Hands-on/hands-off: On proximities to materials and systems in design research

Much attention has been paid to the important role of materials experience in design practice. For many designers, hands-on materials exploration is one of the main sources of knowledge used to innovate meaning. Yet proximity is not always possible or appropriate. We are in a time where proximity to materials is being eroded, through zoom calls, MIRO boards and digital sampling; through necessity and choice (not all designers are materials-led). Meanwhile, new models of design for change, towards social wellbeing and sustainability require closer engagement with ‘systems’, meaning multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary collaborations. By exploring the characteristics of proximity to materials and proximity to systems this chapter seeks to better understand the relationship between hands-on materials methods and hands-off supportive methods, to reveal the best conditions for design research that brings about systemic change as well as innovation at the level of materials. The relevance of each method for different phases of a material development timeline is also considered, which has implications for project design and planning. The transferability of this concept to other contexts of design research and practice is discussed; fundamentally, what do design researchers need proximity to, to support transition and change?