singlecraft

Singlecraft is a design and production approach that emphasizes completing a work using a single primary technique or material, with the aim of unity, coherence, and reduced complexity. Proponents argue that limiting a project to one core method can heighten intentionality, streamline workflow, and reveal the inherent qualities of the chosen material or process.

The term is informal and lacks a single defining authority. It appears in contemporary craft discourse as a way to describe projects that intentionally avoid mixing multiple techniques or materials. In practice, singlecraft can apply across disciplines, including wood, metal, ceramics, textiles, and digital fabrication, where a maker commits to one process or material throughout a piece.

Applications of singlecraft vary by field. In woodworking, a singlecraft piece might rely on one type of joinery and one finish. In ceramics, it might feature a single glaze and firing regime. In textiles, a sole fiber and weave pattern could define the work. In digital fabrication, a single process such as 3D printing or laser cutting may dominate the production of an object. The approach is often associated with minimalism and with sustainable design through reduced material diversity and waste.

Variants and related concepts include monomaterial design, one-tool design, and single-process creation. Critics note that strict adherence to a single technique can limit expressive possibilities and functional adaptation, and that many successful works benefit from deliberate material diversity. See also minimalism, constraint-based design, and monomaterialism.