CMF Design
Sustainable Material
Material Innovation
Surface Design
Research and Insght
Photography
Challenge
PriestmanGoode challenged us to develop a mono-material palette through research and material-led design that could support circularity in future transport interiors.Public transport and airport lounge environments are still dominated by cold, synthetic finishes, offering little in terms of emotional support or sensory wellbeing.
The challenge was to find a material system that could balance functionality, sustainability, and emotional connection.
Solution
Through comparative research, willow emerged as an underutilised yet highly promising material: lightweight, strong, flexible, fast-growing, locally available, and offering warm tactile qualities.
I developed Emotive Willow — a mono-material system that reimagines willow far beyond its traditional basketry associations, creating spaces that are both sensory-rich and emotionally supportive.
The solution is built on five key principles:
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Material Regeneration – employing the whole willow plant (bark, fibres, pulp, sawdust) to establish a closed-loop cycle.
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Multi-Format Versatility – producing structural panels, mouldable composites, and textile-like sheets from a single raw source.
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Sensory Wellbeing – providing calming tones, natural gradients, and organic light diffusion to reduce stress and support emotional transitions.
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Colour from Nature – deriving bio-based pigments from willow leaves and bark, creating authentic hues that respond to light.
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Craft + Technology Integration – merging handcraft with digital fabrication to enable both emotional value and scalable production.
Contextualised
In an airport lounge context, Emotive Willow can be applied to social seating, private booths, dining areas, and feature walls, enhancing both the aesthetic and emotional qualities of the environment while remaining fully circular.