[ 彩材拆拆 x UNWRAP CMF ]
Ch16. Unwrapping CMF Design on Building Your Own Material Collection
Ch16. 拆招CMF設計談材料館藏搬回家
CMF is a specialized area within industrial design that focuses on the development of products‘ color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories with digestible contents for anyone and everyone, inspiring curious minds about CMF Design. Enjoy learning? Use the mentioned terminologies to kick-start your research journey. Messages are always welcome! LinkedIn | Instagram | Email ✉️
Previously in chapter 8 & 10, we talked about going out to find design inspirations. In addition to exhibitions, galleries, and select stores, here is another good place to go: material libraries, also known as CMF Lab, see a worldwide list ?? Go.
A good material library displays material samples, and also captures the characteristic of each material and its manufacturer information. Some would even take a step further to include an online database. Therefore, the value of a material library to CMF designers includes not only inspirations, but also the “match-making” with suppliers. (中文請見下方)
During the pandemic when traveling to worldwide libraries is not possible, why not start your own material collection?
As a CMF design team, we keep receiving supplier samples, which eventually end up in piles. And when you need to look for a specific sample, it is harder than digging out a fossil.
Organizing is never easy, but a good storage system is worth the hard work.
Starting at Nokia, and then at Alcatel and Motorola, almost every part of my CMF journey involved the establishment or organization of the company’s internal CMF library. That’s why I am confident to share: an internal CMF library should prioritize its practicability for office-use rather than showing-off. If you’ve got storage drawers, you are ready to start your own exclusive CMF Library ??
My suggestion is: first, divide into color, material, and finishing treatments, and then subdivide within each category. That means, further dividing C into colors; M into leather, wood, fabric, etc.; and F into pattern, gloss, iridescence, etc.
Finally, use a label sticker to include the sample’s background info, such as its manufacturer, process, and date of making. I would even put my name on the label, so that if a colleague finds the sample interesting, he or she knows to look for me to get more details.
With so, when a project comes, designers can easily find color inspirations or CMF reference samples.
If you have a global team, an online library may be needed to communicate with designers from different locations. That will be another story to share in the future ?
CMF全稱為Color Material and Finishing,屬於工業設計旗下專注於產品色彩、材質、及表面處理工藝的關鍵一環。UNWRAP CMF 彩材拆拆圍繞著這個主題,以淺而易懂的小故事拆解CMF設計的日常。CMF學無止盡,善用CMF關鍵字繼續網上鑽研。討論交流請來信至 LinkedIn | Instagram | Email ✉️
第8章和第10章曾經談到出門尋找設計靈感,除了展覽、藝廊、選品店之外,還有一個好去處:材料圖書館(又稱CMF實驗室,這裡整理了一篇世界各地的材料圖書館清單?? Go )。
一座優秀的材料圖書館不光是陳列材料樣品,還會分門別類並詳細地記載各種材料的特性及廠商資訊;青出於藍者,會進一步同步線上資料庫。因此,材料圖書館對CMF設計師的價值除了靈感以外,還包括與產業鏈之間的媒合。
在疫情之前,滿世界遊走各地的材料圖書館是一件幸福的事。
當出不了門的時候,收納也可以很療癒?
作為CMF設計團隊,時不時會收到來自四面八方的供應商樣品,一不小心就堆積成山。最糟糕的是,當臨時要找樣品時,卻是樣品海茫茫,找也找不著?
整頓材料庫雖然很辛苦,但良好的收納體系絕對能使事半功倍。
身為收納狂人,回顧我的CMF職涯,從諾基亞開始,再到阿爾卡特及摩托羅拉 ,幾乎每一段經歷都或多或少接觸到公司內部CMF圖書館的建立或整理。作為公司內部的CMF圖書館,辦公實用性比展示更為重要,所以只要有抽屜收納櫃就可以著手打造團隊專屬的CMF圖書館啦 ??
依據以往的經驗,我的建議是:首先依照色彩、材質、表面工藝分為三大類(也就是C、M、F),再個別細分。比如C再以紅橙黃綠藍靛紫分類,M以皮革、布料、木質、玻璃等材質分類,F以模內紋理、光澤度、幻彩效果等表面處理工藝分類。
再用標籤貼紙給每個樣品背後加上它的「來歷」,比如廠商、工藝、打樣日期等資訊。我甚至會將名字寫在標籤上,如此一來,如果有同事覺得樣品有趣,他知道可以找Rina問到更多資訊。
這樣子當專案來臨時,輕輕鬆鬆就能找到色彩靈感或CMF參考樣品。即便辭職之後,我也是以類似的方式整理個人的材料蒐藏。
如果團隊在世界多地設有據點,除了實體館藏,恐怕還需要建立線上圖書館,以便與異地的同事交流。以後再找機會分享線上圖書館?

Added to its material collection, Material ConneXion also provides project services to develop design possibilities for each material.

The library of Material ConneXion in Tokyo, Japan.

Sustainable Material Library located in Taichung, Taiwan, that is specialized in sustainable materials.

An organizing plan for Nokia’s Beijing studio in 2015: an internal CMF library should prioritize its practicability for office-use.

For internal CMF library, first, divide into color, material, and finishing treatments, and then subdivide within each category.