Crafting Material Interfaces

Due: 3pm, Tuesday, October 4, 2011
See student posts here

Working either individually or in a small group (2-3 people), you will experiment with novel conductive materials in a hands-on project. For Tuesday’s class you should prepare a 5-10 minute presentation and a blog post that documents your project. This project can take one of three forms:

1. Build a new material
Create your own conductive composite. Carefully document how you created your material as well as any unsuccessful attempts you made along the way. For example, if you’re attempting to make a conductive paint from metal powder and gel medium, keep track of the amount of powder and gel you use (by weight) and the conductivity of each mixture. Take pictures of each sample and note any remarkable characteristics. Look for patterns in your data.

2. Experiment with a material or technique
Explore a material or technique that is new to you (ie: conductive paint, electroplating) and carefully document your experiments. Work to thoroughly understand a particular aspect of a material’s conductive and mechanical properties or a technique’s viability for a particular application. For example, an investigation of electroplating could explore the flexibility and durability of platings on fabric. In this case you would keep track of your plating method (documenting things like the conductivity of the initial conductive coating and the length of time the material spent in the plating bath) and the conductivity of your plating over time as you abused the sample in some way (ie: putting it through the washing machine). Again, you would take pictures of your samples throughout the process and look for patterns in the data you collected.

3. Use a material or technique in a design project
Use a material or technique that is new to you in a design project. The material or technique should be an important element of the design. Take photos throughout your building process. Make a note of challenges you encounter and techniques or approaches you develop. Reflect on the affordances of the material or technique you chose and how you might use it in other contexts or larger projects.

Your presentation and blog post should include:

• A description of your project.
• Images and/or videos that document your process. For projects in the first two categories, a presentation of the quantitative results of your experiments (tables, charts, etc.).
• A discussion of challenges, frustrations, and/or epiphanies.
• Reflections on how you might use the material or technique in your practice in the future.

Add your blog post to the the Conductors and Projects categories. Bring your project to class on Tuesday for an in person demonstration and discussion.