If charcoal is the main ingredient we’re working with, it’s essential to first understand its potential as a material in its pure form. By observing its cuts, surfaces, and varying sizes, we begin by intuitively exploring how these basic properties can guide the initial stages of making—through arrangement, composition, and tactile interaction.

The group focusing on aesthetic arrangement started by closely examining the natural patterns found in charcoal, such as crack lines and textures. They sorted the material into a spectrum of forms: from full log-sized segments, to elongated cut pieces, to loose chips, finer chips, gravel-sized fragments, and finally, powder.