Fibre
A tactile guide to material decisions
Let the material
answer first.
Cindoreva starts with a sample in the hand: its weight, edge, grain and resistance. Small tests turn a promising surface into an informed design choice.
01 / MATERIAL
A surface is only the beginning.
The same sample can feel different when it is bent, joined or viewed against the light. Keep a record of those changes before deciding where the material belongs.
02 / A working collection
A shelf of evidence, not decoration.
Collect samples that answer different questions. A useful material library includes edges, failed joints and unfinished tests alongside attractive surfaces.
Reuse
Inspect the previous life
Structure
Expose a connection
03 / Ways of finding out
Four ways to question a sample.
Move from observation to contact, comparison and construction. Each mode reveals a property that a photograph alone cannot establish.
Follow the grain under changing light.
Rotate the sample without moving the light source. Note which marks remain stable and which emerge only at a shallow viewing angle.
Compare resistance without forcing a failure.
Apply gentle, repeatable pressure to safe samples. Describe stiffness and recovery in relation to the dimensions of the piece you actually tested.
Keep one condition common to both samples.
Place two materials on the same support in the same light. Compare thickness, edge and tactile response before deciding which difference matters to the project.
Build the question into a joint.
Join a small piece at the intended thickness. Inspect where pressure concentrates and whether the connection can be separated without unnecessary damage.
Make the collection easy to revisit.
Store labelled pieces where their edges and thicknesses remain visible. A short note about origin and test conditions is more useful than a purely colour-based arrangement.
04 / Material prompts
Choose the next material question.
Filter these prompts by the property you want to understand. Start with a test small enough to repeat under similar conditions.
4 prompts available
Fibre
Read the direction
Compare a bend parallel with the grain against a gentle bend across it.
Reuse
Inspect the previous life
Record coatings, holes or wear that may affect the next use of an offcut.
Structure
Expose a connection
Make the fastening visible while testing so its behaviour can be observed.
Colour
Rotate the sample
Watch the apparent tone change as the surface moves through the light.
05 / Tactile observation
Touch reveals what a photograph cannot.
Compare two clean, safe samples with your eyes closed. Notice temperature, friction and resilience, then reopen your eyes and consider whether the visible surface suggested those qualities.
Open a material exercise06 / Preparation
Bring a record to the bench.
Use these reminders before cutting another sample. Your checklist remains on this device and can be reset when you change materials.
0 / 6 complete
07 / Colour in context
Read colour with the surface attached.
Place textured samples beside smoother ones in the same light. Gloss, fibre and shadow can change apparent colour as much as the pigment itself.
08 / A useful prototype
A small prototype can expose a large assumption.
Test one connection at a useful scale. The aim is to understand the behaviour of the joint, rather than to disguise uncertainty with a polished finish.
- 01
Collect
Compare a bend parallel with the grain against a gentle bend across it.
- 02
Compare
Record coatings, holes or wear that may affect the next use of an offcut.
- 03
Connect
Make the fastening visible while testing so its behaviour can be observed.
- 04
Record
Watch the apparent tone change as the surface moves through the light.
Join a small piece at the intended thickness. Inspect where pressure concentrates and whether the connection can be separated without unnecessary damage.
09 / Close observation
Pay attention to the edge.
A cut, folded or worn edge reveals the construction behind a surface. Document the edge along with the face whenever you compare a new material.
10 / Honest material questions
Questions that keep material claims precise.
Use observation to support a description. Avoid treating a natural appearance or a recycled label as a complete account of performance.
Choose one property connected to the intended use, such as flexibility or the ability to take a clean fold. A narrow question makes comparisons more useful than an unstructured collection.
No. Consider what treatment it needs, how long the object may last and whether its parts can be separated. Describe the known choices without making a broad environmental guarantee.
A labelled failure can show the limit of a connection or process. Keep it when it helps you explain a decision that would otherwise be forgotten.