Material mediation and embodied actions in collaborative design process

Authors

  • Henna Lahti
  • Kaiju Kangas
  • Veera Koponen
  • Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen

Abstract

Material and embodied practices are an intrinsic part of craft and design education. This article reports a study in which textile teacher-students designed three-dimensional toys based on children’s drawings. Three students in each team worked on the given materials and designed the shape of the toy together. Materials for designing were either: 1) pen and paper, 2) masking tape and thin cardboard, or 3) wire and non-woven interfacing fabric. After the modelling phase, the final toys were created by sewing. Research data consisted of the video recordings of three design sessions representing the various design materials given to the students. By conducting multiple levels of analysis, we examined how the participants used materials and gestures to support their communication. The results highlight the strengths of 3D modelling techniques, particularly through comparison with the drawing technique undertaken by one design team. We found that simple material tools support students’ design process and suggest this could be applied to other design settings.

Downloads

Published

2016-02-28

How to Cite

Lahti, H., Kangas, K., Koponen, V., & Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P. (2016). Material mediation and embodied actions in collaborative design process. Techne Series - Research in Sloyd Education and Craft Science A, 23(1). Retrieved from https://journals.oslomet.no/index.php/techneA/article/view/1463

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Artikler

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).