from these studies help to focus information developers in their efforts to present suitable
information about materials to product designers.
Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
0261-3069/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2006.11.008
134 I.E.H. van Kesteren / Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145
Table 1
Structure of studies presented in the paper
Paper structure
Main question:
Which characteristics should information about materials have to meet the needs of product designers?
Literature and expectations Section 2
First study: Currently used information sources: What is on offer and what is used? What are product designers’ information needs? Section 3
Studies aiming at assessing usability of different information sources that deal with the needs:
Second study: Comparing materials in databases Section 4
Third study: Presenting information about materials in multiple detail levels Section 5
Fourth study: Material samples offering applied information Section 6
Fifth study: Using sample collections Section 7
Final results: Section 8
Information strategies for providing information about materials
of strategies for providing and developing information 2.2. Aspects considered in materials selection
about materials for product designers (Section 8).
Information needs do not only depend on the method of selecting, but
also on the roles materials have in a product. They have the role of making
2. Materials selection approaches in product design products technically function and the role of creating aesthetic character-
istics (or ‘product personality’ as referred to by Ashby and Johnson [6]).
Ashby and Johnson state that industrial designers express frustration Product designers therefore consider various aspects of products resulting
that they are not supported while selecting materials based on character- in a choice of materials that provides in these roles. These aspects include
istics other than technical ones [6]. Only recently, the ASM International product function, the life cycle of the product and who is going to use or
acknowledged that industrial designers are a new audience for the materi- produce it. In addition, usability, product personality, environment, costs
als information society. They recognize that designers have special infor- and so on are included. Materials influence these aspects in multiple, com-
mation needs regarding tactile and aesthetic values of materials [8]. plex and not always quantitative way. Shercliff and Lovatt developed an
However, is finding information about non-technical information about approach for process selection that deals with the complexity of consider-
materials the only aspect product designers are dealing with? Expected ing materials, design and manufacturing processes [10]. van Kesteren et al.
is that product designers’ information needs on materials are also depen- show the relations between materials considerations and the other design
dent on the methods they use for selecting and the design aspects they considerations: product personality, use, function, shape and manufactur-
consider. ing [11]. Ljungberg stresses that production methods, function, user
demands, design, total price and environmental aspects are important cri-
teria in the selection of a material [12].
2.1. Methods for selecting
The influence of materials on use and personality is not always quan-
tifiable. Providing information about these aspects is therefore difficult.
Selecting materials is more than matching requirements with materials
The number of design aspects that materials influence has consequences
candidates. Dobrzanski explains that after defining the requirements for a
for product designers’ information needs on materials. The information
new product, these requirements are compared with extensive materials
should provide insights in how materials influence the different aspects.
databases to preliminary select a number of materials that might be appli-
cable [9]. These materials, acquired from a retail network, are then
inspected in the particular product [9]. 2.3. Non-technical properties
Ashby and Johnson identify four methods for selecting materials all
using different strategies and all having their own information needs. Karana explored the kind of data product designers need other than
These are the analysis, synthesis, similarity and inspiration method [6]. technical data and their sources [7]. She concluded that product designers
These methods can be used separately, but ‘the most effective path exploits need information about sensorial properties and on perceived values,
the most useful features of each’ [6]. In the analysis method a list of prod- which are affected by factors such as cultural aspects, trends, associations
uct requirements is translated into material objectives and constraints and and emotions in addition, to the technical information. For many techni-
then a database of materials is screened. This method requires information cal aspects, information about materials is available and well organized in
about characteristics of available materials. In the synthesis method, prod- databases and datasheets. For example, in CAMPUS software mechani-
uct requirements are translated into desired features and then a database cal, thermal and electrical properties of materials are provided [13].
of products is explored. The method exploits the knowledge of other However, only a limited number of examples can be found for the non-
solved problems. The method requires information about previous mate- technical aspects of materials such as aesthetics and personality. For
rials solutions. If product requirements are not a starting point for select- sensorial properties, especially information about colour and other visual
ing, the similarity method can be used. For an established material an aspects such as transparency and gloss can be found extensively, but the
attribute profile is generated that is used to find materials solutions closely other senses such as touch are still underexposed as well as information
related to the established one. Like the analysis method, information is about perceived values. For information about visual and tactual aspects
needed about characteristics of available materials. Creative thinking pro- of materials product designers rely on psychical material samples.
