Index

This project was born at the intersection of memory, material, and intention. As a designer, I have always been drawn to objects, not just for their aesthetic value, but for their ability to make ideas tangible. Growing up, I channeled my imagination through costumes, crowns, and plastic jewelry, building fantasy worlds with my hands. That same impulse to create, to make things real, never left me. What changed was the lens through which I look at the objects I make and consume. Today, I question the way we produce things and the culture of consumerism that pushes us to see objects as disposable. I believe design is not the problem, it is the solution. When we make conscious choices about materials from the very beginning of the design process, we begin to shift our relationship with what we create and consume. Biomaterials represent one of many paths toward that shift, and this project is my first deep dive into that world. Through extensive experimentation with recipes, I tested, observed, and documented the behavior and qualities of each material. The one that resonated most with me, both for its properties and its potential, was bio-resin. Using molds and recipe variations that included natural ingredients such as eggshell powder and hibiscus flower dye, I created a small jewelry collection that reinterprets the plastic accessories my sister and I wore as children, a personal allusion to the past, reimagined through sustainable making. This field journal compiles that entire process: the recipes, the experiments, the failures, the discoveries, and the reflections that shaped both the project and my perspective as a designer. It is organized chronologically, following the natural development of the work from the first material tests to the final pieces. It is honest, imperfect, and personal, because that is exactly what the process was. My hope is that this journal serves not only as a record of my own journey, but as a source of inspiration and a practical guide for anyone curious about biomaterials and conscious design. Every contribution to this field adds to our collective knowledge, and this is mine.

Presentation

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Video (final project)

Gallery

Notes on creation, Samantha Sánchez (2026)

Thesis PDF

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