The presentation about Suzanne Lee
Reflection:
In the presentation, I find that Suzanne Lee’s exploration of scoby leather works within the framework of material-driven design (MDD), and it exemplifies a transformative shift in material use. By starting with living materials like bacteria, her work challenges the traditional use of material (that people always use animal-based materials or synthetic alternatives) and provides a new possibility of material. This shift resonates with themes in Material Activism and DIY Materials, emphasizing a democratized and environmentally conscious approach to material innovation.
Material-Driven Design (MDD) stresses the importance of understanding a material’s sensory, emotional, and functional dimensions(Material Driven Design). Lee’s scoby leather redefines these attributes. The material’s microbial origins elicit both curiosity and ethical considerations, making users more conscious of its living nature. For example, it is intuitive to see that scoby is growing every day and the texture of it is very similar to the skin of animals. And because of this characteristic of scoby, it is natural for people to get a sense of reverence for life and use it with care, achieving the material-driven design goal of reducing material waste. With this logic, it’s hard to explain why people wouldn’t feel the same way about plant-based material or animal-based material since all of them are living creatures. However, the discussion about this ethical question implies that there is a hierarchy of material use: plant-based and microbial materials are often undervalued compared to animal-derived materials. Moreover, by recognizing the SCOBY’s life cycle, we acknowledge its ability to grow, mature, and decompose, which allows it to seamlessly integrate into circular material systems. This transformative potential—where it shifts from a microbial culture to a durable material and back into the earth—makes it more valuable in the context of sustainable design. It shifts the focus from “what scoby is” to “what can scoby achieve”, thus aligning with MDD’s experiential and outcome-driven design (since we need to have the utilitarian assessment for the material) philosophy.
In addition, the readings on Material Activism and DIY Materials further underline the role of designers as material innovators who can challenge industrial norms by introducing low-tech, self-produced solutions. The “democratization” of material production enables a re-evaluation of hierarchies by focusing on the expressive and sensorial qualities of alternative materials. Scoby leather offers unique tactile experiences and works as an open-source material helping designers and artists to freely use it to improve their design, not being trapped by the industrial-produced material.
In conclusion, the integration of living materials like SCOBY in design not only highlights material hierarchies but also redefines them through ethical and sensory dimensions. By prioritizing sustainable, living materials over traditional ones, designers like Suzanne Lee are paving the way for more equitable and innovative material futures.