vokes the last method, inspiration. A database with materials is combined Above described three aspects are expected to influence the way prod-
with a database of products and new matches are generated almost by a uct designers use information about materials. The first aspect was the
random walk. Although Ashby and Johnson mention databases in every selection methods of product designers. Product designers use various
method it seems better to speak of ‘collections of data’ or ‘information’. selection methods that differ from project to project and differ from design
Not all information is as structured and easy to retrieve as the term data- phase to design phase. Every method requires its specific information. The
base suggests. second aspect introduced was that product designers consider a wide vari-
I.E.H. van Kesteren / Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145 135
ety of product issues while selecting materials, which increases the com- 3.2.1. General materials application
plexity of materials selection. Information is needed that combines differ- Instead of starting with all options, such is the case when
ent aspects. The third aspect concerned the different roles that materials
have in a product; that of creating product functionality and product per-
using a database with materials, the interviewees start their
sonality. Creating a personality requires information about non-technical materials selection with a small number that is selected
materials aspects. based on experience. With this small selection they contact
materials suppliers and manufacturers.
3. First study: Currently used information about materials The interviewees stressed that although materials are
tested for their properties, how materials will react when
A list of currently used information sources was made to processed into a designed shape is hard to predict. The
assess whether the aspects as described in the previous sec- same holds for the circumstances a product is put in during
tion influence which information sources are used by prod- its life cycle. However, for guaranteeing the reliability and
uct designers. This section ends with four themes that durability of the product, product designers need to predict
represent the characteristics that product designers need the materials behaviour in their design. Therefore, product
in information about materials. designers use information about applied materials from
different sources, such as company experience, testing and
example products.
3.1. Method
3.2.2. Independent sources
A series of interviews with product designers lead to a
General information about materials is mostly used by
list of currently used information sources. The information
the interviewees with the least design experience. These
related topics discussed in the interviews were: What infor-
sources are helpful in situations where designers need to
mation sources are used during materials selection? How
understand which materials are suitable. As soon as this
satisfying and useful is the information provided about
is known, designers switch over to information that
materials and how is the information found? At the end
includes the availability of materials. Product designers
of the interviews, the researcher discussed how the intervie-
use general information beyond the concrete question in
wees keep up with new developments in the material and
a project, for example for education or for inspiring current
process technologies areas. The information sources men-
and future projects.
tioned in an interview were discussed in the next interview
to verify whether the next interviewee also used this source.
3.2.3. Materials on supply
Therefore, it was possible to make a complete list of mostly
As stated in Section 1, materials are mostly selected
used sources. However, appointing a frequency of use was
from an existing range of materials from suppliers. During
not possible. Thirteen product designers from design agen-
the interviews this was confirmed. The interviewees all
cies, production companies and engineering agencies were
mentioned materials suppliers and manufacturers as infor-
interviewed. Their design experience ranged from 1 to 13
mation sources. When contacting these sources the inter-
years with a mean of 5 years of experience.
viewees know to an extent what kind of materials they
are looking for. They selected the suppliers or manufactur-
3.2. Results ers to contact.
Materials suppliers and representatives of manufactur-
The interviewees mentioned dozens of information ers are the obvious persons to contact if information is
sources they used for selecting materials, which are cate- required on available materials. These persons however
gorized in the different source types shown in Table 2. are related to businesses that provide information for their
The categorization into types was based on the source own commercial interests. In some cases, the interviewees
the information was coming from, e.g. from example found this a drawback because the suppliers were not able
products or from Internet. An important distinction was to advice on other materials than their own. However, in
made between information about materials applied in a other cases product designers and suppliers or manufactur-
product and information about characteristics of raw ers combined their interests and developed parts together.
materials or half fabricates. Roughly said, the information In summary, there exist many types of information
in the ‘general materials application’ category is gained by sources related to materials that are used by product
assessing materials in existing products or models. In the designers. In every design project, several of these sources
second and third category information is gained by stan- were used. The sources reflect on what is important in
dardized materials tests and experiments. Information information about materials, namely information about
about materials characteristics is coming from indepen- availability, on application in products and for inspiration.
