Biofabricated and grown materials are an emergent trend in the design discipline. The push towards the re-search of innovative and sustainable material solutions has recently increased since there is a real necessity to find solutions compatible with sustainable production paradigms. In the presented work, bacterial cellulose (BC) from kombucha tea fermentation has been chosen for investigation. The biofabrication of this peculiar material enables the realisation of several textural and aesthetical features, giving the designer important freedom. However, to properly look for possible applications in products design, some precise characterisations must be observed and discussed. In this contribution, the authors analysed the sensorial and aesthetical dimensions of six different BC samples to highlight and assess the peculiar element of this promising material.@en

The critical environmental conditions of the planet compel humankind to rapidly devise solutions able to minimize the impact of human actions on Earth. Environmental issues are urgent, so researchers and practitioners in the design field are committed to formalising new visions and pathways, willing to meet the SDGs of the 2030 agenda. While formulating less affecting processes of making/manufacturing, a conscious practice of design recognises materials and their 38 management as a critical point for sustainable production. The material, formerly considered a step of the design process, now becomes the the focus of the project; unfortunately, there is a lack of dedicated studies and initiatives to implement material awareness in design education. To envision an effective ecological transition, material design turns into an inescapable step when designing for sustainability. It’s fundamental for design schools to invest in material education by establishing dedicated courses that boost this realm of knowledge, material understanding, and to improve the making skills of new generations of designers. This chapter focuses on the results of the DIY-Material approach used in the last few years at the Design School of Politecnico di Milano. The developed approach allows to teach students transversally how to design materials starting from a source, going through ingredients, compositions, recipes, and processes, creating material demonstrators, and defining the identity of the new material and its narratives. Here, a series of bio-based, bio fabricated material examples will be illustrated to describe the development of material pathways pointing towards an ecological transition through a DIY-Materials approach.@en