Manufacturing in the footsteps of maker's tradition and spirit makes us to research, travel, learn and put old skills in new use. We call this journey our Secrets. We would like to share some of these secrets from past 15 years with you. See you soon! More

Through a material based investigation into product design, Jonas Edvard explores the potential of a biobased and sustainable future of design, which incorporates an interdisciplinary approach involving technical and scientific methods applied to an intuitive and alchemistic design process. The shaping journey from raw material to final product is the actual suffering of a material and our environment as it creates a problematic outcome: waste, use of energy, marketing and recycling of used materials. The lifecycle of the product is therefore in need of a close reevaluation that must incorporate a more sensible and definitive circular approach to the development and production of design. More

A reflex is an action that is performed without conscious thought in response to given stimuli. Using experiment-driven research into shape-shifting materials – Re:flex creates transformable geometries from off-the-shelf materials that respond to changing environmental conditions such as heat and moisture. In this lecture, Re:flex will discuss their philosophical and methodological approach to designing with shape-changing materials, the importance of serendipity and experimentation in the material design process and looking for new possibilities in the murky territory between scientific research and commercial implementation. In addition to this, the lecture will consider the role of the designer and tinkerer in the often highly technical academic field of active matter, as well as highlighting recent developments in the collective's work. More

Carolyn is an architectural designer based in Hong Kong and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her work stretches across the fields of architecture, art, and product design. Educated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her interest lies in reshaping how we relate to our environment, by incorporating design with material research. Carolyn's material-based projects have received numerous international recognition and awards, ranging from MIT Marvin E. Goody Award, to Europe KI Award "Innovations for working & learning spaces of the future". Her projects have been featured worldwide, including the Financial Times, Dezeen, ArchDaily, and Domus Magazine. More

The demand for digital expression has constantly been an important matter in the industrial and academic world along with the development of the digital technology environment. Virtual material is not a contrary concept of the physical material, but an aspect of a material property expanded with virtual reality technology in the process of design evolving into digital. This lecture is about understanding the evolutionary process of virtual material realization and the sculptural/experiential/expressive aspects of virtual material. More

Her presentation will review the initiatives of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at East Carolina University associated with Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and developing international partnerships. She will also review her recent research on the images and messages in the media related to Black females in the US. More

When East Carolina University students and faculty returned to campus in the fall of 2021, issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion came to the forefront of the School of Art and Design. Framed by the challenges of the pandemic as well as its opportunities for reflection, initiatives focused on teaching, learning, curricula, facilities, finances, and more were developed to address access, belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the School of Art and Design. This presentation will discuss the ongoing concerns, process, practices, and projects focused on creating a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive community of educators, learners, creatives, and professionals. More