dent sources, such as found in handbooks (independent
sources category) or is about available materials such as 3.3. Discussions
from suppliers (materials on supply category). Table 2
shows examples of the found information sources and In Section 2 we ended with the expected information
summarizes the results. needs of product designers. The results of the interviews
136
Table 2
Information sources used in materials selection
Category Source types Results from interviews
1. General material Experience: Knowledge of the client, colleagues and experts, experience from former The product designers’ experiences are a valuable and important starting point for
applications projects making a set of candidate materials. The product designers mostly gain experience
through former projects and from seminars and trade shows. If the product
designers do not have experience with the design problem they are facing, they talk
for tips and tricks. In the late phases product designers discuss which materials suit
Furthermore, they discuss what consequences the materials choices have on other
to keep up with new developments and to show the company’s developments when
advertisement on their new developments. Sometimes they visit design agencies to
aspects of the design such as on shape. The interviewees consulted manufacturers,
the requirements best, which additives are needed and which colours and effects. sources product designers use. The different information
types that product designers use for achieving materials
In the following, two databases containing materials data mation on multiple detail levels, CES can be used on two
were evaluated: CES 4.0 from Granta Design [15] and Mat- detail levels and thus provides in this need. However, prod-
web from Automation Creations Inc. [16]. Both databases uct designers prefer Matweb in the last phases of their pro-
are independent of materials industry but contain datasheets ject and CES for the early phases. CES does thus not cover
from a large amount of materials. The main differences the whole design project. In addition to the studied version
between the two databases are the complexity of the interface of CES, Matweb provides data on trade names and suppli-
and representation of material data. Matweb has a simple ers, which helps to specify materials. In later versions of
interface with a small number of possibilities: by filling in a CES this data is also provided. A strategy for providing
maximum of three materials properties the database can be information on multiple detail levels would be to include
searched. CES is more extended: searching materials by fill- data on general materials. In addition, the information
ing in material properties is possible as well as browsing needs to include data on trade names and suppliers to sup-
materials in a tree-structure. Furthermore, in CES material port product designers in their late design phases. It is
data can be combined with process data. In Matweb materi- advised to enable access via multiple strategies such as in
als are represented by trade name and data is presented for CES to support early design phases.
material properties. In CES materials are represented by Matweb solely provides information about material
their sort name. CES presents data for materials properties properties whereas CES provides process data as well.
but, do also include manufacturing process properties, a pic- CES therefore seems to fulfil the need of relating materials
ture and an estimated price. In CES one can work on differ- data to product issues, although this is limited to process
ent levels of detail (termed in CES as edu-levels). data. A strategy for providing information about product
issues may be to extend the possibilities of CES to other
4.1. Method areas such as shape issues and product personality issues.
To compare the usability of both databases, six partici- 5. Third study: Presenting information about materials on
pants with a design background evaluated them. Each par- multiple detail levels
ticipant used both databases for selecting materials for the
housing of an electrical boiling kettle in random order. Product designers select materials in different phases in
They were provided with product requirements for the the design process. In the idea generating phase books with
housing and had 30 min per database to find a suitable pictures of materials can be very inspiring, but these are
material. After that they filled in a questionnaire to evalu- unsuitable for later phases if more detail is required. In
ate the usability of the databases. They were not familiar the concept phase, product designers want to specify most
with the evaluated database interfaces. of the materials, but not all information is present to formu-
late requirements as detailed as is needed to use datasheets
4.2. Results or databases. For example, early in the design phases,
designers decide about materials based on just a few param-
With CES the participants needed more clues to use the eters such as costs and chemical resistance. In the last design
program than with Matweb. This is a likely result from the phases product designers mostly contact material suppliers
fact that the participants used the programs for the first and manufacturers to discuss the materials aspects in full
time. The number of questions that participants had about detail. In the following is studied how a presentation form
the working of the program decreased after a period of can deal with the need for multiple detail levels.
time. The participants evaluated CES as more pleasant to
work with compared to Matweb. The participants stated 5.1. Method
that the trade names used in Matweb were confusing in
early design phases and that in Matweb no example prod- The aim of the study was to explore in which form prod-
uct was shown in the materials data sheet. Although in uct designers prefer materials data to be presented so this
CES a picture is shown the participants prefer more pic- data can be used during most design phases. First was stud-
tures. In addition, CES was preferred because of its possi- ied which kind of materials data is provided by several
bility to combine materials data with process data. CES is commonly used information sources (brochures, supplier
in that sense more related to product issues than Matweb. information on internet, databases) and how this data is
The participants preferred CES for the idea and concept presented. For example, are the materials properties given
phases and Matweb for embodiment and detailed design in exact numbers, ranges or textual? Objects of the study
phases. So, the participants preferred to use the databases were the brochures and websites of four materials suppli-
in different design phases. ers, the online database www.materialexplorer.com [17]
and the software tool Cambridge Engineering Selector
4.3. Strategies [15]. In study 2 was found that CES do presents informa-
tion on two levels, but is preferred only for the idea and
Both evaluated databases fulfil the need to compare concept phases and not for the detailed phases. Therefore,
materials information. Concerning the need to access infor- CES was included again in this study.
