Short answer

Integrate tactile and interactive textile exploration into user research and co-design processes to uncover deeper emotional connections and create more personally relevant and durable products.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice (2017)
Method: Practice-led research integrating interpretative phenomenological analysis, co-design, and simultaneous textile and garment design.
Evidence: Moderate effect

Utilizing textiles as a 'material gestalt' in co-design processes can unlock embodied knowledge and personal narratives, leading to the creation of emotionally durable and adaptable fashion for specific demographics. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice. Using Practice-led research integrating interpretative phenomenological analysis, co-design, and simultaneous textile and garment design., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate tactile and interactive textile exploration into user research and co-design processes to uncover deeper emotional connections and create more personally relevant and durable products.

Study

User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Textile Gestalt: Co-designing Emotionally Durable Fashion for Older Women

Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice · 2017

Key Findings

01Textiles acted as a 'material gestalt,' facilitating the exploration of participants' identities and embodied knowledge of fashion.
02Co-design involving direct manipulation of textiles and garments enabled a deeper connection between the user and the design outcome.
03Sensorial and tactile engagement with textiles informed pattern engineering and the creation of adaptable silhouettes.
04The process fostered a 'body-cloth dialogue,' mediating material and individual agency.
05Focusing on textile attachment and longevity can inform the development of emotionally durable fashion.

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate tactile and interactive textile exploration into user research and co-design processes to uncover deeper emotional connections and create more personally relevant and durable products.

How to apply

When designing for a specific demographic, use tactile materials as a primary tool for user engagement. Allow users to physically manipulate, drape, and customize these materials to express their identities and preferences, informing the final product design.

Project actions

01Use a variety of textile samples in your user research sessions.
02Allow participants to physically interact with and manipulate the textiles to express their preferences and ideas.
03Document the tactile and sensorial feedback from participants alongside their verbal responses.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can textiles serve as a 'material gestalt' to facilitate co-design and explore embodied knowledge of fashionable dress within an ageing female demographic, leading to emotionally durable fashion solutions?

MethodPractice-led research integrating interpretative phenomenological analysis, co-design, and simultaneous textile and garment design.

ProcedureResearchers collaborated with older women (55+) to co-design a collection of research tools and garment prototypes. Textiles were used as a central element to explore participants' identities and embodied knowledge of dress. This involved live draping, pattern cutting, digital textile creation in response to garment contours and personal narratives, and a focus on sensorial and tactile interactions. Participants actively manipulated and animated emerging textile and dress objects.

ContextFashion design for an ageing female demographic (55+), focusing on sustainable and person-centred approaches.

Variables

IVTextile as a 'material gestalt' in co-design.

DVExploration of embodied knowledge, personal narratives, and the creation of emotionally durable fashion.

CVDemographic (ageing female), context (fashion design), co-design methodology.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Emphasizes a person-centred and sustainable approach to design.
+Integrates multiple research methodologies effectively.
+Highlights the importance of tactile and embodied interaction in design.

Limitations

The subjective nature of emotional connection and textile preference can make objective measurement challenging. The specific cultural and personal histories of participants will influence their responses to textiles.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized prompts for user feedback on tactile qualities. Validity is strengthened by the integration of multiple research methods (IPA, co-design, practice-led research) to triangulate findings on user experience and material engagement.

Think critically

To what extent can the concept of 'material gestalt' be applied to non-textile products, and how might different material properties influence user agency and emotional connection in those contexts?

Design Principles

"Embrace material agency in co-design to unlock embodied knowledge and foster emotional durability."

This approach moves beyond purely functional or aesthetic considerations to deeply integrate user identity and lived experience into the design of clothing. By empowering users to actively participate in the material and form-finding stages, designers can create garments that resonate on a deeper emotional level and are more likely to be cherished and retained.

What This Means for Your Design

When designing clothes, especially for older people, using different fabrics in a hands-on way can help people express themselves and feel more connected to what they wear, making the clothes more special and longer-lasting.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing user research methods that involve tactile engagement and co-design.
2.Use the concept of 'material gestalt' to explain how a chosen material facilitated user input and shaped the design direction in your own project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The research by Townsend and Sadkowska (2017) highlights the efficacy of using textiles as a 'material gestalt' within co-design processes. Their study demonstrated that by allowing participants to physically interact with and manipulate fabrics, designers could tap into embodied knowledge and personal narratives, leading to the creation of more emotionally resonant and durable fashion for an ageing demographic. This approach underscores the value of tactile engagement in user research for fostering deeper connections between users and designed objects.

Source

Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice

Textiles as Material Gestalt: Cloth as a Catalyst in the Co-designing Process

journal · 2017

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about textile gestalt: co-designing emotionally durable fashion for older women?: Integrate tactile and interactive textile exploration into user research and co-design processes to uncover deeper emotional connections and create more personally relevant and durable products. Evidence: Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice (2017).
Why does "Textile Gestalt: Co-designing Emotionally Durable Fashion for Older Women" matter for design?: This approach moves beyond purely functional or aesthetic considerations to deeply integrate user identity and lived experience into the design of clothing. By empowering users to actively participate in the material and form-finding stages, designers can create garments that resonate on a deeper emotional level and are more likely to be cherished and retained.
How can designers apply this research?: Integrate tactile and interactive textile exploration into user research and co-design processes to uncover deeper emotional connections and create more personally relevant and durable products.
What were the main findings?: Textiles acted as a 'material gestalt,' facilitating the exploration of participants' identities and embodied knowledge of fashion.. Co-design involving direct manipulation of textiles and garments enabled a deeper connection between the user and the design outcome.. Sensorial and tactile engagement with textiles informed pattern engineering and the creation of adaptable silhouettes.. The process fostered a 'body-cloth dialogue,' mediating material and individual agency.
What research method was used?: Practice-led research integrating interpretative phenomenological analysis, co-design, and simultaneous textile and garment design..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing for a specific demographic, use tactile materials as a primary tool for user engagement. Allow users to physically manipulate, drape, and customize these materials to express their identities and preferences, informing the final product design.
What are the limitations?: The findings are specific to the demographic studied (older women) and the context of fashion; generalizability to other user groups or product categories may require further investigation. The 'material gestalt' concept's application might vary depending on the material properties and product type.