Electric motorcycles (e-motos) are widely promoted as artifacts of sustainable transition, yet their formal and material languages frequently reproduce the aesthetic logics of fossil-fuel predecessors. Although hub motors, compact batteries, and simplified drivetrains remove many spatial constraints of combustion engines, most contemporary models retain inherited silhouettes and plastic enclosures that obscure their technological transformation. This study investigates e-motos as designed objects, examining how sustainability is materially articulated—or visually concealed—through visual and material design features, construction logic, and structural configuration. Drawing on Jean-Marie Floch’s valorization modes, the Greimasian semiotic square, and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the article analyzes four urban models—NIU NQi, BMW CE 04, CAKE Ösa, and Stilride SUS1—to reveal how ecological values are embedded within frame exposure, modular construction, enclosure strategies, and material legibility. By contrasting engineering thinking—associated with enclosure, efficiency, and industrial continuity—with bricolage thinking—characterized by modularity, exposure, and repairability—the research exposes tensions between technological innovation and symbolic inertia. The findings suggest that sustainable mobility cannot rely solely on emission reduction; it must also engage aesthetic and material transparency, enabling users to perceive and participate in circular practice. In this sense, the e-moto becomes not only a vehicle, but a cultural artifact through which new ecological narratives are materially enacted.
The fashion industry’s growing environmental impact has increased the need for more effective sustainability education, especially in fashion design programs. While previous research has focused on curriculum integration and pedagogical frameworks in sustainability, less is known about how students negotiate sustainability within materially constrained studio contexts, particularly in the Global South. This study examines how undergraduate fashion design students approach sustainability during project-based learning under conditions of material uncertainty and limited resources. Using a qualitative multi-case design, four student group projects in a Sustainability for Fashion course at a university in Surabaya, Indonesia, were analyzed through reflective semi-structured interviews and cross-case thematic analysis. Findings show that sustainability implementation was not linear but evolved through iterative negotiation, with decision-making shaped by material uncertainty, resource limits, and adaptive trade-offs. The results show that students prioritized technical feasibility and adopted pragmatic strategies such as trial-and-error and resource improvisation, when faced with uncertainty. After the project was completed, their understanding of sustainable fashion also shifted toward a more process-oriented, context-sensitive perspective, highlighting sustainability learning as a situated and negotiated practice.
The expanding presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in design practice calls for shared formats that enable critical reflection on shifting relations of agency, authorship, and value. This article presents a reading of Codex Artificialia, a participatory speculative artifact generated through a futures jam structured around distributed scenario configurations. The codex is approached as a designed object whose function is interpretive rather than representational: it gathers heterogeneous speculative entries that mediate collective sensemaking about AI–design interplay. Drawing on research through design (RTD), the study analyzes both the workshop apparatus and the codex entries. The apparatus, composed of opposing axes, 2 × 2 matrices, partial disclosure, and modular prompts, oriented speculation without prescribing outcomes. Close reading and thematic clustering of the entries reveal patterned tendencies: AI is predominantly imagined as ambient and assistive rather than dominant; design activities are frequently operationalized around evaluation and optimization; and ethical or ideological attributes are selectively translated or dismissed. Participants gravitate toward guidance-oriented and human-aligned scenarios while avoiding automation-heavy or authority-driven configurations. The findings suggest that participatory artifacts such as the Codex Artificialia catalog function as reflective infrastructures, making visible not only emerging imaginaries of AI-infused design but also the limits and preferences embedded in those imaginaries. By foregrounding designed objects and futures jam formats as interpretive devices, this research contributes to understanding how design communities negotiate technology-led narratives through structured collective speculation.
Technological innovation, digitalization, and demographic changes are leading to transformations that are shaping societies and creating valuable opportunities to promote active and healthy aging. Digital technologies such as smartwatches can foster a positive attitude toward active and healthy aging as they enable the tracking of health-related data and contribute to an increased awareness of good practices for personal care and well-being. However, the scientific literature lacks comprehensive guidelines on the design of smartwatches for older users. For these reasons, in this study, a research project within the framework of the national research program “Age-It Aging Well in an Aging Society” is described, whose objective is the testing of two smartwatch interfaces designed to promote active and healthy aging. This study addresses this gap in the scientific literature by focusing on the factors influencing the usability of smartwatch prototypes and offering design recommendations to support the design of more accessible interfaces. Specifically, attention is given to visibility issues, the comprehension of potential interactions, user engagement, and content clarity, all of which are essential for ensuring a high-quality interaction.