140 I.E.H. van Kesteren / Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145
Table 3 data was not clear from the results. Experts and students
Preferences in representations of information about materials had different preferences. However, a combination of
Product designers’ preferences tables and graphics for comparing is preferred by both
Experts (# = 4) Students (# = 16) experts and students.
Material properties The proposal for presenting information about materi-
1st Mechanical Mechanical als consists of an interface using three ways to start collect-
2nd Generala General ing material data. The first one is a search engine in which a
3rd Sensorial Sensorial material name can be entered. The second one is a search
4th Process Optical
5th Other Thermal
function in which the database can be searched based on
6th Optical Process materials characteristics such as mechanical and sensorial
7th Thermal Electrical parameters. This search function works on two levels so
8th Electrical Other that product designers can use the search function in differ-
Obtaining data ent phases in the design process. At level one, characteris-
1st Search engine Limit phase tics are presented roughly in words such as high, average or
2nd Limit phase Tree structure low. At level two, characteristics are presented by numbers
3rd Graphics Search engine
for every property. The third starting point enables to com-
4th Tree structure Graphics
pare materials. Product designers can compare the data in
Comparing method tables, but also by graphical comparisons. The material
1st Bubble-charts Tables
data sheet itself is presented by a short textual introduction
2nd Tables Bubble-charts
3rd Text Normal graphics of the material and a picture. The user of the database can
4th Normal graphics Text choose to display characteristics in rough numbers or in
5th Box plots Box plots specific numbers. An important advice is to add an option
a
General material properties include the density and the price of the for exact values for different types of materials to meet the
materials. demands of experienced product designers. They need to
use these values in their detailed design phases.
The proposed presentation form may be used in differ-
Second, for each of the types was explored what presen- ent design phases due to the differences in representation
tation form product designers prefer by interviewing 4 of materials characteristics (roughly, specifically and in
product designers and 16 design students.1 The results led exact numbers). Elements of the proposed presentation
to a proposal that presents materials data in multiple detail form do come forward in the evaluated existing informa-
levels. tion sources. However, the proposal combined the pre-
ferred elements from these sources.
5.2. Results
5.3. Strategies
Four elements of information were common in the stud-
ied sources: (1) numerical properties, (2) additional text The proposed presentation form provides in the needs
about performance and key functionality, (3) a picture of for comparable information and is accessible on multiple
the materials or applied materials and (4) the chemical for- detail levels. Software databases provide possibilities for
mula. Furthermore, two ways of interacting with the infor- comparing data and for accessing and presenting data in
mation were encountered: (1) the way product designers different ways. However, the other needs are still under
can obtain the information and (2) the way they can com- exposed in this proposed presentation form: Concerning
pare different materials. The elements and ways of interact- product related issues, only sensorial aspects are included.
ing formed the basis for the measurements on product The material samples need is not fulfilled by providing
designers’ representation preferences. information via a software database.
Table 3 shows that mechanical, general (density, prize)
and sensorial properties are of most value to both expert 6. Fourth study: Material samples offering applied
and student designers. These properties were preferred in information
the same order by both experts and students. The order
of the other properties differed. Both groups prefer proper- Product designers mention problems related to product
ties explained in numbers and text. Experts prefer to obtain issues with current information sources. How the materials
these numbers in exact values and students prefer a range a product is made of perform during all aspects of the life
of values. Both groups prefer a picture accompanying the cycle of the product is often unknown. Products are man-
data and do not need a chemical formula of the material. ufactured, transported, stored, sold, used, disposed and
How product designers prefer to obtain or compare the recycled and all processes have specific influences on mate-
rials. As a consequence, for a reliable selection, product
1
Integrated Product Design master at the Faculty of Industrial Design designers need information about how materials perform
Engineering, Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands. during these circumstances. However, materials are tested
I.E.H. van Kesteren / Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145 141
with standard experiments to identify their parameters. In concentrate on sensorial aspects. However, other aspects
these test are temperature, humidity and stress standard- come forward too, such as production techniques and sup-
ized, but in real life these factors change during the lifespan pliers portfolio.
of the product, which influences material performances. Six of the 13 product designers scored a set of sample
Datasheets that only provide information based on stan- types on what characteristics the sample provides informa-
dard tests are therefore not sufficient. Predicting how mate- tion, on how informative the sample is and on its frequency
rials behave during the lifespan can partly be done by of use. The sample types were chosen from a sample collec-
lab experiments and finite elements calculations. Product tion at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering in the
designers use experience from former projects, test mate- Netherlands (Table 5).
rials in products and assess existing products to deal with Raw materials such as granulates are not very informa-
the lack of product related information about materials. tive and not frequently used according to the interviewees.
