TABLE OF CONTENTS // SENSORY UNIFORM INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 // THE BLIND CANE - Orientation and Mobility - Key Cognitive Functions - Key Physical Functions - Conclusion CHAPTER 2 // USER ANALYSES - Research Introduction - User Analyses - Critical and Addressable Issues - Design Questions and Considerations CHAPTER 3 // PROTOTYPES & ITERATIONS - Prototyping Process - The Responsive Uniform - The Buffering Uniform - The Asymmetrical Traveler Uniform - Tactile Tagging System Uniform - Sensory Uniform Design Thesis CHAPTER 4 // SOURCING & PRODUCTION SYSTEM PROPOSAL - Wearable Collections - Sensory Uniform Prototypes - Sensory Uniform Proposal - Sensory TT System Outline - Sensory TT Website Prototype - Sensory Garments Outline CHAPTER 5 // COMPILED PROTOTYPE - Prototype Map - Lookbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS // SENSORY WARDROBE SENSORY WARDROBE DESIGN THESIS CHAPTER 6 // INTERCHANGEABILITY - Wardrobe principle - Fragmenting - Shell Framework - Shell characteristics - Shell Interchangeability prototype graph CHAPTER 7 // C.ID METHODOLOGY - Applied Identification - Prototype 1 - Prototype 2 - Prototype 3 CHAPTER 8 // INSTINCTUAL DRESS - Designed for the User - Tactile Clues - Closure Prototypes - Landmarked Closures - Design Development CHAPTER 9 // FINAL PROTOTYPE - Initial Sketch - Sensory Wardrobe Lookbook
SENSORY UNIFORM //
In a world where the visual layout is the overarching prototype, how does one with a visual impairment navigate the subject of dress? How can a clothing aid the experience of living in a world without sight?
SENSORY UNIFORM INTRODUCTION // This project was inspired by the blind cane as a uniform and recognizable symbol. I developed a compilation of user-centric, iterated prototypes based on problems I identified throughout user-centric research with people who are visually impaired. Ultimately, the design considerations of the sensory uniform seek to address these issues by helping a user perceive his or her environment, identify his or her garment, address their asymmetric needs of being a one-handed traveler with a cane, and buffer the user from various obstacles which would be difficult to perceive without sight. The Sensory Uniform utilizes fashion as a tool to aid visually impaired individuals on a day to day basis, with the hope to help a user feel an improved sense of self and heightened independence through dress.
O&M TRAINING ORIENTATION // ability to know where you are and where you wish to go MOBILITY // ability to move efficiently, safely and effectively
CHAPTER 1 // THE BLIND CANE
O&M KEY CONCEPTS // Sensory awareness // Spatial concepts // Relationships between objects and their environments // Locating and landmarking // Independence
KEY COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BLIND CANE // Visually Symbolic // The white and red, or sometimes just white color of the cane makes it recognizable on the street. // Cane as an extension of the hand // The cane allows a user to perceive his or her environment, elongating the tactile and auditory senses.
KEY PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CANE // Adjustability // The cane adjusts to various heights and statures. Most canes fold or telescope closed. // White (& red) // This is a signifier that a person using a cane is visually impaired. The white is used to alert motorists and fellow pedestrians to use caution and provide the person with the cane the right of way.
CONCLUSION // // A cane is how blind people identify an environment. // A cane is how blind people are identified in their Environment. The cane acts as a way to understand the world, reclaim freedom, and establish independence.
// SOUND RECEPTIVE & RESPONSIVE // Canes tap or click against surfaces. They heighten auditory awareness and help a user identify and landmark an environment.
