A large part of the production today is manufactured so far from the consumer that there is no connection to the production. That there have historically been direct connections between an industry and the people, local traditions and material assets of the place is easily forgotten. The thesis makes these relationships visible through an artistic exploration conducted through a combination of materials, form,craft, image and text. Furthermore, through design work, to show how production processes and knowledge of the industrial cultural heritage can be shaped and documented through practice-based design research.

The starting point in the thesis is the design and documentation of Masonite, which the design duo Folkform worked on for more than a decade. Masonite has become synonymous with an entire range of different types of fibreboard. This investigation takes its starting point in sheets of the Masonite brand, spelled with a capital ”M” and a lowercase ”e” at the end, a wood fibre material invented by William H. Mason in the United States in the 1920s. When the last Masonite factory in Sweden closed in 2011, Masonite became a historical and cultural heritage.

This thesis work can be seen as a form of industrial memory research, through design, where the physical material, the piece of furniture and the experiences from ongoing production form part of the investigation. Consequently, these subjects are used to communicate stories regarding manufacturing techniques, places, people and cultural heritage. The documentation, in combination with design work, has developed into an autoethnographic design research method – namely, the Production Novella. This methodology is used by the researcher to apply her own personal experiences as part of the research. The Production Novellas comprise written memories, diary entries, letter correspondence and photographic documentation from the production, along with exhibitions, material samples and also the finished piece of furniture.

In this thesis, the Production Novellas are used as an empirical and narrative method to describe design and manufacturing methods in a practical research context. The thesis portrays the collaboration between designers and craftsmen in various workshops, mainly within the Swedish manufacturing industry. It highlights the importance of a design process close to production and shows the many relationships hidden behind the product’s creation process. ●

A large part of the production today is manufactured so far from the consumer that there is no connection to the production. That there have historically been direct connections between an industry and the people, local traditions and material assets of the place is easily forgotten. The thesis makes these relationships visible through an artistic exploration conducted through a combination of materials, form,craft, image and text. Furthermore, through design work, to show how production processes and knowledge of the industrial cultural heritage can be shaped and documented through practice-based design research.

The starting point in the thesis is the design and documentation of Masonite, which the design duo Folkform worked on for more than a decade. Masonite has become synonymous with an entire range of different types of fibreboard. This investigation takes its starting point in sheets of the Masonite brand, spelled with a capital ”M” and a lowercase ”e” at the end, a wood fibre material invented by William H. Mason in the United States in the 1920s. When the last Masonite factory in Sweden closed in 2011, Masonite became a historical and cultural heritage.

This thesis work can be seen as a form of industrial memory research, through design, where the physical material, the piece of furniture and the experiences from ongoing production form part of the investigation. Consequently, these subjects are used to communicate stories regarding manufacturing techniques, places, people and cultural heritage. The documentation, in combination with design work, has developed into an autoethnographic design research method – namely, the Production Novella. This methodology is used by the researcher to apply her own personal experiences as part of the research. The Production Novellas comprise written memories, diary entries, letter correspondence and photographic documentation from the production, along with exhibitions, material samples and also the finished piece of furniture.

In this thesis, the Production Novellas are used as an empirical and narrative method to describe design and manufacturing methods in a practical research context. The thesis portrays the collaboration between designers and craftsmen in various workshops, mainly within the Swedish manufacturing industry. It highlights the importance of a design process close to production and shows the many relationships hidden behind the product’s creation process. ●

Many studies in the field of innovation focus on novelty and technology, but recent literature and contemporary design practices have proposed an alternative view. Innovation has instead been suggested to bring about new meanings, often driven by design, and lately the role of tradition has been highlighted as a source of innovation rather than an obstacle. However, research has thus far not explained how tradition is actually used in innovation practice. By exploring design elements from craft-based design practice, the overall aim of this study is to identify and explore how craft-based design leads to new meaning and Innovation Through Tradition (ITT). To gain further insights into craft-based design for ITT, the Research Through Design method in combination with narrative writing was used, investigating innovation from inside design practice. The empirical design work highlights the innovation potential when craft-based design and production processes deliberately use tradition, not only by embracing the value of tradition itself, but also by creating new meaning through its unexpected combination with novel components. Finally, a visualization of key elements that can be reinvented is outlined to highlight tensions between different design elements that have the potential to produce new and valuable product meanings.

Many studies in the field of innovation focus on novelty and technology, but recent literature and contemporary design practices have proposed an alternative view. Innovation has instead been suggested to bring about new meanings, often driven by design, and lately the role of tradition has been highlighted as a source of innovation rather than an obstacle. However, research has thus far not explained how tradition is actually used in innovation practice. By exploring design elements from craft-based design practice, the overall aim of this study is to identify and explore how craft-based design leads to new meaning and Innovation Through Tradition (ITT). To gain further insights into craft-based design for ITT, the Research Through Design method in combination with narrative writing was used, investigating innovation from inside design practice. The empirical design work highlights the innovation potential when craft-based design and production processes deliberately use tradition, not only by embracing the value of tradition itself, but also by creating new meaning through its unexpected combination with novel components. Finally, a visualization of key elements that can be reinvented is outlined to highlight tensions between different design elements that have the potential to produce new and valuable product meanings.