Materials in existing products have proven their perfor- All the other sample types have their specific combination
mance. In addition, they show the limitations of materials of information characteristics (colour, texture, size, mate-
if products show imperfections. Furthermore, product rial and process) that can be found in that sample. Pro-
designers predict the appearance of materials in the prod- cessed materials and joining techniques are the most
uct. One of the interviewees of study 1 mentioned that they frequently used sample types. Preformed samples, joining
make image scans of materials to use them in computerized techniques, process techniques and broken products are
presentations. In the following, a study is presented that judged as the most informative material sample types.
shows how material samples offer applied materials Summarizing, product designers look for colour and
information. texture aspects in a sample. In addition they most fre-
quently use samples that represent product related issues.
6.1. Method
6.3. Strategy
The aim of the fourth study was to explore what kind of
information product designers look for in a material sam- Material samples do provide information about product
ple and whether they use samples for applied materials related issues, but the type of sample influences what infor-
information. Thirteen product designers and two materials mation it provides. The strategy is to offer product design-
suppliers participated in an interview in person or by email ers different types of material samples. It is wise to design
to discuss a range of issues including whether and how the samples so that different product related aspects such
material samples were used and what kinds of information as sensorial aspects or manufacturing techniques come for-
was looked for in the sample. In addition, was discussed ward in the samples.
whether samples were organized in a collection and how
product designers get the samples. 7. Fifth study: Using sample collections
to search a database from a computer on top of the cup- specification of materials. Material samples are in this stage
board or on the agency’s intranet. For every item the spec- also used to perform experiments that range from subtle to
ifications are listed including manufacturer, prize and an extreme destruction manipulations [21]. Materials suppliers
anecdote by the designers that used the sample in a project. provide samples on request or visit the agency for presen-
tations of new materials. These samples are used to see
7.1. Method the range of the available materials [22].
The three kinds of samples used by the product design-
The fifth study aimed at getting more insights in when in ers, do not differ much on terms of attractiveness to the
the design project material samples were used and what the designer, how essential they are for a project and whether
added value of the samples and database in the Tech Box they are usable. However, they did differ on some aspects.
is. Therefore, material samples types used within IDEO For the samples gathered from shops and streets no addi-
were compared; those from shops and streets, from the tional information is available. Only the samples in the
Tech Box and from materials suppliers. Results were based Tech Box were found easy to archive. The samples of the
on an email conversation with a materials specialist of the Tech Box feed the designer’s imaginations more than the
agency that provided information about how product other samples, probably because only the most exiting sam-
designers worked in the agency [21]. Furthermore, a ques- ples end up in the Tech Box.
tionnaire was filled in by an experienced designer who Regarding the combination of physical sample collec-
reflected on his own experiences [22]. tion and the online database the product designer made
the following remarks: The database is used to get the costs
7.2. Results of a material or to see the notes made by colleagues. The
database helps to find samples and is a strong tool for orga-
In the beginning of a project, the product designers go to nizing the samples: ‘‘I trust it over my memory’’ [22].
shops to find products related to their project to use as Summarizing, material and technology samples are inte-
inspiration. ‘‘Inspiration is found on any level; materials, grated in the design projects of the IDEO design agency
mechanism, texture, brand, experience, function etc’’ [21]. especially for the early phases in a project such as kick
Designers come across these kinds of samples during holi- off and brainstorming but not limited to these phases.
days, shopping for daily items or before a workshop [22]. Product designers find the material samples a rich source
‘‘The Tech Box is mostly used as a spark for brainstorms in which many aspects are found including product related
when designers bring the demo samples into a group meet- and sensorial aspects. The use of samples is embedded in
ing’’ [21]. The samples increase the flow during a brain- the design process of the studied design agency.
