Material Manifest

As a designer in the age of digital priority, I believe in the importance of material reality. To support my view, I would like to share my manifesto for the material component in interactive design.

The digital content of our world is a projection of its physical counterpart. Therefore, the design challenge is to emphasise the physical touch points rather than their digital projections. By doing so, designers can create interactive sensations that enhance the true nature of being human. I consider material as the medium that connects us to our existence, the components that make us real. I have compiled a brief list of emerging 'materialities' that will shape the future of interactive design:

• Trans ‘Materials’ (post-skeuomorphism): Material properties will overlap, allowing different materials to have similar properties. The only way to determine the properties of a material is by interacting with it.

• Mono ‘Materials’: Materials that have a singular chemical composition. They can be recycled without any questions asked.

• Adaptive ‘Materials’: Materials that can adapt to changes in their environment. I foresee a flexibility that allows materials to function to their best ability.

• Social ‘Materials’: Materials that are not only active, re-active or interactive but also play a role in our human society. 

• Behavioural ‘Materials’: Materials that exhibit certain behaviours. Materials are not instant entities. They need time to grow and develop properties that are suitable for their specific environment.