Make(able) Workshop with Half-way products.

PRODUCT ATTACHMENT.
The way we express and fulfill our needs must be redesigned through a change in the society and the distinct habits of the individuals. Likewise, a key solution is offered by creating a closer attachment between the consumer and the product. This relationship offers space for the designer to interact within the cycle of consumer, producer and product by applying various design methods. The consumer has to be included and activated through design strategies like open source design, universal design, slow design, participatory design as well as design activism.
These design strategies aim to put the consumer in a closer position and relation to the purchased product, which then in the longer run will maintain a longer lifespan.
Strengthening the product attachment, will result in slower product replacement, which will support the idea of a slower fashion industry.(Niinimäki, 2010) The ideal would be the constant evolvement of the product, by repair, remaking and recycling. For the consumer or user of a product it is therefore important to fully understand its functionality. Thus, the inclusion of the consumer within the production- and design process plays a key role.

Within this workshop, the participants will be able to work with so called ‘Half-way products’ that will encourage the user to participate in the design process to facilitate understanding,
participation and an emotional product attachment. This personal design piece, should represent one’s identification and style, to create an independence from the fast changing fashion cycles.
With the approach of working with ‘Half-way products’ based on recycled materials, I am trying to tackle the issue of creating awareness of the production of fashion items. Thus, I state the assumption, through the making process, a passion will be created, that will express in a closer product-attachment, as they are representatives of one’s own philosophy and image that is represented in society. If a product or garment was finished according to the person’s own values, I assume that it will be considered a part of the person’s identity n and therefore would have a higher value than a solely purchased product, which can be ‘anyone’s’. The story created during the production process will hopefully result in an attitude change towards the garment. If the user is able to skillfully create, this implies an independence from the market.


Images: You can see 2 Versions of the finished Tunica, which will be offerd as a Half-way product. More images can be found on the slideshow on the right side. 'Multiwearable'

During the workshop, the degree of design and user customisation can vary from 10 to 80 percent. A matrix, developed for this research purpose, will illustrate this further. Within this Matrix the user has many opportunities to participate within the design process in various stages. This possibility should ease the fear to get involved, but still facilitates a high degree of user participation.

RESEARCH
The aim of this workshop is to research and find proof for the assumption whether active participation within the design process will facilitate a change in attitude towards the garment. I am planning to research the possibilities of motivating consumer behaviour towards sustainability by enabling the consumer with new skills to become active users and creators.

Resulting in the research question:

“Does making result in a closer product attachment?”
“And if doing so, does it change one’s consumer behaviour in the longer run?”