Recipes for Material Activism

Recipes for Material Activism

A guidebook for designers, educators, and makers seeking to create change through materials and making.

12-Year Anniversary Edition (2025 Update)

Originally published in 2013 and shared widely as an open-source resource, Recipes for Material Activism returns in this updated digital edition—reformatted for download and use in today’s creative practices.

This book offers a tactile framework for sustainable, hands-on making, featuring five "recipes" for thinking through materials and design as activism.

What’s Inside:

• 5 core recipes + 21 examples of creative material experimentation
• Methods for inspiration in sustainable making
• A visual tool's cabinet for designers and educators
• ✨ New bonus chapter: Lessons learned since first publication
• High-quality, print-ready PDF format

Format:

• Digital Download (PDF)
• Instant access after purchase
• Suitable for reading on desktop, tablet, or printing
• For personal use only, please do not reproduce or redistribute without permission

Whether you're a designer looking to reconnect with materiality, a teacher seeking new classroom tools, or a creative practitioner interested in low-impact, high-attention making, this book is a touchstone.

Recipes for Material Activism is a beautifully designed, conceptual toolkit that invites readers to rethink their relationship with materials. Through poetic visuals and recipes, this book explores how hands-on creative practices can respond to environmental and social challenges.

Originally created by Miriam Ribul, this work has inspired artists, students, researchers, and cultural institutions across Europe and beyond. This digital downloadable edition makes it accessible to a wider audience, offering inspiration for studios, workshops, classrooms, and personal creative practices.

This PDF is licensed for individual use only.

Price shown excludes VAT—added at checkout based on location.

All content © Miriam Ribul. To request permission for educational or workshop use, please contact: hello@miriamribul.com