DIY: polar fleece as a new material for handmade artefacts

The paper deals with a cultural and didactic experience regarding textile world, its history and traditions, its manufacturing processes and its innovative possible uses. The experience, that involved different actors from academic and commercial fields as well as interested people from citizenry, was organized in two directions: a workshop and a thesis in Design (Bachelor Degree). In both cases, the object of the design process was the polar fleece, a technical fabric made from polyester (PET). The aim of the presented actions was to reassess the fabric, considered as a well-known fabric and not as a technical one, despite its high technical requirements (insulating, lightweight, etc.). Specifically, the aim was to investigate how designers, thanks to learning by doing, “do it yourself” and participatory design methodologies can help manufacturing industries to define new possible market fields and new products or semi-finished products.