Bridging craft and computation through textile-led form-finding

Although the algorithmic nature of textile making has always been recognised and formed the basis of many engineering inventions, textile techniques that proved difficult to automate have remained in the hobby crafts category. Considering the improved flexibility of material fabrication afforded by computation, hand-based methods of thread manipulation should be analysed and disseminated for the sake of interdisciplinary innovation. However, current CAD tools do not support the dynamic and personal nature of craft practices, distorting the creative processes of ideation. In response, this research aims to bridge the gap between craft and computational approaches to form-finding through a hand-based textile practice. This is addressed through a mixed-methodology approach, wherein practical and theoretical stages iterate to develop a computational design system that actively supports craft textile making. As such, this paper acknowledges the intrinsic algorithmic foundation of textiles and proposes the use of shape grammars as a means of systematising and disseminating craft-led methods of thread manipulation. From a conceptual standpoint, it examines the roles of craft knowledge – tacit, or difficult to define – and craft process – dynamic and open-ended – in advancing novel design methodologies. It emphasises the difficulty in capturing and communicating the personal and ever-changing qualities of a craftsperson’s experience, and how that leads to practices becoming forgotten and their innovative potential overlooked. By embedding the rules of a craft textile practice within a visual design framework, this project aims to preserve and externalise the tacit knowledge held by craft practitioners, improving its reach across disciplines.