Abstract
Materials are like words. The more materials you get in touch with, the more solutions you can see and express. In traditional design methodologies for product development materials are often considered at a later stage, resulting in only a few “good” materials being considered defined by the limitations of costs and manufacturing requirements. Bringing materials at the early stage of the design process makes it possible to review a bigger variety of materials and explore its qualities. Exploring materials at the fuzzy front end has the character of an ongoing research in understanding the available materials and processes that surround us. Besides the potential to inspire designers with unexpected materials-driven solutions, exploring materials can be an effective tool for business to make more strategic use of materials for future products. This article focuses on the use of materials to inspire ideas (instead of realizing ideas) to make design more creative, more sustainable and more competitive.