The Basis of Processes - Experimenting With Food to Re-Shape the Industry Language

Abstract

The language of products that we shape today is influenced mainly by the way manufacturing processes let us do things. The more flexible a process becomes, the broader shapes we can produce. This paper aims to document an experimentation process held at the Los Andes University as a different approach to teach that topic to designers. By this mean, a chance of empowerment is given to students with the possibility to reshape the way things are produced. Understanding the basic configuration of the industry in a different way may open further possibilities to create better products in the near future.

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Prooceedings of the Cumulus Conference, Milano 2015
T h e V irtu o u s C irc le
Design Culture
and Experim entation
3-7 June 2015, Milano, Italy
Editors
Luisa Collina, Laura Galluzzo, Anna Meroni
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education Italy
Politecnico di Milano
Design Department
School of Design
Poli.Design
Fondazione Politecnico
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ISBN 9788838694059

- v
Conference Colophon
President of Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and
Media.
Conference Chair
Luisa Collina / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Conference Manager
Laura Galluzzo / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Scientic Committee Chairs
Ezio Manzini / DESIS Network
Anna Meroni / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Tracks Chairs
Nurturing
Eleonora Lupo / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Sarah Teasley / Royal College of Art
Paolo Volonté / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Envisioning
Giulio Ceppi / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Stefano Marzano / THNK, School of Creative Leadership.
Francesco Zurlo / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Experimenting/Prototyping
Banny Banerjee / Stanford University
Paola Bertola / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Stefano Maffei / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Incubating/Scaling
Anna Meroni / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Cabirio Cautela / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Gjoko Muratovski / Auckland University of Technology.
Assessing
Lia Krucken / Universidade do Estado de Mina Gerais.
Pier Paolo Peruccio / Politecnico di Torino.
Paolo Tamborrini / Politecnico di Torino.
Disseminating/Communicating
Elena Caratti / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Paolo Ciuccarelli / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Mark Roxburgh / University of Newcastle.
Training/Educating
Luca Guerrini / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Pablo Jarauta / IED, Istituto Europeo di design.
Lucia Rampino / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
International Affairs
Anne Schoonbrodt / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Visual Communication
Andrea Manciaracina, Umberto Tolino / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.
Pictures
Massimo Ferrari
Translations and English Editing
Rachel Anne Coad
Graphic and Interior Design
Tina Fazeli, Elisabetta Micucci Rebecca Squires / Design Department, Politecnico di Milano.

International Review Board
The conference adopted double blind peer review.
Yoko Akama, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Jose Allard, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Zoy Anastassakis, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Nik Baerten, Pantopicon
Giovanni Baule, Politecnico di Milano
Elisa Bertolotti, Politecnico di Milano
Alessandro Biamonti, Politecnico di Milano
Massimo Bianchini, Politecnico di Milano
Luigi Bistagnino, Politecnico di Torino
Sandy Black, University of the Arts London
Spyros Bofylatos, University of the Aegean
Gustavo Borba, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Brigitte Borja de Mozota, Paris College of Art
Clare Brass, Royal College of Art
Caelli Brooker, University of Newcastle
Graeme Brooker, Middlesex University London
Sam Bucolo, University of Technology Sydney
Daniela Calabi, Politecnico di Milano
Barbara Camocini, Politecnico di Milano
Angus Campbell, University of Johannesburg
Daria Cantù, Politecnico di Milano
Michele Capuani, Politecnico di Milano
Michelle Catanzaro, University of Newcastle
Manuela Celi, Politecnico di Milano
Eunji Cho, Hunan University
Jaz Choi, Queensland University of Technology
Matteo Ciastellardi, Politecnico di Milano
Carla Cipolla, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Luisa Collina, Politecnico di Milano
Chiara Colombi, Politecnico di Milano
Sara Colombo, Politecnico di Milano
Marta Corubolo, Politecnico di Milano
Vincenzo Cristallo, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Robert Crocke, University of South Australia
Heather Daam, Institute without Boundaries Toronto
Chiara Del Gaudio, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Alessandro Deserti, Politecnico di Milano
Loredana Di Lucchio, Sapienza Università di Roma
Jonathan Edelman, Stanford University
Davide Fassi, Politecnico di Milano
David Fern, Middlesex University London
Silvia Ferraris, Politecnico di Milano
Venere Ferraro, Politecnico di Milano
Alain Findeli, University of Nimes
Elena Formia, Università di Bologna
Marcus Foth, Queensland University of Technology
Silvia Franceschini, Politecnico di Milano
Teresa Franqueira, Universidade de Aveiro

