Following the guidelines of the Experiential Characterisation Map created by Material Experience Lab, we showed the people of Uttar Kazir Para some local materials and some product made with recycled plastics, asking them to relate those to emotions and meanings.
The aim of this study is to get from local people feedback on materials, creating an understanding on how they perceive different classes of materials. We displayed and asked questions on eight different materials, spanning from natural to manufactured, from traditional to innovative: bamboo, terracotta, steel, fibre based bioplastic, jute, polystyrene, date leaves and recycled plastics.
Reactions and insights to materials, together with the exploration conducted on local products within the village, will be crucial to develop in a second phase of the project, new materials and product concepts.
It was the first time that these methods were applied within a rural context, therefore it has been a huge opportunity to test the methodology as well, collecting important feedback on how to tweak and adapt to such a context.
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