Introducing eco-ideation and creativity techniques to increase and diversify the applications of eco-materials: The case of cork in the building sector

Cork is an eco-material that has recently been attracting growing interest due to the expanding strategy of sustainable product design, which aims to replace non-renewable materials in the building market Until now, the cork sector has not taken advantage of the properties of this material and has been fully oriented towards traditional applications such as stoppers for wines and other beverages. The diversification of the cork market, through developing new products with higher added value, is the reason why eco-ideation (using different creativity techniques) can be helpful in creating new products and solutions. The process of introducing eco-ideation was carried out during two interdisciplinary creative sessions and a product design stage. The results of the process were successful in terms of participation and the quantity and quality of ideas, which were characterised by searching, experimentation, participation and knowledge sharing. The versatility of cork fits perfectly with the creative methods of eco-ideation, as cork's good physical properties allow the diverse generation of new ideas for both applications and markets. The concepts generated in this study are in line with the approach of recognising cork's status as a natural, pure and noble material, taking advantage of the good properties of cork, and giving buildings unique traits due to the singular aesthetic of cork. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.