building a material library and digital archive to encourage sustainable and responsible material use in creative practice
Client: rca.ac.uk, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Project Type: End-to-end Material Catalogue UX | UI + Online Shop + Material Design + AI-based Material Index
Role: UX | UI Designer + Logo Redesign + Digital Material Archive & E-commerce Interface Design
Industry: Sustainable Materials, Manufacturing, Art & Design
Tools: Wix Studio, Figma, JS (Velo), Wix CMS & Stores
Duration: Q1 | 2025
ARCA TEAM & MISSION
Our team is made up of five Royal College of Art graduates from backgrounds in design, painting, and architecture. We are focused on exploring how sustainable, biodegradable, and bio-based materials can be more effectively integrated into creative disciplines, as well as manufacturing and prototyping industries.
We developed ARCA, a mobile platform and physical material library that helps users discover and compare sustainable material alternatives for their projects. Built around a sustainability assessment framework we co-created, the system categorises materials and directly recommends suitable alternatives based on project needs. The platform is supported by collaborations with London-based suppliers and innovators in alternative materials, including companies such as Notpla, Alusid and NatureWorks.
Georgie Richardson
Architecture
MY ROLE
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led the development of the Archive, curating sustainable material alternatives, coordinating with suppliers to source samples
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developed the initial concept for the physical library through spatial design and visual render exploration
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designed and coded a responsive web platform, mobile and desktop, featuring an updatable material archive
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built a full e-commerce/shop, allowing customers to browse and purchase sustainable materials
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integrated a project blog, allowing students to document and share work made with sustainable materials
ARCA MATERIAL INDEX
After testing tools like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the Material Circularity Indicator, and the Higg Index, we found they were too complex for fast creative decision-making.
We developed the Sustainability Material Index, a concise framework that simplifies material sustainability into an accessible, comparative tool for creatives.
PROJECT SHOWCASE
Study for the Relic of the Future
Emulsion Paint Sculpture, by Joe Hodway. Media used, post consumer emulsion paint | H: 30 cm x W 20 cm x D 14 cm.
Joe Hodway, MA Painting student, repurposed post-consumer emulsion paint into a sculptural bust, highlighting the potential of discarded materials as refined artistic mediums. By transforming a durable acrylic polymer with a silky finish, his work challenges traditional sculpting practices while sparking dialogue on sustainability in art.
