Upcycling through crafts: uncovering methods for craft-based upcycling design

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Location:
P1 OPINNÄYTTEET D 2018 Wang

Date

2018

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Product and Spatial

Language

en

Pages

62

Series

Abstract

Despite the fact that upcycling has won interest from designers, researchers, businesses and DIY hobbyists, it is still an emerging process and there is not enough research done in the academic and practical fields. Essentially upcycling is the upscaling, upgrading version of recycling, in a world where there are simply too many things. Previous design research has been conducted based on fashion and textile upcycling, however very little research related to upcycling of other material is being conducted. Especially when confronting a foreign material, for example waste plastic, there are simply not sufficient guidelines or methods offering possible design solutions. The objective of my research is to develop methods for craft-based upcycling design via a literature review, interviews and a practice-led research on the waste plastic material. The literature review is aimed at understanding what our current knowledge of upcycling turns out to be: our definition of upcycling, the benefits and results of upcycling as well as mapping out the challenges and support encountered. Interviews with two upcycling designers and two educators in Finland form the case study and the inspiration for this study. My own material exploration through practice-led research illustrates possible methods related to craft-based upcycling design.

Description

Supervisor

Mäkelä, Maarit

Thesis advisor

Groth, Camilla
Mills, Molla

Keywords

upcycling, crafts, DIY, practice-led research, sustainable design, recycling, handicraft

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Citation