Crafting Digital Ceramics

Ceramics is an ancient class of materials that we still use widely today. At the Interactive Materials Lab, we have been actively working with ceramics as a site for interaction design. This includes close collaborations with local topic experts to investigate adaptations of existing craft workflows for designing interactive systems, as well as experiments in computational approaches to augment ceramics making.

Our work in this area has been published in major Human-Computer Interaction research venues, as well as showcased internationally at prestigious design shows.

Team
Clement Zheng
Han Bo
Adam Choo
Jared Lim

Topic Experts
Hans Tan (resist blasting)
Genevieve Ang (ceramic arts, glazing)

Bibliography

Slip Casting as a Machine for Making Textured Ceramic Interfaces
CHI 2025 (Honorable Mention). Han Bo, Jared Lim, Kianne Lim, Adam Choo, Ching-Chiuan Yen, Genevieve Ang, Clement Zheng.
Crafting Interactive Circuits on Glazed Ceramic Ware
CHI 2023. Clement Zheng, Bo Han, Xin Liu, Laura Devendorf, Hans Tan, and Ching Chiuan Yen.

Showcases

Ceramics Circuits, Playground of Possibilities
Singapore Design Week 2023
Reciproco, Future Impact 2
Milan Design Week 2024, Singapore Design Week 2024

Press

Forging New Frontiers CDE Newsletter “Serving innovation on a ceramic platter”
The Straits Times “Singapore creatives stake new turf at Milan Design Week”
Monocle Salone Del Mobile Special “License to Kiln: The Singapore duo adding the power of touch to ceramics”
SCMP “The magic of multifunctional design, from a new Ikea furniture collection that pushes ‘the limits of small spaces’ to seats that encourage movement”
The Guardian “Design news: plates that talk to your table mats, Milan Salone and inspiring kids to build”
Dezeen “Clement Zheng's conductive ceramics can control sound and sense moisture”

Ceramics co-working space at SDE2.
Photo credits: Bryce Lim