Abstract:
Designers decide which materials they will use in a project after considering numerous aspects, from materials
quantifiable aspects (e.g. physical and mechanical properties, manipulation possibilities, availability, etc.) to the nonquantifiable
ones (e.g. environmental impact, social value, perceptions of aging, etc.). Upon these last aspects, very few
studies were conducted so far on what we refer to as materials’ cultural dimensions. Departing from these
considerations, we conducted a survey upon design students in Portugal regarding their forecast on metallic materials’
aging. The findings produced evidence of the prejudices students held towards materials. This evidence must be taken
serious if one considers aging to be one of the key aspects of materials that designers take into account in their project
decision. The absence of studies that support designers in this qualification task forces these professionals to rely solely
on their personal sensibility. This research study was carried out in order to understand the aging factors that are
expected to occur for specific materials. The following study was conducted on a representative number of students that
attended design courses...