Forming visual expressions with augmented fashion

Abstract

Wearable devices have a crucial impact on our bodies since they directly affect our appearance. However, wearable design practitioners focus more on the practical functionalities of the technology, leaving more investigation needed on what kind of visual expressions the technology might enable on wearable devices. With a critical approach on this functional perspective, the authors conducted a design workshop with fashion design and engineering students in which they first created art expressions and then wearable devices by using technological components. This practitioner's essay reflects on the resulting hands-on design experiences in new visual expressions that would not have been possible with just traditional materials.