The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effects of a designerly approach to data analytics. The research was conducted during the Interaction Design Master program at Malmö University in 2017 and follows a research through design approach where the material driven design process in itself becomes a way to acquire new knowledge. The thesis uses big data as design material for designers to ideate connected products and services in the context of smart city applications. More specifically, it conducts a series of material studies that show the potential of this new perspective to data analytics. As a result of this research a set of designs and exercises are presented and structured into a guide. Furthermore, the results emphasize the need for this type of research and highlights data as a departure material as of special interest for HCI.

Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon based material with unique properties, such as electrical and thermal conductivity. When a textile is coated with graphene, it becomes conductive, while remaining low weight, soft, breathable, flexible, and stretchable. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what products are suitable to be made with graphene textiles, by using the method Material Driven Design (MDD). Reflections are also made to determine how this method is affected by being applied to a two-dimensional material. To help with this, three kinds of graphene textiles from the company Grafren AB are investigated; conductive textiles, heatable textiles, and textile sensors. The product goal is to develop a portfolio containing 5-8 conceptual products based on these graphene textiles. The process includes conducting an investigation of the technical properties of the material, a user study, and a benchmarking study. This is done to understand the limitations and opportunities of the material, how it is perceived, and what similar materials there are on the market. After that, the material's characteristics are reflected upon to establish a vision for how it should be used in future applications. Then, to follow that vision, a user study is conducted to investigate how people perceive different materials and products, in order to create design guidelines to ensure that the material and product are perceived as intended. Next, concepts are developed according to the previously determined guidelines. To achieve this, idea generating workshops are conducted, where 14 concepts are selected for further development. The portfolio is then created, meant to inspire further usage of the material. It contains the following seven concepts. A heatable textile meant for cooking on camping trips. A fabric containing sensors that can notify when it is damaged. A keyboard made of fabric, for an easy and comfortable use and transportation. A stroller with sensors and heaters, for a more comfortable and safe user experience. A conductive jacket that can electrocute mosquitoes that come in contact with it. Pressure sensors in a carpet that can keep track of the people inside and provide assistance in emergencies. Gloves with sensors in them that can translate sign language live to text or speech. Since MDD heavily focuses on the sensorial qualities and physical characteristics of the material, the method needs to be adapted to become useful when working with such a versatile two-dimensional material. Fortunately, most adaptations can be made fairly easily. The timing of each step should also be considered, to ensure that the vision and guidelines can be made specific enough to be useful.

Parkslide är en främmande invasiv växt som ohämmat sprider sig på bekostnad av närliggande vegetation och den biologiska mångfalden. Genom att undersöka möjligheten att ta vara på Parkslides egenskaper och skapa någonting användbart för vårt samhälle, utan negativ påverkan på människa, djur och framtid, så kan det i sin tur skapa en möjlighet för en hållbar utveckling. Ett annat sätt att se på befintligt råmaterial, som en del i en cirkulär ekonomi. Rapporten diskuterar resurs och värde med intention att minska användandet av nya material och byta ut dessa till mer hållbara lösningar.Genom faktainsamling och en materialdriven designprocess utforskas Parkslide som material, vilket resulterar i materialprover som öppnar upp möjligheterna för framtida marknader. / Japanese knotweed is an Invasive Alien plant that is widely spread, at the expense of nearby vegetation, which has a negative impact on the biodiversity. By examining the possibilities to use Japanese Knotweed and its characteristics, as something valuable and useful, it can result in opportunities for a sustainable development in the society. We can change the way we view the plant and possibly make it a part of a circular economy. This work will discuss resource and value with the intention to reduce the use of new materials and switch those to a more sustainable solution.Through literature studies, interviews, survey and a Material Driven Design process I will explore Japanese Knotweed as a material, which results in material samples and discussion. This opens up the possibilities for future markets.

Syftet med detta projekt är att med hjälp av en materialinriktad designprocess skapa en produkt av biokompositmaterialet OrganoComp® för att demonstrera dess styrkor och möjligheter. Arbetet kommer att följa metoden ”Material Driven Design (MDD)”, vilket betyder att processen kommer att börja med en noggrann studie av materialet – dels tekniskt och ur ett användarcentrerat perspektiv, men även jämförelsemässigt mot andra material. Insikterna från dessa studier kommer sedan trattas ner och sammanfattas i en ”designintention” som ska sätta målet för designarbetet. Slutligen kommer ett antal koncept som uppfyller designintentionen arbetas fram, varav ett koncept – ett litet, ihopvikbart och nedbrytbart paraply/regnskydd kommer att väljas ut som det slutgiltiga. Paraplyet visar på materialets vattenavvisande egenskaper, i kombination med hårdhet och vikbarhet.  Målet med projektet är att skapa en demonstrator som även har potential att bli en användbar produkt i framtiden, och samtidigt ge företaget OrganoClick nya insikter och flera förslag på nya användningsområden för sitt material.