This research presents an analysis of Transparent Wood (TW), a material currently under development, focusing on its perceptual and sensory aspects, specifically through sight, hearing, and touch. The objective of this study is to examine TW’s current perception to propose clear and effective communication strategies enhancing its adoption and acceptance before its market introduction. Advances in material innovation contribute to sustainability, performance, and the meaningfulness of new artifacts, yielding benefits not only in academia but also in the real-world contexts of businesses and end users. In this context, the research falls within the domain of Design for Materials, which intersects the fields of Design and Materials Science. The study uses a protocol drawn from the scientific literature for evaluating perceived quality through a sensory test administered to eighty participants, referred to as “material tasters.” Data were collected during a two-hour session in which participants, provided with TW samples, performed three distinct actions for each selected sense, and selected four adjectives from a predefined list that they considered most appropriate. The collected data were subsequently analyzed for each sensory modality and across cross-sensory modalities, yielding guidelines to improve future communication strategies related to the perceived quality of TW. Results may be limited by the geographic homogeneity of participants and by preconceived notions of traditional wood and other transparent materials—aspects currently under further investigation. The proposed guidelines will be validated with designers and architects in upcoming focus groups, ensuring a broader and more diverse perspective on the material’s potential applications.
As sustainable fashion is increasingly incorporating recycled materials, it is important to understand the wearability factors that influence user acceptance. The research utilized a descriptive research design, which is user-centric. To examine the impact of wearability factors that affect the user acceptance of recycled fabric, a survey was conducted with two hundred respondents. To validate the theoretical construct, exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. The results revealed high construct validity and reliability, with factor loadings above 0.7 and acceptable goodness-of-fit indices (RMSEA 0.061, CFI 0.949). Stepwise multiple linear regression was then used to determine how well these factors predicted user acceptance. The final regression model explained 40.3% of the variance in the importance rating of user acceptance (R2 = 0.403= 32.935, p < 0.001). Aesthetics (β 0.371) and comfort (β 0.185) are the most significant parameters of user acceptance, followed by functionality (β 0.176) and awareness (β 0.119). These findings provide a solid framework for creating sustainable and user-centric recycled textiles. The study also contributes to the limited body of research on wearability and consumer perception of garments made from recycled handloom material.
Experience as design practitioners and researchers has led us to identify important gaps between theoretical design frameworks and expectations on the transition to sustainability, on the one hand, and the strategies for real sustainable transformation that are implemented by organizations and territories, on the other. The aim of this study is twofold: first, to understand what lies beyond the different design methodologies that have a potential to contribute to sustainability; and second, to develop and test a comprehensive strategic design methodology—Creative Regeneration (CR)—to guide organizations and projects in navigating sustainability transitions. For the first objective, we analyzed nineteen general design methodologies through a systematic review, identifying principles and features that are shared across many of them. Based on our findings, for the second objective, we built CR and tested it with six organizations from diverse sectors, gathering qualitative and quantitative data via surveys, interviews, and participant observation. The results show that CR has the potential to help organizations in their sustainability transitions, by building a better understanding of the organization’s or project’s challenges and situation, clarifying long-term visions and goals, and aligning strategic and operational levels. However, it was noticed that participants find it challenging to use this methodology without the guidance of an expert facilitator; that is where the role of the strategic designer fits. This research contributes a novel, comprehensive design methodology for designers, researchers, consultants, and organizations seeking to lead sustainability transitions.
This practice-led research was conducted to examine how the socio-emotional identities of wool felt craftspeople in Dashanbao Loop, China, can inform concrete product-development strategies. Using purposive sampling, five experienced craftspeople participated in semi-structured interviews, on-site observation, and iterative workshops designed around cycles of making, reflection, and remaking of wool felt products. Analysis identified five recurrent identity themes: happiness, calm, courage, attachment to place, and stewardship of heritage in wool felt production. This research systematically mapped these themes to design features—color palettes, motifs from local fauna and flora, and compositional structures—and to choices of materials and processes, primarily wet felting with selective use of needle felting. Methodologically, the research shows how practice-led research can translate tacit knowledge and reflexive insight into explicit design specifications and market-ready briefs. Findings indicate that emotional and cultural meanings function as intangible assets, orienting creative decisions, enhancing perceived authenticity and distinctiveness, and differentiating products while safeguarding craft integrity. The research contributes a practical framework for embedding socio-emotional identity in craft-led product development and a replicable model of designer–craftsperson collaboration that supports safeguarding and livelihoods. Limitations include a single study region, a small sample, and a qualitative emphasis. Future work should test the framework with other traditional materials, add longitudinal and consumer-response evaluations, and integrate sustainability metrics and digital tools to extend reach while maintaining cultural fidelity.
