Five Kingdoms of DIY-Materials for Design

Abstract

The DIY movement is expanding beyond products to the materials which embody products; namely, DIY-Materials. DIY-Materials are created through individual or collective self-production practices, often by techniques and processes of the designer's invention. In this paper, we elaborate on the sources that can serve as a departure point for DIY material practices. Analyzing above 150 design cases, we introduce five main catergories of DIY-Materials based on the material sources. Inspired by the biological classification of elements of earth, we name these categories as DIY-Materials Kingdoms. We present each kingdom with example cases supported by rich visuals to illustrate the process and the outcome of the DIY-Materials design effort.