Ultra Materials: How Materials Innovation is Changing the World

The single most significant influence on today's manmade environment: materials innovation. Here is an indispensable resource for interior, product, graphic, and fashion designers, and anyone involved with packaging, design, or architecture.Smart substances, intelligent interfaces, and sensory surfaces are redefining the world we live in, from self-cleaning materials based on the surface morphology of a lotus leaf to outdoor pavilions made from inflatable membrane exteriors to temperature-regulated clothing.The people at Material ConneXion are uniquely placed to explain these developments:the context and key tools for innovation, including biomimicry, nanotechnology, and sustainability;the application of new materials in interior, fashion, textiles, product, and vehicle design;where current developments are leading, along with the implications for educators, professionals, and society as a whole.The book includes a classified presentation of the four hundred most recent significant materials; a directory of designers, design conferences, trade shows, and professional organizations; and details of degree programs, grants, scholarships, internships, research labs, and competitions. Over 600 illustrations in color and black & white