Carlo Franzato, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Karine Freire, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Marisa Galbiati, Politecnico di Milano
Laura Galluzzo, Politecnico di Milano
Giulia Gerosa, Politecnico di Milano
Miaosen Gong, Jiangnan University
Carma Gorman, University of Texas at Austin
Francesco Guida, Politecnico di Milano
Ashley Hall, Royal College of Art
Michael Hann, University of Leeds
Denny Ho, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Stefan Holmlid, Linkoping University
Lorenzo Imbesi, Sapienza Università di Roma
Ayelet Karmon, Shenkar - Engineering. Design. Art
Martin Kohler, HafenCity University Hamburg
Cindy Kohtala, Aalto University
Ilpo Koskinen, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Peter Kroes, TU Delft
Peter Gall Krogh, Aarhus University
Carla Langella, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli
Yanki Lee, Hong Kong Design Institute
Elisa Lega, University of Brighton
Wessie Ling, Northumbria University
Cyntia Malagutti, Centro Universitário Senac
Naude Malan, University of Johannesburg
Ilaria Mariani, Politecnico di Milano
Tuuli Mattelmaki, Aalto University
Alvise Mattozzi, Università di Bolzano
Mike McAuley, University of Newcastle
Lisa McEwan, Auckland University of Technology
Stuart Medley, Edith Cowan University Western Australia
Massimo Menichinelli, Openp2pdesign
Cynthia Mohr, University of North Texas
Nicola Morelli, Aalborg University
Afonso Morone, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Francesca Murialdo, Politecnico di Milano
Andreas Novy, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business
Marina Parente, Politecnico di Milano
Raffaella Perrone, ELISAVA Escola Superior de Disseny
Margherita Pillan, Politecnico di Milano
Francesca Piredda, Politecnico di Milano
Marco Pironti, Università di Torino
Paola Pisano, Università di Torino
Giovanni Profeta, Scuola Universitaria Professionale, Svizzera Italiana
Agnese Rebaglio, Politecnico di Milano
Livia Rezende, Royal College of Art
Dina Riccò, Politecnico di Milano
Francesca Rizzo, Università di Bologna
Rui Roda, University of Aveiro
Liat Rogel, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti
Valentina Rognoli, Politecnico di Milano
Margherita Russo, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Dario Russo, Università di Palermo
Fatina Saikaly, Cocreando
Giuseppe Salvia, Nottingham Univesity
Daniela Sangiorgi, Lancaster University
Daniela Selloni, Politecnico di Milano
Anna Seravalli, Malmo University
Giulia Simeone, Politecnico di Milano
Michele Simoni, Università Parthenope
Eduardo Staszowski, Parsons The New School for Design
Cristiano Storni, University of Limerick
Shehnaz Suterwalla, Royal College of Art
Kate Sweetapple, University of Technology Sydney
Virginia Tassinari, MAD Faculty Genk
Carlos Teixeira, Parsons The New School for Design
Adam Thorpe, Central Saint Martin
Paola Trapani, Unitec Institute of Technology Auckland
Raffaella Trocchianesi, Politecnico di Milano
Federica Vacca, Politecnico di Milano
Fabrizio Valpreda, Politecnico di Torino
Francesca Valsecchi, Tongji University
Beatrice Villari, Politecnico di Milano
Katarina Wetter Edman, University of Gothenburg
Robert Young, Northumbria University
Salvatore Zingale, Politecnico di Milano

