Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
Categorization of Designer Material Perception and Its Structural Correspondence with Physical Material properties
Kang, Eunji; Kim, Chajoong
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Langner, Christopher; Kreimeyer, Matthias; Panarotto, Massimo; Cascini, Gaetano; Browning, Tyson R.; Eppinger, Steven D.; Yassine, Ali A.
Author:
Series:
DSM
Institution:
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
Page(s):
181-190
DOI number:
ISBN:
NA
ISSN:
NA
Abstract:
Materials carry sensory, affective, and cultural meanings that extend beyond their physical functions, yet the structural relationship between how designers describe materials and what those materials physically are remains poorly understood. This study addresses that gap by assembling two complementary datasets—open-ended written descriptions of 190 material samples elicited from 28 designers and design students, and objective physical property data for the same samples—across three product domains: beauty products, home appliances, and living products. The descriptive data were subjected to thematic coding to develop a designer-grounded categorization of material perception, yielding 14 Material Description and 12 Material Property categories. The two resulting categories were then examined in parallel using Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) and Domain Mapping Matrix (DMM) analyses to identify structural dependencies within each system and cross-domain correspondences between them. This study offers an empirically grounded framework for understanding how designer language and material specification relate as structured, domain-sensitive systems.
Keywords:
