Organizing your Materials Library, A Resource Guide for Art

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From Research Design Connections
Organizing Materials (11-10-10)


Faller and his colleagues have developed a classification system for a material library that recognizes a material’s intangible characteristics. This schema aids in the material selection process. Their work “proposes the following classification: tangible or technical characteristics (technical properties, manufacturing process, usability and functions), intangible or subjective characteristics (perceptions, associations and emotions) and sensorial or aesthetic characteristics.” The intangible or subjective perceptions can be unique to an individual, so applying this categorization system on a firmwide basis requires adapting standardizing criteria. Categorizations can thus run from rough-smooth to classic-modern, mature-young, masculine-feminine, and formal-informal, for example.
Roberto Faller, Celso Scaletsky, and Wilson Kindlein. 2010. “Structure for a Material Information Database: A Material Selection Tool for Project Development.” Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Design and Emotion; Chicago, IL, October 2-7.