Outro
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Proposals for Next Level When we assess and combine the output of each individual artistic research project, the full project becomes an indicator of how knowledge development on material aesthetics, digitalization and sustainability relate and could be analysed from a joint perspective in terms of reaching a ‘next level’.
In this pursuit, designers and companies have a dual responsibility: they must re-direct aesthetics from its role as a tool for promoting a buy, use and throw away culture in order to appropriate aesthetics for a buy/borrow/lend, use, love, keep or share culture. Furthermore, they must realize and address that any material decision has a potential impact on the world. Materials Designers’ ability to build relatable and come with consequences, somewhere engaging narratives through material aes- and for someone, when they are extracted, thetics is a key factor if we are to succeed processed and transported globally. in prolonging product lifetimes, optimizing usage, minimizing resource use and re- On a practical next level, we find that estabducing overconsumption, and here digital lishing a materials explorations laboratory means and expressions will grow in impact between ECCO and Design School Kolding, and blend with traditional ones. Therefore, a kind of ‘Minding Materials Space’, could explorations into linkages between digital anchor the joint ambition within material inmeans and possibilities, aesthetic narra- novation and design, which obviously exits tives and sustainable strategies are rele- on both sides. The space could function as vant to pursue for the future. a place for securing, hosting and studying material endeavours and activities and making them visible to the world online and through direct engagement.
