FUTURE OF FASHION (poster)

World Usability Day 2011: EDUCATION: Designing for Social Change

Submitted by: Char Easter, HCDE Master Graduate, June 2011
Oct 27, 2011
Title: The Future of Fashion

Abstract: What is that electronic engineer doing in the fashion world? This poster highlights whats trending in wearable computing.

The hyper efficient, water collection suit used in the sci-fi fantasy book Dune is not so far off in the future and proves, fashion is far from frivolous. Just like us, our clothes are multitaskers.

Fashion is now multifunctional wearable human interfaces. It is solar powered, disability friendly, environmentally responsive, responsible, kinetic and illuminated. Movement can be converted into electrical energy to power a watch, an mp3 player, even a mobile phone. Textiles can be used to purify saltwater to make it drinkable.

Smart fabrics are used to create wearable devices for electronic textiles (e-textiles). These interactive fabrics are used in health care uniforms, sportswear, and protective garments. They also serve lofty roles in interior decorating, construction, cars and biomedical implants.

Researchers like Lena Berglin, have been merging fashion design with interaction design by innovating their brand of smart fabrics and interactive textiles (SFIT) — capable of sensing, actuating, generating/storing power and/or communicating.

Why use a mouse? By removing the tool, people can interact directly. What we wear is at the essence of ubiquitous computing.

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