Finally: Thesis is printed, bound and ready to be submitted :)

After a long and interesting journey, this master's thesis is finally ready for submission. Yesterday I could pick up it up from the bookbinder. Lots of handwork also in the binding. But I think the result looks good :) I m very happy, thanks again for everyone involved in the project. I would be glad to share the thesis with anyone interested, just drop me a line al.hirscher{at}gmail.com and I ll send you the preview PDF.

Some images plus abstract below. 
Next week I ll be presenting some research result at 'crafting the future' in Gothenburg, I am quite excited and nervous already... Looking forward to whats next!!!!


Joyful participation in new ways of designing and making clothes. 
Enabling person-prodcut attachment to potentially reduce unnecessary consumption. 

Abstract

This master's thesis investigates design opportunities to motivate and enable sustainable consumer behaviour, especially regarding wasteful fashion and clothing consumption. A literature review provides a theoretical framework and builds background knowledge for three explorative case studies. These practice-led case studies gradually increase the user-involvement in sustainable consumption behaviour. Each case study elaborates a particular research question, evaluating the opportunities to change consumer behaviour with a different design approach. The case studies build upon one another, thus the third case study is discussed in most detail. Selected findings from these three case studies provide an insight to the possibilities of design for person-product attachment with participatory design concepts like 'half-way products': design objects which are intentionally 'unfinished'.

The conclusion drawn is that designers can enable a joyful participation in clothes making, for example with half-way products, and thus foster a stronger emotional value towards garments. This emotional value is likely to facilitate a stronger person-product attachment and encourage longer lasting products. Additionally, the research shows that the participatory design concept – 'half-way product' was very much appreciated. The study concludes with possible future prospects.

Whats to come?

Past weeks (or months) have been rather quiet on this blog, as of much work related to summarizing the learning from my case studies and summing up with the master's thesis. The journey is bending towards an end. Finally. Great feeling of the experience, however still some things to are to be done... Beyond that I have been very involved with my latest project, in collaboration with a fashion designer and some other friends. 

Namely Makeable4u.wordpress.com – the Make{able} workshop series will continue!!! With different concepts we wish to bring clothing design and  a collaborative working to the people. The topics during the workshops will change according to the season, materials and suggestions by our participants. Therefore take a look at our blog and let us know what you would be interested in learning and making.

e.g. coming in autumn... rain cape made of a broken umbrella.

In spite of the positive feedback on the participatory workshops, the question arose whether a market implementation of half-way clothing and half-way products should be evaluated? I wondered if it is possible to reach the critical mass with an open and participatory design approach such as the half-way product? The research showed some potential to experiment further, if the concept – half-way garment in the context of a workshop setting would be appreciated by the average fashion consumer.

Half-way products in (online) stores, especially as a sewing kit, can rarely be found. What are the real market possibilities or are half-way products just another research tool? I imagine that a half-way sewing-kit can be an 'intelligent' product, that requires the consumer's interaction before the first use. The half-way product can offer different stages of difficulty, depending on the consumer's prior skills. However, every piece can be adjusted to measure and personal style. This will result in unique products, that offer more personal value, than prior discussed mass-customization.

On basis of the research, I discovered a broad variety of fashion activism strategies and projects, which were too many to be explained within this thesis. Surprisingly few projects go beyond the research approach and result in a self-sustaining market solution. Those new design solutions, still seem to be the subject of design research only, and not become established in the course of action of consumers and producers.

I came across a Slovenian brand 'PaulMalina' which offers ready-cut garments plus supplies and instructions in one package. This idea combines slow and local production with consumer independency in creation.

In respect of this idea, I interviewed two fashion brands and their respective designers, namely Sophie Schmuckermeier, from 'Fashion-Hackers' (interview on this blog), located in Berlin, Germany and Tjasa Avsec and Tina Hocevar from 'PaulMalina' (interview coming soon :). Both brands use either open source, fashion hacking or the half-way concept in their business strategy. 

VALUE{able}

How to design something of value?

Fashion and clothing, as bespoke earlier, is about personal style and identity. Therefore it needs to be in someway adaptable, how else would we make sure it really represents ones identity, beside just copying a style shown in the magazines? In the name of sustainable design, this means, that one piece should grow with the persons style and individual preferences. Therefore I ask, why aren’t there more adjustable, or diy-kits available on the market? I know from my project, it is very difficult to design Half-way products, as you do not have any influence on the finishing of the garment beyond the purchase. How much can we expect of the customers to know about sewing, what materials and tools do they have to finish, are they able to “successfully” finish the garment? How can we secure the outcome to be in this case wearable? Is this what fashion designers are afraid of? Are they scared of the freedom and ideas of their customers? At least I have to admit, that I have had a hard time to find fashion students who would be interested in helping me to design a Half-way garment. I have seen many nice study projects on for example: 'A labour behind the label' in UK (http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/studentwork/) Even though, most of the projects, were based on working with organic or recycled materials but not tackeling the problem of the participatory aspect. 