443
The Basis of Processes - Experimenting with Food
to Re-Shape the Industry Language
Camilo Ayala Garcia, Assistant Professor - c.ayala954@uniandes.edu.co
Design Department
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
The language of products that we shape today is influenced mainly by the way manufac-
turing processes let us do things. The more flexible a process becomes, the broader shapes
we can produce. This paper aims to document an experimentation process held at the Los
Andes University as a different approach to teach that topic to designers. By this mean, a
chance of empowerment is given to students with the possibility to reshape the way things
are produced. Understanding the basic configuration of the industry in a different way may
open further possibilities to create better products in the near future.
Keywords
Design methodologies, Project based research, Experimentation, Manufacturing.
INTRODUCTION
Design is a profession that allows a unique way to reshape the future. For little
more than two hundred years we have been shaping our world in the same way,
thanks to the language the machines have told us to. Nowadays when technol-
ogies have settled and we are surrounded with mass production, design is the
ultimate tool mankind has to shape its tools and environment (Papanek 1971)
[1]. It is amazing how the industry has evolved in order to produce more and
better products by increasing the accuracy of the tools, optimizing time and
energy consumption. Today is incredible how fast an idea of a project reach the
market and get worldwide distributed in a span of time never imagined in the
past. Thanks to the development of our global economy systems, nowadays we
can design things in one country, manufacture them exactly the same way in ten
different others and spread it around the globe. Other times we design some-
thing, model it using state of the art CAD tools and send it to a specific country
to receive, some weeks after, a brand new product born without the need of
the designer to get in contact with any of its composing materials. Thanks to
the collective knowledge about processes we have established as civilization,
designers can relatively guess how a product will look and let the engineers at
the other side of the world, figure out exactly how to do it. In terms of evolution
of technology we can say that we are surpassing a peek of development very
important for the history of mankind.

444 - The Vir tuous Circle - Cumulus conference June 3-7, 2015, Milan
Based on the previous statement, it may sound that product design today is an
easy task, and why not, a profitable one. For today’s new generations becoming
a designer is the right and desirable path to follow. Things get complex though;
when the market becomes oversaturated with meaningless products and even
worse, when the language of products gets unified and bored. Designers are in
need to reevaluate the methodologies that guide that development. Norman
(1988) in his book The design of everyday things states how tools like affordance
and constraints can not only give shape to a product but also suggest the way is
operated and therefore its final form will be different from other typologies of
products [2]. Some years later we face by contradiction, that several typologies of
products that have evolved historically different in terms of use and shape now
look alike, behave alike and even worse, cost alike. For example, televisions and
mobile phones have reached a state of design unification that the only difference
one can find among them is the scale. Interactions, shapes and functionality are
barely the same.
Perhaps we are entering in a global unification of design language and both
designers and users are agreeing in the way everyday objects may look like, but
could be likewise, that the languages of the machines and the manufacturing
processes are guiding the way we do things. Ashby and Johnson (2010) in
their book materials and design affirm that processes classification is not as
easy as material selection (p. 95) [3]. Mainly because material behaviors and
properties are dictated by nature, while manufacturing processes are devised by
man. Processes need to be selected based on the purpose or a design intention;
therefore there is a constant question that emerges: "how can I transform a
material?”. The answer can be solved in countless different ways depending on
the purpose or design intention. So, if we as humans have the capability to
transform matter based on our intentions of usage, why we still shape objects
the same way?
At Los Andes University a research started in order to teach students about
materials and processes, separating one from the other (Ayala, 2014). By breaking
the automatic connection between a material, its manufacturing process and the
application, new ways of languages of products arise. The idea of that research is
strongly connected and inspired with the concept of sustainable development
(Birkeland 2002) (McDonough & Braungart 2002) (Ashby 2009), where in order
to succeed as species, we need to understand the differences and similarities
between the natural and industrial systems [4] [5] [6].
Although the methodology is presented in other work, the focus of this paper
relies in one exercise developed as a mean to re shape (at least in the heads of
the designers to come) the way we do things.
The exercise is called the basis of processes and the central goal lies in the
explanation of manufacturing processes not by looking at the industry, but by
looking at the kitchen.

