Abstract
Design Matters Lab (DML) was a collaborative design programme that brought together ten emerging designers from Europe and Indonesia for an online and in-person design residency in Bandung, Indonesia. This paper explores the concepts, methods, and outcomes of DML, offering a potential blueprint for small-sized international businesses seeking to integrate crafting techniques and local, sustainable materials into their manufacturing processes. The project also proposes a methodology for teaching sustainability in design through meaningful environmental engagement rooted in local collaboration and applied practice. It emphasises the importance of working with local communities and using locally available waste and bio- materials. The study found that the most significant impact emerged from the collaborative process itself as well as potential collaborations through networking and dialogues. DML demonstrates how cross-cultural partnerships can expand the creative potential of these materials, resulting in innovative, sustainable outcomes that benefit both the local economy and environmental practices.
Keywords
local waste materials, crafting, cross-cultural collaboration, sustainability
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.291
Citation
Tao, X., and Vettese, S. (2026) Transitional materials and collaborative craft: European–Indonesian design practices from the Design Matters Lab programme toward a resilient future, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.291
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Transitional materials and collaborative craft: European–Indonesian design practices from the Design Matters Lab programme toward a resilient future
Design Matters Lab (DML) was a collaborative design programme that brought together ten emerging designers from Europe and Indonesia for an online and in-person design residency in Bandung, Indonesia. This paper explores the concepts, methods, and outcomes of DML, offering a potential blueprint for small-sized international businesses seeking to integrate crafting techniques and local, sustainable materials into their manufacturing processes. The project also proposes a methodology for teaching sustainability in design through meaningful environmental engagement rooted in local collaboration and applied practice. It emphasises the importance of working with local communities and using locally available waste and bio- materials. The study found that the most significant impact emerged from the collaborative process itself as well as potential collaborations through networking and dialogues. DML demonstrates how cross-cultural partnerships can expand the creative potential of these materials, resulting in innovative, sustainable outcomes that benefit both the local economy and environmental practices.