This contribution argues for the potential of Barr, Khaled and Lessard’s Method for Design Materialization (MDM) as a research through design tool that is specifically suited for new media preservation. Building moreover from the ISEA first and second Summits on New Media Art Archiving, this article introduces the reader to this methodological and epistemological design framework through four existing articles: both addressing important issues in the context of new media practice, education, display and archiving. Placing these articles in dialogue with four structuring ideas of the MDM initiative, it posits the importance of further introducing new media artists to processes of self-archiving through the use of cohesive platforms such as MDM.