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Made by Design · Chapter 3

Material World

Why things are made of what they are made of

Every material is a bundle of trade-offs, and every shape starts as a process. Rio and Milo compare metal, plastic, wood, and glass, then head into a real factory to watch molds, presses, extrusion lines, and 3D printers turn raw material into objects you can hold.

12 panels · ~6 min read

A designer tips a bag of everyday objects made from different materials onto a workbench while a curious kid leans in to look.

Panel 1

A designer balances a metal cup and a plastic cup like a scale to show a weight trade-off while a kid looks on with arms crossed.

Panel 2

A designer sets a heavy stainless-steel frying pan and a coil of steel wire on a workbench while a kid touches the pan's rim.

Panel 3

A designer flexes a lightweight plastic bottle while a kid squeezes a plastic cup and watches it spring back into shape.

Panel 4

A designer holds up a wooden spoon and a glass jar side by side while a kid taps the jar and listens to it ring.

Panel 5

A designer and a curious kid walk toward the entrance of a large factory building, hard hats in hand.

Panel 6

An injection molding machine stands with its steel mold halves open while a robot arm reaches between them to lift out a freshly molded bottle cap.

Panel 7

A massive stamping press slams down on a sheet of metal between shaped dies, watched by a designer and a kid behind a safety rail.

Panel 8

An extrusion line pushes glowing soft aluminum through a shaped die to form a continuous window frame profile while a designer holds up a finished length for a kid to see.

Panel 9

A 3D printer nozzle builds up a small plastic prototype layer by layer while a kid watches closely, chin in hand.

Panel 10

A designer gestures between an injection molding machine, a stamping press, an extrusion line, and a 3D printer on a factory floor while a kid counts on his fingers.

Panel 11

A kid examines a plastic bottle cap and traces its faint seam line while a designer smiles beside him with her sketchbook, warm late-day light around them.

Panel 12

Cover