Plate VIII — Material Logic

Structural intent

Show the relationship between form and material constraint: grain, texture, weight, and fabrication method are legible in the structure.

What must be observable

• Visible material cues (grain, stratification, tooling marks, surface porosity).
• Form that follows constraint: thickness, support, curvature appropriate to material.
• Evidence of fabrication method (carving, casting, stacking, bending).
• Consistent material behavior across the frame.

Common failure modes

• Smooth/neutral surfaces with no material cues.
• “Texture” added but not structurally meaningful (cosmetic overlay).
• Mixed materials without clear dominant logic.
• Lighting/postprocessing flattens material evidence.

UI / system translation (non-symbolic)

• Use for “data provenance / constraints / limits” messaging.
• In UI: show constraint affordances (disabled states, bounds, allowable ranges).
• In system terms: encode constraints as first-class rules (not comments).
• QA: require at least 2–3 material cues that are verifiable.