Abstract

CAICEDO MONCAYO, Carlos Esteban  and  ASCUNTAR-RIVERA, María Cristina. Experiential Characterization of Achira Leaf: An Exploratory Approach from an Industrial Design Perspective. Trilogía. Cienc. Tecnol. Soc. [online]. 2023, vol.15, n.31, e206.  Epub May 14, 2024. ISSN 2145-7778.  https://doi.org/10.22430/21457778.2875.

This article presents the results of a workshop on experiential characterization of natural leaves that adopted an approach taken from industrial design. This workshop aimed to integrate, in a single academic setting, the understanding of materials and a contextual inquiry regarding the use of natural leaves in order to generate an experience that transcends the usual technical understanding of materials. The methodology adopted in this study was qualitative and exploratory, and it addressed four levels of characterization: sensory, interpretive, affective, and performative. Said workshop was carried out with a group of 14 college students from the Design Department of the Universidad de Nariño (Pasto, Colombia). The results were focused on the achira leaf due to its versatility and common use in the local context. The findings reveal a wide range of perceptions and characterizations of this leaf by the participants on each one of the levels explored here-ranging from appreciating its aesthetic beauty to attributing personal symbolic meanings to it. The conclusions highlight the importance of creating spaces that allow for a holistic understanding of natural materials, such as leaves and their potential application in design. They also emphasize the need to adopt a multidimensional approach to raw materials, prioritizing their environmental and cultural impact.

Keywords : Experiential characterization; industrial design; natural leaves; materials research.

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