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.