Egg consumption in Sweden is very high, which means a lot of egg shells are thrown out. For example the average swede consumes about 350 eggs every year. In this thesis I have investigated how eggshells can be applied in new areas as a resource, and I want to inspire the reader and encourage them to rethink what is called waste. Is it really waste or a possible resource? The work began with literature search, interviews and a survey to understand people's views on eggshells. I have concluded that not a lot of people know what eggshells are made of, and what they are used for. In a literature search I came across many scientific articles on eggshells. According to King’ori (2011) eggshells are used as fertilizers, used in medicine, cosmetic surgery, and dental care, calcium supplements, in the food industry and in crafts. When eggshell is thrown as food waste it creates problems in recycling stations, the eggshell is like sediment and lies at the bottom of tanks and pipes. The recycling staff have to perform additional work when cleaning tanks and pipes as eggshells are like sediment and lay at the bottom. The staff have to manually shoot out eggshells with many other useful materials that could have been digested and become biogas. This is an exploratory thesis where I investigate the material eggshell through a material-driven design process to find new sustainable uses. I follow the material-driven design process method by Karana et al.( 2015) plus my own added steps during the process. Material driven design process is a process where designers use a material to find the attributes of the material. These are then presented in new contexts or already existing contexts, this means that the material on the existing product can be replaced. This differs from traditional design, where the material is chosen based on wanted attributes. This report will give you an understanding of the material-driven design process-method and how I have carried out a material-driven design process, to develop different material properties of eggshells. The report ends with a concluding discussion and presents new eggshell-based materials that I have produced in the form of a demonstrator. It is a book which has two different materials, a hard material and a paper material which are combined and put together with a steel thread. I will also share my knowledge about eggshells and what potential it has in the future.

Soil is one of the largest ecosystems being ignored by human activities. Our farming practices and urban constructions have contributed to its degradation, with far-reaching consequences for the water cycle’s equi- librium.Reconnect with nature and learn the methods to assist in its recovery are essential for the survival of all inhabitants on this planet.  My degree project consists of a large research into the water cycle of urban areas, studying the particular case of Stockholm, that leads to the problems of degraded soil. The aim is to understand the relation- ship between water cycle and soil ecosystems and explore potential solutions.  As a result, I have designed KURITA, a learning tool founded upon the ecofeminism values of care, that serves as a learning method for citi- zens to reconnect with soil values and actively participate in its restor- ative process.

Product development can be taxing for the environment. When it comes to hardware products then a lot ofthe materials generally involved are based on finite resources such as fossil fuels. As the most commonlyused materials are rarely biodegradable, they often end up in landfills where they end up being harmfulboth to the environment and its inhabitants for a very long time. During recent years some companieshave started combating this through getting involved in the development and implementation of moresustainable alternatives. One of these companies trying to implement more sustainable materials isInteresting Times Gang, who now also wishes to develop new products by using mycelium - theunderground network of threads produced by fungi. This as mycelium poses a lot of sustainable propertiessuch as biodegradability, a high degree of moldability as well as being a cultivated resource rather thanbeing synthetic. This project serves to investigate what kind of product types are fitting for myceliumcomposites per request from ITG, as well as what kind of surface treatments are possible and fitting tomake the material more desirable. This with the intention of increasing awareness about the material withthe hopes of promoting it to a larger audience, enabling a transition towards more sustainable materialalternatives in the process. With the information gathered through research the project resulted in a sidetable that was designed and manufactured as a 1:1 scale prototype to showcase the possibilities of thematerial. This was done through a material driven design process which was divided into four steps:Understanding the material, Creating materials experience vision, Manifesting materials experience visionand Designing product concepts. Each phase included its own methods respectively and some of themethods include literature review, material testing, benchmarking, user testing, digital prototyping andmanufacturing to name a few. The project is a master thesis for the Industrial Design Engineeringprogramme at Luleå University of Technology performed during the spring of 2023.