Experimenting & Prototyping - 445
METHOD
The experimentation idea started as a reflection around the difficulties we have
to get access to industry visits in Colombia as a way to validate manufacturing
processes theory. The reflection withdraws two major concerns. On one side
we have faced that the industry is strongly disconnected form the academy,
therefore is not as easy as anywhere else to gain access inside the factories to
permit students to see how a machine mold, draw or cut. It is unknown if the
reason for that to happen has to do with the fact that companies may fear that
by open their doors some know how will become exposed to their competitors,
but is a very strong idea that cross minds. It is clear as contrast that nowadays the
internet and television [7] [8] provide complete explanation about processes of
bigger companies with higher technology as an open and detailed source. Sadly
though, with that media the physical interaction of the student with the process
is missing and thus, that path breaks the linkage between the designer and the
matter that will help him or her to create a project. The second concern is that
in Colombia, the industry that is able to produce things like "industrialized" coun-
tries is lacking and therefore a high percentage of manufacturing processes that
nowadays are the standard to produce products are out of our physical reach [9].
Regardless of making a positive or negative judgment about that matter, makes
no sense to teach about manufacturing processes to designers by showing how
the others make things, but instead presenting possibilities of how we can con-
struct with what is available for us locally becomes the best path.
In order to solve the issue an idea arose as a possibility to replicate the
industrial processes with an approach that were closer to the “hands on” manner
instead of the “look, but don’t touch” idea that a factory visit provide.
Thanks to a closer contact in the past with a Chef colleague who present
a lecture about eatable materials and by looking at the way some dishes were
prepared, it came up the idea that all the processes we see in the industry may
have a way to be explained with less complex tools like the ones the kitchen
provides. With that approach perhaps, a possibility to the students that in the past
was unavailable starts to emerge: To replicate a process that they see immediately
with the same tools.
Surprisingly when the explanation of common industrial processes to the
Chef started, like for instance, how to do rotational molding, die casting or
ultrasonic welding, he start interrupting by saying, "that is how we do chocolate
" or "this is exactly the same as doing caramel bubbles”.
Based on that exchange of technologies between two fields, a decision
was made in order to prepare a list of processes that share similarities in both
industries (product and food) and develop a workshop in which the students
can validate information acquired previously through the lectures. With that
methodological tool in the pocket and by experimenting and exploring with
their own hands, one day designers will transform the industry by proposing
new ways to do things by learning from other fields or areas of knowledge.

446 - The Vir tuous Circle - Cumulus conference June 3-7, 2015, Milan
THE WORKSHOP
The workshop is developed in two phases. The first one called “Mise en Place”,
which is a French term that means, "putting in place", used in the food industry
to set up. The term refers to organizing and arranging all the ingredients in place
before a dish or a set of dishes are prepared. In this first phase the Chef generates
a detailed explanation of each process and the designer (the professor) connects
the explanation with the previous theory in order to link up the students with
the industrial manufacturing process.
For this phase ten processes have been selected, which can be easily compared
with the industrial counterparts, but with a lower level of technology closer to
the designers hand without any restriction of usage. Most of the times the usage
of the technology lies in the hands of engineers who control the machines in
the industry and of course due to the risk, complexity and knowledge required,
the designer is out of the scene in that particular phase. The processes presented
some times can may look like traditional handicraft techniques, but is certain
however that the existence of a specific machine in a particular industry
responds as a way to improve with accuracy a traditional form to do things, like
for instance forging, cutting or weaving (Thompson 2007) [10].
The processes are explained to the students as follows:
Note that the order presented is not randomly selected, but it responds mainly
to explain the ones who require an oven or temperature (hot or cold) to be
completed first, and the other ones that can be elaborated without temperature
afterwards. That will help to guarantee at the end of the session that all processes
will be completed.
Additional Note: the processes presented in the class are supported by three
main sources of literature. Manufacturing processes for design professionals
(Thompson 2007), Materials and Design (Ashby and Johnson, 2010) and CES
Edupack [11].
Casting: the process of casting is represented with chocolate. Chocolate needs
to be melted and therefore tempered before is poured into the mold. Once is
poured into the mold (figure 1), excess is removed when the shell is hardened
in order to represent what happens with the slip casting process (ceramics). In
the other molds where the matter is not hollow on the inside, like the ones
needed to produce metals, the chocolate is left to be hardened and therefore
removed either by breaking the mold to represent sand casting and investment
casting or by opening the mold like what happens with pressure die casting.
Extrusion: for extrusion related processes meringue is used, which is made
from whipped egg whites and sugar (figure 2). The consistency of the mixture
that is used in pastry allows to show the different types of extrusion (metal,
polymer and ceramic) thanks to the wide range of dies available.
FIGURE 1 - C\asting Chocolate
FIGURE 2 - Students Extruding

