Abstract
As the environmental impacts of wearable technologies intensify, exploring how material choices can enable circularity in such a waste-intensive sector has become critical for design research. In response to this challenge, materials are recognised as pivotal in emerging wearable alternatives, yet how they can actively support circular practices remains underexplored. The study addresses this gap through an annotated portfolio of 40 case studies situated in or informing the wearable domain at the intersection of Material-Driven Design and Bio-HCI. By foregrounding recurring materials, methods, and tools, the analysis aims to reveal how matter can act as a transformative agent in shaping low-impact wearable solutions. Key outcomes include the identification of transferable design principles demonstrating the potential of material-driven and speculative approaches for generating transitional scenarios. The study further advances the dialogue on embodied and symbiotic interactions, emphasising the active role of materials in guiding designers toward circular futures.
Keywords
Wearables, Circular Design, Material-Driven Design, Bio-HCI
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1447
Citation
Guarino, N., Ferraro, V., and Rognoli, V. (2026) Mapping Circular Design pathways for wearables: An annotated portfolio at the intersection of Material-Driven Design and Bio-HCI, 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.2026.1447
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Mapping Circular Design pathways for wearables: An annotated portfolio at the intersection of Material-Driven Design and Bio-HCI
As the environmental impacts of wearable technologies intensify, exploring how material choices can enable circularity in such a waste-intensive sector has become critical for design research. In response to this challenge, materials are recognised as pivotal in emerging wearable alternatives, yet how they can actively support circular practices remains underexplored. The study addresses this gap through an annotated portfolio of 40 case studies situated in or informing the wearable domain at the intersection of Material-Driven Design and Bio-HCI. By foregrounding recurring materials, methods, and tools, the analysis aims to reveal how matter can act as a transformative agent in shaping low-impact wearable solutions. Key outcomes include the identification of transferable design principles demonstrating the potential of material-driven and speculative approaches for generating transitional scenarios. The study further advances the dialogue on embodied and symbiotic interactions, emphasising the active role of materials in guiding designers toward circular futures.