Our paper titled “Skin deep: perceptions of human and material ageing and opportunities for design”  has been accepted for presentation at EAD2019, the 13th International Conference of the European Academy of Design, which will be held in Dundee in April 2019 (https://ead2019dundee.com). The paper was written by Ben Bridgens and Debra Lilley in collaboration with Hannah Zeilig and Caroline Searing at the London College of Fashion.

Abstract: Rapid unsustainable purchasing and disposal of mass-produced objects is, in part, driven by ‘cosmetic obsolescence’ – changes to the pristine material surface which are perceived as damage and degradation. In Western society there is an obsession, fuelled by pervasive advertising, with hiding the effects of ageing and maintaining skin that exudes ‘youthful perfection’. We consider the parallels between these attitudes to changes in material surfaces and human ageing, and propose that actively considering future material change in product design could increase product longevity.