Experimenting & Prototyping - 447
THE WORKSHOP
The workshop is developed in two phases. The first one called “Mise en Place”,
which is a French term that means, "putting in place", used in the food industry
to set up. The term refers to organizing and arranging all the ingredients in place
before a dish or a set of dishes are prepared. In this first phase the Chef generates
a detailed explanation of each process and the designer (the professor) connects
the explanation with the previous theory in order to link up the students with
the industrial manufacturing process.
For this phase ten processes have been selected, which can be easily compared
with the industrial counterparts, but with a lower level of technology closer to
the designers hand without any restriction of usage. Most of the times the usage
of the technology lies in the hands of engineers who control the machines in
the industry and of course due to the risk, complexity and knowledge required,
the designer is out of the scene in that particular phase. The processes presented
some times can may look like traditional handicraft techniques, but is certain
however that the existence of a specific machine in a particular industry
responds as a way to improve with accuracy a traditional form to do things, like
for instance forging, cutting or weaving (Thompson 2007) [10].
The processes are explained to the students as follows:
Note that the order presented is not randomly selected, but it responds mainly
to explain the ones who require an oven or temperature (hot or cold) to be
completed first, and the other ones that can be elaborated without temperature
afterwards. That will help to guarantee at the end of the session that all processes
will be completed.
Additional Note: the processes presented in the class are supported by three
main sources of literature. Manufacturing processes for design professionals
(Thompson 2007), Materials and Design (Ashby and Johnson, 2010) and CES
Edupack [11].
Casting: the process of casting is represented with chocolate. Chocolate needs
to be melted and therefore tempered before is poured into the mold. Once is
poured into the mold (figure 1), excess is removed when the shell is hardened
in order to represent what happens with the slip casting process (ceramics). In
the other molds where the matter is not hollow on the inside, like the ones
needed to produce metals, the chocolate is left to be hardened and therefore
removed either by breaking the mold to represent sand casting and investment
casting or by opening the mold like what happens with pressure die casting.
Extrusion: for extrusion related processes meringue is used, which is made
from whipped egg whites and sugar (figure 2). The consistency of the mixture
that is used in pastry allows to show the different types of extrusion (metal,
polymer and ceramic) thanks to the wide range of dies available.
FIGURE 1 - C\asting Chocolate
FIGURE 2 - Students Extruding

448 - The Vir tuous Circle - Cumulus conference June 3-7, 2015, Milan
Stamping / Punching and Blanking: for this processes representation, two
materials are used. Plantain allows to show how stamping is made. Plantain is
cut into small discs, then placed in the mold and pressed (figure 3). Cookies
mixture allows showing punching and blanking. As is a common home-style
process with different dies available, the connection with the industrial process
occurs automatically.
Roll Forming: for this process the same cookies mixture is utilized. Instead
of punching, for this process a series of pastry rolls (modified specially for the
workshop) pass over the mixture pressing and bending like in the industry ones.
Reaction Molding: To represent this process muffins are created. Muffins behave
very similar to polyurethanes by how mixture grows (figure 4). In that sense the
material is poured in different molds, place them in the oven and see how after
some time, grows and take the desired shape.
Contact Molding: for the process Phyllo Dough, which is a layered type of mat-
ter, is used. This dough, when is layer by layer covered with sugar and butter
(figure 5), allow us to show how GFRP and CFRP are conformed and the wide
range of shapes that are possible. The mixture needs to be cooked in oven in
order to maintain shape (figure 6).
Machining: here a different sort of fruits and vegetables are used. By carving
them with several tools in order to create multiple shapes, the students under-
stand how by removing matter a desired shape can be achieved.
Ultrasonic / Vibration Welding: By heating to separate hollow parts of chocolate
(previously made) in their borders with a hot plate of aluminum, a welding pro-
cess similar to an ultrasonic or vibration welding is obtained. Here is important
to show how the welding strip is almost imperceptible and therefore very sleek
joints can be achieved.
FIGURE 3 - Stamped Plantain
FIGURE 4 - Reaction Moulded Mufns
FIGURE 5 – Layering

