New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
katarzyna.pelka@asp.katowice.pl

Basic information
Initiative title
The Designer’s Material Compendium

Full initiative Title
The Designer’s Material Compendium

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
The Designer’s Material Compendium is a website intended for everyone who is interested in natural materials and crafts. It is an educational project aimed at restoring knowledge about traditional materials and crafts practiced in Poland. It is addressed to all enthusiasts of ecological solutions in the low-tech design trend. It is an attempt to build a platform which accumulates the knowledge about natural materials in the context of product design, materials science, ethnology.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
National

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Poland

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Upper Silesia

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice
  Type of organisation: University or another research institution
  First name of representative: Katarzyna
  Last name of representative: Pełka-Bura
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Poland
  Function: Assistant
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: ul. Raciborska 37
  Town: Katowice
  Postal code: 40-074
  Country: Poland
  Direct Tel: +48 32 758 77 00
  E-mail: katarzyna.pelka@asp.katowice.pl
  Website: https://asp.katowice.pl/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://asp.katowice.pl/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://www.instagram.com/aspwkatowicach/
- URL: https://asp.katowice.pl/uczelnia/struktura-uczelni/przedmioty/materialy-i-konteksty.html
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://www.instagram.com/materialy_i_konteksty/
- URL: https://kasiapelkabura.editorx.io/my-site
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083596926645
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Materials and Contexts is a course carried out at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice. It is a contact with traditional craft to students in the Design Department. It is not only an expanding knowledge about the heritage, but also an attempt to redefine the meaning and use of craft. The main goal is raising awareness of the impact of product manufacturing on the environment. During the course, students experiment with natural materials, acquired locally. They use the knowledge gathered during workshops and lectures from craftsmen. The classes with students and my research made me realize that there is a lack of substantive content useful from the designers’ perspective. The existing publications on natural materials and their use in design are scarce and they attract little interest in this subject in the design world. That is why I decided to design an educational tool in the form of a website. Through surveys, interviews, and talks with the target group, I verified the initial assumptions of the project. My main motivation to create an educational tool was the need to collect and systematize the knowledge passed on to students during the Materials and Contexts course which I conduct. The lack of substantive sources – publications that could be used in this course – made me wonder what type of educational tool would be useful in conducting classes. The challenge was to select the appropriate substantive content and an accessible way of presenting it. The website the Designer’s Material Compendium https://kasiapelkabura.editorx.io/my-site (which is still a prototype) collects content from the field of crafts, design, and cultural and social anthropology. It contains knowledge about natural materials (such as wool, aspen wood or cattail) which were used in the past by craftsmen in the Upper Silesia region in Poland. The collection of materials will expand. The pilot edition was designed in Polish, however, I plan to translate the content into English.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
inclusiveness

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
craft

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
design

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
innovation

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
tradition

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The combination of technology with knowledge of natural materials and design thinking may result in innovative solutions in the field of design. Modern tools, such as robots or 3D printers, allow a completely new approach to working with traditional raw materials. I believe that designing new ideas can reap from the past. Natural materials are the most sustainable and the knowledge of how to use them in the most effective way is in the craftsmanship. That is why, I try to encourage students to discover new opportunities by familiarizing themselves with traditional materials and handicrafts. The course develops a conscious attitude among the future designers – including highlighting the threats posed by consumerism and thoughtless manufacturing of products.
The key objectives are:
1. Designing in the spirit of sustainable development – raising awareness of the impact of products manufacturing on the environment.
2. Recognition of value in local tradition and culture – evoking traditional craftsmanship techniques and natural materials.
3. Preservation of local craftsmanship.
4. Local production in a global context – embedding local crafts in a market context – way of presentation, getting the best from the product.

The usage of modern media, such as websites or social media allow to spread the idea of sustainable design. That is why the Designer’s Material Compendium has been made.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The website the Designer’s Material Compendium has an educational and promotional function. The aim of the project is to provide a useful tool for designers, architects, and students of different specializations, such as design, architecture, and ethnology. It is addressed to all enthusiasts of ecological solutions in the low-tech design trend. It is a tool to show wider how the Material and Contexts course carried out at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice looks like. The main categories of the website are subpages devoted to the idea of the project, materials and student works. The website is designed in accordance with the principles of universal design. In the course of design work on the website, tests were carried out with potential users. Thanks to this, it was possible to introduce conveniences in navigating the compendium. The main categories can therefore be accessed directly through the buttons on the main page (they describe the most important elements of the page) and through the traditional menu located in the upper right corner. All categories have been placed in the main menu, with drop-down subpages. Above them there are buttons with redirection to social media. Subpages that contain more content have their own submenu, located on the left side of the subpages. It is an element "glued" to the subpage. Therefore, despite scrolling the screen, you can use it at any time when you are on the subpage. Thanks to this, after clicking on the submenu, the user can easily get to the section that interests him the most. The structure of the site allows for a smooth transition through all categories. The logo is also a redirect to the home page. This therefore allows the user to return to the initial stage at any level of browsing the site. In addition, the "next" and "back" buttons allow for a smooth transition between subpages. The website is responsive - designed for all types of screens. It has to be adapted to the WCAG 2.1 standard.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The site collects knowledge from various fields, so it can be useful to various groups of recipients. It combines the field of interests of students of architecture, design, cultural studies and ethnology.
The key objectives of the initiative in terms of inclusion:
1. Exchange of knowledge between different disciplines.
2. Cooperation of specialists from various fields.
3. Exchange of knowledge between professionals (publication of articles on the platform).
4. Creating interdisciplinary teams for projects.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
The key benefits are:
1. Raising awareness of the impact of product manufacturing on the environment.
2. Raising awareness of the value in human hand products that are not mass-produced.
3. Preservation of local craftsmanship.
4. Easy access to knowledge from various fields.
5. Platform to share knowledge and contacts (website, social media: Instagram, FB, Youtube).
6. Innovative ideas which are worth to share and implement (students' portfolio).

