Fabrica-tactilis, skilful production, structure - Fabric that may be touched, tangible

Over the last 15 years, many of the tactile and haptic qualities of printed textiles have been abandoned for what is considered a fast and smooth digital solution through the increased popularity in using digital media as a the main source for design inspiration, conception and manufacture. Much of the creativity and qualities produced by hand processes and non digital techniques that in past produced tactile surfaces within a material via the creation of different densities or composite multiple layered structures, have in many cases been replaced with optical digital illusions of texture with the actual tactility of the material being lost or compromised. This paper outlines current collaborative design research that explores the uniting of haptic processes within cross-disciplinary fields of textiles, ceramics and glass. The results are the creation of a variety of materials both soft and hard. 3D-Soft is the result of natural and man-made manipulated fabrics that exhibit three-dimensional textured, puckered, distorted and translucent/transparent effects. That with further cross-disciplinary experimentation, the tactile textural qualities of fabric are transposed into hard surfaces: 3D-Hard, through different stiffening, ceramic and glass processes. The main aim of the research being the creation of unique exciting materials ‘Fabrica-Tactilis’ that develop and unite haptic skills with touch, exploring contradiction and harmony by embracing both traditional and non-traditional textile processes and alternative craft techniques for example ceramics and glass within their manufacture.

Over the last 15 years, many of the tactile and haptic qualities of printed textiles have been abandoned for what is considered a fast and smooth digital solution through the increased popularity in using digital media as a the main source for design inspiration, conception and manufacture. Much of the creativity and qualities produced by hand processes and non digital techniques that in past produced tactile surfaces within a material via the creation of different densities or composite multiple layered structures, have in many cases been replaced with optical digital illusions of texture with the actual tactility of the material being lost or compromised.

This paper outlines current collaborative design research that explores the uniting of haptic processes within cross-disciplinary fields of textiles, ceramics and glass. The results are the creation of a variety of materials both soft and hard. 3D-Soft is the result of natural and man-made manipulated fabrics that exhibit three-dimensional textured, puckered, distorted and translucent/transparent effects. That with further cross-disciplinary experimentation, the tactile textural qualities of fabric are transposed into hard surfaces: 3D-Hard, through different stiffening, ceramic and glass processes.

The main aim of the research being the creation of unique exciting materials ‘Fabrica-Tactilis’ that develop and unite haptic skills with touch, exploring contradiction and harmony by embracing both traditional and non-traditional textile processes and alternative craft techniques for example ceramics and glass within their manufacture.