Experimenting & Prototyping - 449
Stamping / Punching and Blanking: for this processes representation, two
materials are used. Plantain allows to show how stamping is made. Plantain is
cut into small discs, then placed in the mold and pressed (figure 3). Cookies
mixture allows showing punching and blanking. As is a common home-style
process with different dies available, the connection with the industrial process
occurs automatically.
Roll Forming: for this process the same cookies mixture is utilized. Instead
of punching, for this process a series of pastry rolls (modified specially for the
workshop) pass over the mixture pressing and bending like in the industry ones.
Reaction Molding: To represent this process muffins are created. Muffins behave
very similar to polyurethanes by how mixture grows (figure 4). In that sense the
material is poured in different molds, place them in the oven and see how after
some time, grows and take the desired shape.
Contact Molding: for the process Phyllo Dough, which is a layered type of mat-
ter, is used. This dough, when is layer by layer covered with sugar and butter
(figure 5), allow us to show how GFRP and CFRP are conformed and the wide
range of shapes that are possible. The mixture needs to be cooked in oven in
order to maintain shape (figure 6).
Machining: here a different sort of fruits and vegetables are used. By carving
them with several tools in order to create multiple shapes, the students under-
stand how by removing matter a desired shape can be achieved.
Ultrasonic / Vibration Welding: By heating to separate hollow parts of chocolate
(previously made) in their borders with a hot plate of aluminum, a welding pro-
cess similar to an ultrasonic or vibration welding is obtained. Here is important
to show how the welding strip is almost imperceptible and therefore very sleek
joints can be achieved.
FIGURE 3 - Stamped Plantain
FIGURE 4 - Reaction Moulded Mufns
FIGURE 5 – Layering

450 - The Vir tuous Circle - Cumulus conference June 3-7, 2015, Milan
Chroming, Galvanizing, and Dip Molding (shown as one process due to
similarities): for this set of processes sugar glaze is used. Some coating layers
made in the industry are for protecting the surface of the material; other ones
are to achieve aesthetical finishes. In that sense, the glaze provides the idea of
both intentions by submerging previous shapes produced during the workshop.
Screen-printing, Labeling and Transfer (shown as one process due to similarities):
For this set of processes are used different chocolate transfer sheets in which the
hot chocolate is spread and afterwards when cooled, the decoration attaches to
the surface. Although here the similarities with industrial processes differ around
the technique, the final result is the same (figure 7).
The second phase of the workshop consist in a design project called “Ephemeral
Products” in which the students by knowing the processes, understanding the
way to do them and being able to experiment with in the previous phase, are
able to produce an ephemeral more robust experimentation (because of the
materials used). They need to present a project proposal in which they need
to justify by design means the intention behind the project. That forces the
designers to produce and elaborate over an idea, instead of merely play with
food and see what comes up. The results are exhibited and discussed by the two
professors, the designer and the chef in order to validate the concept behind, the
design intention, the accuracy of the manufacturing process and the language of
the result (figures 9, 10, 11).
RESULTS
The result of the exercise is normally analyzed in two ways. On one hand the
Chef (that most of the times gets overwhelmed by the tremendous creative capa-
bility of designers and how they can re-shape food by using techniques learned)
revises if the consistency, structure, appearance of texture and stability of the
proposal meets the defined standards.
On the other hand and the one that catch the attention the most, is the way
how design students who are nowadays used to imagine, build and produce a
project entirely digital (mainly because of the restrictions of the technology
used, similar to a previous design made by somebody somewhere in the past),
start to produce content and language of products entirely different of what is
commonly produced. Is in a way like having a machine (injection-molding for
example) to play and explore with, but without the economic risk and tooling
cost that no industry is willing to provide.
Some of the results produced by the students suggest different ways to shape
products and therefore suggest new languages; others suggest new product
lifecycles and others suggest product usage very difficult to see with industry-
based materials and with traditional ways of manufacturing.
Important as well is to underline that thanks to this workshop, the students
are loosing the fear of shaping matter, which is overall one of the goals of
the course. By simply understanding that caramel or chocolate and polymers