Pic from: a labout behind the label

 

For this reason I also decided to work with a less researched idea in the area of fashion and clothing design. This project is an experimental approach to get an idea of what are possibilities for Designers and makers to facilitate a change in consumption habits, and consumers attitude. Half-way products and garments which are planned for co-designing, need to offer the opportunity to be easily customised so they can be changed also over time, and as its best they reveal their life-story by altering in beauty. Because than, those garments encourage a closer attachment and support the idea of a longer-lasting product to person relationship. (Fletcher, 2012) This relationship will aim for a higher product value and in the best case involve that user takes better care for the product. The items may be redesigned and time will be invested to reinvent them. Thereby the products replacement will be postponed and the input of new resources can be decreased, which supports a slower consumption. (Cooper, 2005)

How many products can we really value and attach to? Tim Cooper states in his paper on 'Slower Consumption' that it is uncertain to how many products consumers can create a closer affection. If we compare; human beings are only able to create a deep emotional bonding to a certain amount of other human beings. (Cooper, 2005, p.62) Resulting in the question, how many products are we able to really care for? In the current throwaway culture, it is very hard to make people care for their objects, and prohibit the fast replacement through an update. What creates the need to constantly consume more, and how can it be replaced? (TEDs 10) Can we train, to wish for more? Interesting approach is http://www.thegreatamericanappareldiet.com/ - where you can freely sign up to the community, and share your experience whilst reducing or stoping your fashion consumption for a year. Participation is reducing consumption to the extreme, but will most likely make you forever aware when you will purchase something the next time. Tim Cooper states that for reducing the consumers desire for new products, their values and attitudes need to be understood, that an actual attachment to the products they own can be encouraged. (Cooper, 2005) It very much depends on ones personality, and capability to start a progress of valuing what one owns, similar as some do have more closer friends and take the time to care for their friendship. 

Value through keeping up the memory and attachment.

  Based on the research results and positive feedback of the first workshop, this case study could lead to the assumption that 'making' can be a key to create higher value and attachment towards a piece. Half-way products offer the chance for self-expression, as well as provide an easy base to start, which may prohibit production failure, especially within the setting of a participatory workshop. The gained skills and understanding of the product will help to take good care and redesign the product if desired.

Therefore we could assume, that for supporting an open and sustainable design approach, Half-way products, as well as participatory Design workshops offer an interesting opportunity for further research to be explored. In general, Half-way products can not become a mass-produced new way of fast consumption, they should be seen as a tool, as well as participatory workshops are a tool to encourage and enable the user. In the best case scenario, they reach a higher level of value in the owners wardrobe and help them to develop an independent and personal style, which offers a starting point towards a behavioural change among their makers.

Well-being, Half-way products and ways to enable the consumer to become an active user.

How to motivate the consumer to get involved within the process of design? How to nourish the emotional attachment towards products? These are two main questions that have been in the air for a long time. Relating this of course to my thesis research I am trying to find ways to encourage and enable consumers to become active participants in the design process. So they are able to learn new skills, and though get the freedom of choosing over the only ready made products. Giving the responsibility and the choice into their hands."The sweing machine is an insturment for liberation and skills are a path to freedom!" (Otto von Busch) One way of doing so is that the designer, plays a role of facilitating the consumers with a set of skills and tools, providing knowledge and by doing so enhances their own creativity and imagination, to start the change by getting involved. Regarding to Ezio Manzini, the opportunities for designers lie in offering new solutions to the already existing ones, that tend to be seen as better and offer the user the chance to gain further abilities. “.. in order to promote sustainable wellbeing, one has to support the capabilities of people and communities to live better consuming less, i.e., their capabilities to rely less on products and services, and more on contextual qualities and on the possibilities for them to be active.“ (Manzini, 2008)

The following project “multiskirt” is my first try out and still be considered as a work in process to realise one of those ideas in a more practical approach. I am of course aware there are already made very great projects by numerous well known designers like Martin Margiela, who contributed in 2004 to the “Design_Download series”. he offered the downloadable pattern of a half-finished dress to be completed by designers or interested users.(picture: http://showstudio.com, pattern of Martin Margiela Dress)

Over that there has been preformed a very interesting research series by Kate Fletcher and Mathilda Tham on the lifetime and use of several garments. “This project is about trying to match fast and slow garments with fast and slow rhythms of use to save resources while simultaneously providing for people's symbolic AND material needs.” (Fletcher,Tham online) Regarding this research they have outlined a series of future scenarios, how can the future of several items be seen in a more sustainable context. The detailed description of the project can be found here: http://www.katefletcher.com/lifetimes/index.html

The Cookbooks by Otto von Busch are another valuable source of projects and ideas based on the idea of user-customised garments. They are a collection of methods to redesign garments and so empower consumers to make clothes really their own. Otto von Busch is known for researching and encouraging the fashion-hacking culture. “>self_passage< is a brand and research project that explores how fashion can be used for empowerment, self-development and personal growth instead of being a phenomenon of top-down decrees and collective anxiety.” (http://www.selfpassage.org/) Here is a snapshot of one of his workshops on youtube. Fashion – Otto von Busch lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euk06ElNNH4