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
The work is supplemented with articles that were written by me and external experts specifically for the purpose of the website. The content on the history of design and craftsmanship complements the articles I wrote: “Historical context – the use of crafts and natural materials in design projects”, “Crafts today – definitions and contexts”, and “Cepelia (CPLiA) – an excellent project?”. Associate professor Kinga Czerwińska from the University of Silesia in Katowice, in her text titled “Follow the material. Reflections on the identity of crafts”, touches upon the context in which craftspeople function today. Cultural issues, including references to folk tales, are discussed in the work “Aspen in the folk vision of the world” by associate professor Katarzyna Marcol from the University of Silesia. The history of two cooperatives that produced products from aspen chips is outlined by Ewelina Mędrala-Młyńska from the Museum of Częstochowa in her article “History of Zawada and Koziegłowianka”. Jakub Wieczorek, PhD, from the Silesian University of Technology shared the results of his research on the properties of aspen chips. They are presented in the section “Aspen wood – aspen shavings – properties – strength”. The articles can be downloaded in PDF. The platform is to be a place for exchanging knowledge and contacts.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
Knowledge disciplines that meet in the project:
1. Product design.
2. Material design.
3. History of design.
4. Architecture.
5. Crafts.
6. Ethnology.

How different fields can interacted with each other:
1. Exchange of knowledge between different disciplines (gathered in one platform).
2. Cooperation of specialists from various fields (articles gathered in one platform).
3. Exchange of knowledge between professionals (publication of the articles on the platform).
4. Creating interdisciplinary teams for projects (possibility to get in touch).
5. Creating a community around the idea of using natural materials. (social media FB, Instagram).
6. Celebrating the local heritage (recalling examples of solutions from the past).

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
In recent years, the use of natural materials in design has been an object of interest of leading universities around the world. The classes with students and my research carried out at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice made me realize that there is a lack of substantive content useful from the designers’ perspective. The existing publications on natural materials and their use in design are scarce and they attract little interest in this subject in the design world.
That is why I decided to design an educational tool in the form of a website. The website collects content from the field of crafts, design, and cultural and social anthropology. In the original idea, I wanted to create a printed publication that would contain information useful for students. Through surveys, interviews, and talks with the target group, I verified the initial assumptions of the project. The Designer’s Material Compendium is an unique platform which combines promotional, educational and research needs.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The Designer’s Material Compendium focuses on the local natural materials but the idea can be extended to Europe.
Designers, regardless of whether they work in Poland or in other regions of Europe, should design products and services in a responsible way. The idea of using natural materials or designing elements in such a way that they serve as long as possible could be reused. The Designer’s Material Compendium can be an international platform which combines researchers, designers and scientists from the whole Europe. It could allow access to local resources and promote craftsmanship which is in crisis.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
The course Materials and Contexts is a combination of theory, practice and a social factor. The core of the programme is based on design thinking methodology. The process consists of a workshop with craftsmen, lectures, desk research and visits to museums. During workshops with craftsmen young designers have the opportunity of hand work. Thanks to this, they can experience the value of handicraft. Materials and Contexts is not only expanding knowledge about the bond of design and craft, but also an attempt to redefine the meaning and use of craft. Doing my own research about the natural materials I try to summarize this knowledge in articles which are published on the website the Designer’s Material Compendium. Articles published by me and other specialists are shared during the course Materials and Contexts. Thanks to the website students have always an easy access to the knowledge. Students can watch some instructory films, use interview cards, which might be helpful during the research process.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
Accessibility to raw materials is nowadays a problem. The Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine have clearly shown that the global supply chain can be easily disrupted. The advantage of local resources over materials that come from the other end of the world seems obvious today. The potential of looking for solutions in the local market may gain importance. Designers (producers) and craftsmen - produce high-quality products based on local raw materials. Thanks to this, their activities are not threatened by lack of access to the material. The Designer’s Material Compendium may be a tool, which can be used by them in their self education process or to get in touch with other enthusiasts of natural materials.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
What is already done:
1. The course Materials and Contexts is carried out at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice for four years.
2. The prototype of the website the Designer’s Material Compendium is done.
3. The social media platforms are working (Instagram, Facebook, Youtube).
4. Some of the research results were presented at the exhibition during the Łódź Design Festival and in the Museum of Częstochowa.

What has to be done:
1. Implementation of the website and combining it with the website of Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice.
2. Further research (other raw natural materials).
3. Translating into English.
4. Adding WCAG 2.1 standard (I couldn't do this in the prototype).

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Web link
Web link
- https://kasiapelkabura.editorx.io/my-site
- https://asp.katowice.pl/uczelnia/struktura-uczelni/przedmioty/materialy-i-konteksty.html
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
How your initiative contributes to developing new competences:
1. Sustainable design.
2. Participation (involving craftsmen, students, scientists, designers, architects and professional and unprofessional enthusiasts of ecological solutions in the low-tech design trend ).
3. Transdisciplinary approach (bringing together many different fields of knowledge, such as product design, material design, architecture, crafts, anthropology, ethnology, history of art and design.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes