This project is in collaboration with Charlotte Bording, Floris van Deursen and Ernesto Bañuel Garçia.

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For Project 1 the team was challenged to design an interactive concept with integrated technology. The design challenge of the squad ‘Smart to Touch’ is to design meaningful and aesthetic interactions with a product; learning to understand the material characteristics, combinations, movements and their impact on human bodies and human experience. To succeed at this challenge, exploration of material qualities by prototyping and exploring textures, constructions, connections and different structures were needed.

 

During the project, the team experimented with kinetic clothing. Several contexts for movement in clothes were explored, categorized into four categories; style, health, color and comfort. One specific technique was applicated in each of these categories to present its potential. The first three categories were explored on flat surfaces. The category ‘comfort’ was explored on flat surfaces and eventually in a shirt with integrated technology for ventilation.

 

“Open up” focuses on a future society where humans are more tolerant and comfortable with wearing technology on the body. The designs are intended for anybody who feels attracted to the design and is willing to open up aesthetically and socially.

 

The concept aims to experiment with what future wearables might look like and for what purpose technology can be implemented in clothing. Exploring and trying to make optimal use of several material characteristics. Various fabrics, metals, paper and plastics have been used in the design process.

 

The wearable designed for the category ‘comfort’ has an integrated sensor system, specially designed for the specific use of the wearable. By analysing human interaction with clothes, the interaction with the wearable is intuitive.

 

Click below to view the final report or my personal reflection.