A method comprising disposing an active device comprising a shape memory polymer upon a first surface; wherein the active device is operative to change at least one physical attribute in response to a thermal activation signal; activating the active device with a thermal activation signal to substantially decrease its modulus, contacting and compressing the active device with a second surface, and cooling the device to set a compressed geometry. In another embodiment, a method comprising disposing an active device comprising a shape memory polymer in a gap between two opposing surfaces; wherein the active device is operative to exhibit a memorized shape in response to a thermal activation signal; activating the active device with a thermal activation signal to increase a dimension of the active device; filling the gap between the opposing surfaces, and cooling the device to set a new gap filling dimension.