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Accepted manuscript

Intuitive sensorial exploration of mycelium-based artefacts for early identity profiling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2026

L. Van den Broeck
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Architectural Engineering, Brussels, Belgium
K. Krsteska*
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
E. Du Bois
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
L. De Laet
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Architectural Engineering, Brussels, Belgium
*
*Author for correspondence. Email: Katerina.krsteska@uantwerpen.be
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Abstract

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Living and bio-based materials such as mycelium composites are increasingly explored as sustainable alternatives, yet their integration into design practice remains limited. This paper presents a small-N methodological demonstration of a multisensory evaluation protocol for capturing intuitive first-encounter sensory, affective and perceived applicability responses to low-TRL biomaterials before association to a product context. In structured workshops, design students and professionals (N = 11) engaged with six mycelium-derived artefacts through free-choice profiling, modality-specific likeability ratings, spatial applicability ranking and visual profiling. The protocol examines how early sensory identity is constructed through descriptors, sensory differentiation and perceived design relevance, and how this first construction may open or limit imagined application possibilities. Heat map synthesis and PCA visualisation were used to generate preliminary material identity profiles. The paper contributes an exploratory methodological basis for studying how unfamiliar biomaterials are initially perceived and how sensory modalities shape early material differentiation in design contexts.

Information

Type
Full Paper: Biodesign Conference
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press