Design and Materials for Social Change

By linking the three interconnected worlds of design, materials and social contexts, at different scales and in multiple contexts, materials may be perceived not merely as passive products that perform a functional role, but as complex and changeable systems, capable of bringing value to contexts, territories and broader socio-cultural and relational aspects. By examining the value of knowledge, skills and practices that emerge when the material becomes social - namely, when the direct relationship with the material is not only a productive act but also a form of rediscovered contact with the surrounding world -, this contribution will attempt to illustrate how, in the case of cork in Alentejo (Portugal) and yolky wool in Abruzzo (Italy), design and materials serve as catalysts for social change and community cohesion. This speculative research aims to emphasise the importance of the correspondence between the material and social dimensions, revealing how re-establishing a direct relationship with materials and their transformative processes can contribute today to the urgent survival of these proactive, crucial and pioneering social relations, which can drive a radical paradigm shift, both conceptually and materially.