Encapsulating creative collaborations: A case study in the design of cement tiles

Advances in computer-aided architectural design led to an increased interest in the field for cross-disciplinary creative collaborations. However, this process rarely accounts for the agents outside of the discipline’s intellectual framework, such as craftsmen, failing to include existing production capabilities in the digital transformation of the industry. To tackle this issue, we investigate an approach that implements encapsulated instruments as enablers of creative collaborations between computational designers and craftsmen. We evaluate this approach by designing three cement tile models, a traditional handmade construction element used in Brazil. The results demonstrate that encapsulated instruments expand the craft’s design space through creative decisions operated by the craftsman, and interviews with the tile makers elaborate on their perceived change in creative agency, identifying limitations when disrupting social roles and hierarchical relationships in craftsmanship. Results also raise opportunities for expanding this approach at other scales and systems, helping to democratize and distribute design knowledge.