Experimenting & Prototyping - 451
share the same behavior, Muffins and polyurethane grow with a correct mix of
ingredients and take the shape of the mold, or metals as well as vegetables can
be carved to produce a desired shape even producing some waste that needs to
be considered, around the design department is perceived that, the amount of
graduation projects around the topic of material exploration [12] new ways of
producing a product typology [13] and exploration of new languages of product
[14] have been increasing notoriously in the past two years since the beginning
of the course.
DISCUSSION
The subject of manufacturing processes and materials development is strongly
linked to design culture. No designer can achieve the right project without any
basic knowledge around this topic. It is the responsibility of the designer to
understand and manage the material capabilities and the possibilities to shape
it in order to produce meaning and emotions through the project. Therefore is
mandatory to schools the implementation of theory and practice around mate-
rials and their development. Lamentably the path to teach these topics is not
as engaging as other subjects of the discipline of design, primarily based on the
fact that traditionally the matter belongs to the science and engineering fields.
Thus complex learning is demanded in order to understand many of the physical
behavior of materials and processes linked.
Thanks to this workshop, the students face a material exploration phase with
joy, twist the processes without any concern about industry restrictions and
produce new and significant content around materials.
That statement doesn´t intent to say that traditional ways of doing things need
to be eliminated; it is our in belief that the industry have reach a tremendous
robustness in terms of quality, velocity of response and stability never seen
before, but this it is an alternative to push industry into new meanings and
maybe reduce designer’s impact into the world by twisting the common view
of production. As Ashby (2009) affirms, we human’s don’t "use" materials; we
are totally dependent on them. Therefore dependency leads to exploitation of
resources in a bigger scale, and if we do the things we do and produce the
things we produce in the same way, with the same materials in that vast scale,
no possible future will be promised. One of the major concerns to be addressed
in the decades to come in order to re balance our relationship with the planet
as sustainable specie is to reconsider the way we are doing things and the paths
we are following to shape our world by respecting diversity (McDonough &
Braungart 2002) (p.118).
The aim of the workshop in order not to get a wrong interpretation of the way
designers should be taught around the subject of materials and manufacturing
processes, is based on the previous statement, but is not the only one. Although
is one of the goals of the course, we based all the content that is provided to
the students with the highest standard in materials education and processes

452 - The Vir tuous Circle - Cumulus conference June 3-7, 2015, Milan
literature [6] [10] [11] [15]. It is believed that once the students acquire all the
information, is important to give freedom of experimentation and let ideas take
shape by using standard and conventional tools like the ones we can find in
our kitchen like for instance a roll, a vase or a knife. In a way is not so far from
traditional design methodologies like Scamper (Eberle 1997) Heuristic Ideation,
(McFazdean 1999) or STP Method (Butler 1996) which are widely used in design
schools and studios to unlock creativity for project development, therefore it can
be utilized as part of academic curricula to help addressing one of the major
responsibilities around teaching design, which is based in the concept of moving
students to think different [16] [17] [18].
CONCLUSIONS
The research in a stage in which is uncertain to know if the methodology will be
successful, but assertively is that by mixing this two areas of knowledge, design-
ers are empower with a different tool that can be used in professional life as a
way to imagine, experiment and evolve new languages for products. With time
one can believe that if some day the industry will allow designers to intervene
the machines, hack the traditional processes, connect with the new technologies
of rapid manufacturing and invite engineers (who have the knowledge need-
ed to make that happen) to join the idea of reformulating the manufacturing
processes and therefore re-shape the industry language, we will be closer to
that alternative future that has been imagined by all the most influential design
thinkers of the last century [19].
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Chef Luis Guillermo Pulido Flores, for the development of the work-
shop and knowledge share.
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Experimenting & Prototyping - 453
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