The Materials of Electronics course introduces students to electronics as a creative and expressive design material. Rather than approaching electronics purely as a technical discipline, the course encourages students to explore electricity, conductivity, circuits and components through hands-on experimentation, making and play. Students investigate how different materials interact with electrons and how these properties can be used to create power, light, movement and sound.

Throughout the course, students build confidence with basic electronics while working with a range of accessible materials and techniques, including conductive paint, tape, textiles, paper and sensors. They learn fundamental skills such as making simple circuits and soldering, developing the confidence to experiment without being intimidated by technical complexity. E-textiles, paper electronics and circuit sculpture provide opportunities to explore how electronic systems can become part of physical and material experiences.

Experimentation and failure are central to the course. Students are encouraged to test ideas, make unexpected discoveries and learn through hands-on material exploration. Small experiments and material tests throughout the week allow them to investigate the relationships between materials, electronics and interaction, while considering sound, light and other forms of sensory output.

During the final one and a half days, students develop a material interaction research question and design a series of experiments around a concept of personal interest. The course culminates in an open-ended project and presentation in which students share their process, experiments and discoveries, demonstrating how electronics can be approached not simply as technology, but as a material for creative expression and interaction design.

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