Abstract
This research presents an analysis of Transparent Wood (TW), a material currently under development, focusing on its perceptual and sensory aspects—specifically through sight, hearing, and touch. The objective of this study is to examine the current perception of TW to enhance its adoption and acceptance before its market introduction. Advances in material innovation contribute to sustainability, performance, and the meaningfulness of new artifacts, yielding benefits not only in academia but also in the real-world context of businesses and end-users. In this context, the research falls within the domain of Design for Material, which intersects the fields of Design and Material Science. The study employs a protocol drawn from the scientific literature for evaluating perceived quality through a sensory test administered to 80 participants, referred to as “material tasters”. The data were collected during a two-hour workshop in which participants, provided with TW samples, performed three distinct actions for each selected sense, and selected four adjectives from a predefined list that they deemed most appropriate. The collected data were subsequently analyzed for each sense and cross-sensory, identifying guidelines to improve the future communication strategies related to the perceived quality of TW. Concerning limitations, results may be influenced by the geographic homogeneity of participants and preconceived notions of traditional wood and other transparent materials (aspects currently under further investigation). The proposed guidelines will undergo validation in upcoming focus groups involving designers and architects, ensuring a broader and more diverse perspective on the material’s potential applications.
Presenters
Eva Vanessa BrunoResearch Assistant, DAD - Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy Doriana Dal Palù,
Politecnico di Torino, Italy Beatrice Lerma
PhD, Associate Professor in Design, DAD - Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sensory Analysis, Transparent Wood, Innovative Materials, Design Material, Green Technologies
