Chairmans Corner

Dr Cris Arnold

For this issue, we focus on the interaction between materials and design. To some extent this plays into the hands of those who think Materials Scientists only deal with fabrics, but nevertheless there are some very important issues to consider here. Design plays an important part in almost every product or structure that is produced. In some areas this is very obvious; automotive manufacturers can’t sell cars that don’t look good, no matter how fuel efficient they may be; consumer products of all types have to balance appearance and performance.

In other areas the link is less clear but still very present. For instance, in the construction sector the availability of novel materials has allowed architects to push the designs of buildings into new areas. Even in areas where performance matters most such as the aerospace sector, aesthetic design aspects are still important, though maybe limited to the ergonomics of internal components. Increasingly, design is not so much about how something looks, but how it is used, how it impacts on people and vitally how it interacts with the environment over its entire life cycle. This is illustrated with the article from Orangebox in this Bulletin.

We have run two joint events in the last two years with the Materials and Design Exchange (MADE) which have provided good opportunities for designers and materials technologists to come together in the areas of steel and polymers. Other events that have highlighted the materials activities in Welsh Universities have linked to design in packaging (at Bangor), in architecture (Cardiff) and in printing (Swansea). A collaboration between the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, based at Swansea and Coleg Sir Gâr’s KTC in technical textiles will ensureWales is a leading centre for printed electronics and wearable textiles, an area of great design potential.

In this issue we also have articles on Eco-Design and more conventional engineering design with Connaught Engineering. Overall, the combination of technical expertise and facilities coupled with an excellent environment for new ideas to flourish should ensureWales is very well set to exploit the interactions between Materials and Design.