Digital Apparel Design Process: Placing a New Technology Into a Framework for the Creative Design Process

Abstract

Design methodology and process are studied in different contexts and diverse fields. Designing has the potential to generate new knowledge and is intimately tied to new technologies, such as digital textile printing. These open up a constantly expanding range of creative possibilities, and generate a complex set of decision points for designers. In this paper we show how the design process is impacted and how new products can be created through exploration of the limits and potentials of digital technologies for textile and apparel design. Changes in design approach were analyzed through four design phases with five design projects. The design process was shown to change as various technical problems were evaluated and solved with each successive garment design. What began as a sporadic process that centered on solving sub-problems, evolved to a linear design progression with increased time spent in creative conceptualization.

Keywords

digital apparel design design process design technology textile art

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Campbell, J. R. , & Parsons, J. , (2001). Intersecting Two Design Problems to Create Multiple Points of Exploration. Exploring the Visual Future: Art Design, Science and Technology. Selected Readings of the International Visual Literacy Association. 51-56.

Cross, N. (Ed). (1984). Developments in design methodology. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Cross, N. , Naughton, J. & Walker, D. (1981). Design method and scientific method. Design Studies, 2(4), 195-201.

Digital Design Center, Department of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2002, from http://www.tx.ncsu.edu:8190/jtatm/volume1issue1/coverpgv1i1.html%23.

Gunther, J. & Ehrlenspiel, K. (1999). Comparing designers from practice and designers with systematic design education. Design Studies 20(5), 439-451.

Katz, B. (1997). Review essay: Technology and design-a new agenda. Technology and Culture, 38(2), 452-466.

LaBat, K. L. & Sokolowski, S. L. (1999). A three-stage design process applied to an industry-university textile product design project. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 17(1), 11-20.

Lamb, J. M. & Kallal, M. J. (1992). A conceptual framework for apparel design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(2), 42-47.

Roth, S. (1999). The state of design research. Design Issues, 15(2), 18-26.

10.

[TC]2 and Digital Printing. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2002, from http://www.tc2.com/RD/RDPrinting.htm.

11.

Zaccai, G. (1995). Art and technology. In R. Buchanan , & V. Margolin , (Eds.) Discovering design: Exploration in design studies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.