February 2013 marked the start of Light.Touch.Matters, an EU FP7-funded project in which designers and material researchers joined forces to develop a new generation of smart materials that can sense touch and respond with luminescence.

The different languages of these communities can sometimes act as a barrier to communication and understanding so in June 2013 the Institute of Making opened its doors to the whole consortium for a workshop session where participants could get hands-on with luminescent and tactile materials, thinking through materials in a playful but directed way and exploring their potential, their sensory properties, and the different ways in which they communicate meanings.