Mycelium Based Materials: a study on Material Driven Design and forecasting acceptance

This thesis is the final project as part of the master study Integrated Product Design at Delft University of Technology. In collaboration with Utrecht University, this project researches the development of mycelium based materials. Fungal mycelium is an interesting emerging material, that requires further research and development, both on the material proper and on the applications it might be suited for. Researching the potential of mycelium design, the main question for this thesis is defined as follows: How can fungi materials and products be designed on technical and experiential level to optimize their acceptance in society? Apart from applying the Material Driven Design method (Karana et al., 2015) this study attempts to adapt, modify and extrapolate theories from other fields to provide a framework for 'material acceptance'. Primary research focusses on consumer behaviour, acceptance theories and innovation models and implementing them into the MDD framework. To systemize the development of mycelium materials, a framework of variables, relevant for the final material properties, was developed. Guided by this framework, six phases of tinkering are executed to acquire a good understanding of the material and its preparation as well as to provide suitable material for further testing. The final set of materials for testing consists of six samples in which the structure and the compression of the substrate were varied. Insights in the experiential properties of the material were generated by a focus group and a categorization study. In both, the material was rated as very natural and was experienced positively by the participants. Other specific attributes ascribed to the material include e.g. light, soft, brittle and comforting. For the technical characterization, five semi-quantitative tests were executed on the samples to assess thermal conductivity, strength, density, flammability and water resistance. These tests indicated that the material, when not -compressed, is not very strong but on the other hand has good insulating properties. Through two benchmarks on i) 'products from the same material' and ii) 'similar materials', interesting opportunities for the application of mycelium materials have been extracted. Combined with the unique material qualities, this led to define the Material Experience Vision as follows: 'Create, on the basis of mycelium, a meaningful product and - experience that invites you to discard it in nature through the context of the product and the interaction it creates.' With the Vision as basis for the idea generation, five product concepts have been developed. With respect to acceptance, these concepts have been rated on their likelihood for adoption, using the five characteristics of innovation (Diffusion of Innovation) and Verganti's Design Driven innovation model. Combining both the main research question and the Vision, the final design is a novel variation on the packaging of (wine) bottles. The mycelium material is grown around the bottle and due to the shaping properties of the material it protects the object as a ‘second skin’. By peeling of the skin, the bottle is revealed and ready for consumption. The interaction with the product highlights the naturalness of the material and encourages to discard the “second skin” in nature. The thesis concludes with a set of recommendations for further research and development focussing on the material, material testing and products. The main elements recommended include substrate type, shaping and standardisation of the material and testing the material according to industry standards.