storm. They show the strength of a material and what its
look and feel is [22]. Material samples from suppliers are 7.3. Strategies
used throughout the design process. In the beginning, sam-
ples are used for inspiration or to discuss possibilities with Material samples provide in the need to use information
suppliers. In the middle of projects, the samples are used in different design phases. However, earlier stored samples
for new ideas. Towards the end samples are used to start were used in early design phases and custom made samples
Table 6
Overview of findings
Study Aim Main findings
1. Currently used Identify how aspects related to product design come forward in Four themes:
information sources currently available and used information sources. Formulate 1. comparable information
themes that represent product designer’s information needs 2. information related to product issues
3. information on multiple detail levels
4. material samples
2. Comparing materials in Compare the usability of different materials databases. Find Include information related to product issues such
databases strategies to improve how databases compare materials as manufacturing processes and sensorial aspects
Enable access via multiple detail levels and present
the compared information in general terms as well
as specific terms
3. Presenting information Explore in which form product designers prefer materials data Combine a comparison function with a function
about materials on to be presented so it can be used during most design phases. that accesses the data via multiple detail levels
multiple detail levels Propose a presentation form
4. Material samples offering Explore what kind of information product designers look for Provide product designers with different types of
applied information in a sample and whether they use it for applied materials material samples that offer information about vari-
information. Find strategies to improve samples ous product related aspects
5. Using sample collections Get insights in when in the design project material samples are Offer a database that adds information to a sample
used and what the added value of a sample database is such as supplier information and notes
144 I.E.H. van Kesteren / Materials and Design 29 (2008) 133–145
FLEXIBLE
DATABASE
MATERIAL
Material SAMPLES
properties
Access via a variety of strategies Output on comparisons Material
Sensorial
properties
properties
Pictures
Fig. 2. Strategies for improving information about materials for product designers.
in detailing phases. A strategy stemming from both this processes in CES, makes it easier to compare materials.
study and study 4 is to have a collection with different The question is however, which other product related
kinds of samples and a list of suppliers to order customized aspects can be combined with materials in a database.
material samples. These samples may than provide in the Studies on this topic may results in databases that provide
need to have information about product related issues, in three of the information needs of product designers
on sensorial aspects and the need to have information on (except from the need for material samples).
multiple detail levels. A database is advised to structure In additional to a database, product designers need
the samples and to find additional notes. information from material samples. A combination of a
database and material samples sounds ideal. However, an
8. Discussion resulting in strategies for improvement all-in one solution might not be advisable. Study 1 shows
that product designers use many kinds of information
At the end of studies 2–5, strategies were provided based sources. The activity of using these different sources may
on the results of these studies. In this section these provide benefits not revealed by this study. Furthermore,
strategies are combined leading to the challenges in devel- in study 5 an example of this all-in one solution was dis-
oping and providing product designers information about cussed. The designers that used this solution still used other
materials. For an overview of the findings of studies 1–5, information sources. We therefore not advice to focus on
see Table 6. Fig. 2 provides a chart of the suggested an all-in one solution.
strategies. Product designers need material samples for their mate-
Advantages of databases are that the same data can be rials selection. Material samples can provide in the other
accessed via multiple ways and that data can be presented needs as well. A strategy for providing in the need of infor-
in different detail levels. Challenges for current database mation about product related issues is to develop different
software are to extend these advantages to meet the need types of samples of the same materials. For example one
of information on multiple detail levels. Product designers sample demonstrated colour, one texture and one joining
may then use the same database in different design phases. techniques. Material samples are currently used in different
A combination of general information about materials and design phases and thus seem to provide information on
information from suppliers in the same database may pro- multiple detail levels. However, developers of information
vide in this. Access to the data via multiple strategies is about materials are advised to elaborate on this to under-
advised. Databases that contain information about materi- stand which material sample types are used in the different
als may easily fulfil the comparing need of product design- design phases.
ers. There are plenty of initiatives that present information
in a comparable way, including databases from materials 9. Conclusions
suppliers.
Main challenges for developers of databases are provid- Product designers need information about materials that
ing in the need for product related aspects. In some dat- is adjusted to their design approaches. Information about
abases sensorial aspects are presented and in some other materials that can be compared to other materials, has
databases manufacturing aspects. As the need for product multiple detail levels, contains information about materials
related aspects indicates, product designers prefer informa- related to product issues and in addition shows a material
tion about other product related aspects as well. Combin- sample, is expected to be best adjusted to the selection pro-
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