ABSTRACT
Some design schools rest on a strong artistic heritage, others are built on a more technical foundation and some are part of large universities and have a solid theoretical core but do not necessarily relate to craft practice. These differences mean that reinstating materials and making into design education and as central to the design process may to some institutions represent minor changes and to others would require significant alterations to the didactic approach, the curriculum, the physical facilities and potentially even represent a conflict with the established understanding of the activity of design. Therefore, the focus in this chapter is not on what is lacking in design schools at present, but on the prerequisites for designing with materials, which include making skills, the ability to work with experimental practice in a cross-disciplinary field among art, technology and natural science, and suitable physical working facilities. This is followed by a more detailed discussion on learning to design with materials, addressing how to build the student’s contributory expertise. Finally, thoughts on designing with materials while using digital tools are shared.
