Designers employ a number of strategies in choosing material and processes. The choice can be based on engineering analysis, identifying candidates that best meet the mechanical, thermal, electrical and economic constraints of the design. It can be based on past experience, accessed through a questionnaire‐based selection engine. And it can be based on analogy, searching for materials that are “like” on or more other materials in particular regards – in color, or transparency, or texture for example. Here we explore the strategies, identifying ways in which they can be deployed. Designers employ a number of strategies in choosing materials and processes. The choice can be based on engineering analysis, identifying candidates that best meet the mechanical, thermal, electrical and economic constraints of the design. It can be based on past experience, accessed through a questionnaire‐based selection engine. And it can be based on analogy, searching for materials that are “like” one or more other materials in particular regards – in color, or transparency, or texture for example. In this review, the strategies are explored, identifying ways in which they can be deployed.