“People see the cane and they think it is a sad thing, but in reality, the people with canes are the winners. They are the ones living their lives, perfectly happy and independent . It’s the people you do not see, the people not going outside, who are losing.” - Will Butler
CHAPTER 2 // USER ANALYSES
RESEARCH INTRODUCTION // Users were selected to participate in this project as subjects to be studied, analyzed, and documented. I selected a range of individuals to work with who vary on the vision spectrum. Mike Warson was chosen for his immaculate attention to detail. He has perfect vision. Marybeth Melendez was selected because she is visually impaired, and has a strong interest in fashion. Will Butler reached out to me to help with the project. He recently became visually impaired. Will had imperative insights to share about the challenges he faces on a day to day basis as a partially blind individual.
“The mundane things in my life are significantly more organized. My socks are in a certain drawer, my underwear is in a certain drawer, I know where my jeans are hung. What organization does for me, and what it allows me to do, is deal with the chaos that happens in my life. Personally, I am able to deal with this chaos in a measured way.” - Mike Warson
“I know that I am an attractive woman. No one expects a blind woman to strut around in four inch heels, but in order to be taken seriously, I have to offset people’s visual perceptions of my capabilities. I do this to enhance my power and personality. The cane is the first thing that people see when I walk in a room. When I am dressed up, people take me seriously, they see my personality and confidence. With fashion, I counterbalance against the bias others inflict on me because of my disability.” - MARYBETH MELENDEZ
CRITICAL AND ADDRESSABLE ISSUES //
“People are usually one handed because of a cane or a dog. Carrying groceries, using your phone, holding coffee, isn’t possible. The world is designed for two-handedness.” “Blind people tend to wear hats to buffer themselves from barriers. Hats can act as one more thing to prevent you from being hit from unforeseen obstacles.”
“Ultimately, fashion is about how you feel, and establishing independence comes from within.” - WILL BUTLER
// HELPING A USER PERCEIVE HIS OR HER ENVIRONMENT // After interviewing with Will, he emphasized that the purpose of a cane is for an individual to understand his or her environment. The cane is well designed to do so, but our clothing is not. // CLOTHING IDENTIFICATION // Marybeth told me examples about having trouble identifying her clothing. Dressing for a job interview without certainty of what she would be wearing is an immediate confidence minimizer. She uses small pins and keeps them inside her garment to remember what matches with what. Feeling Uncertain about her clothing makes her feel uncertain about herself. In contrast, Mike, with sight, was able to feel an improved sense of confidence because he maintains a strict, organized closet based on colors or styles of clothing, and this order empowers him on a day to day basis.
DESIGN QUESTIONS & CONSIDERATIONS // PERCEIVING AN ENVIRONMENT
How can clothing extend off the body to aid a user in sensing his or her environment?
IDENTIFICATION
How can tactile clues assist visually impaired individuals and allow them to understand the key components of a garment, such as color, size, pattern, or fabric composition? How does this in turn positively impact their sense of self, independence, and interest in fashion? How can a user better organize his or her closet with these clues to allow for the same empowerment mike feels?
ASYMMETRY OF A ONE HANDED TRAVELER
How can clothing be re-designed to aid a visually impaired traveler with elements which address asymmetric needs? // THE ASYMMETRY OF A ONE HANDED TRAVELER // When speaking with Will, he told me countless stories about the struggle of becoming blind in a world that was designed for two-handedness. Canes are only necessary for navigational purposes, so once a someone is no longer mobile, Where does he or she put a cane when wishing to use both hands? Garment closures are also designed for two handedness. Will expressed the challenges of opening a pocket, or opening a zipper while holding a cane. // BUFFERING OBSTACLES // Blind people tend to wear large brimmed hats to buffer themselves from obstacles. Various objects which are unidentifiable by a cane can be deterred from one’s face with a hat or other feature of a garment which extends out in front of a user.
BUFFERING
How can clothing act as a buffer, helping a user avoid obstacles which could be hard to perceive without sight or without a cane directly in front of them?
CHAPTER 3 // PROTOTYPES & ITERATIONS
PROTOTYPING PROCESS The prototypes for this project aim to address key components of my user-research. I identified four specific ideas to explore with 3-d prototypes, a Responsive Uniform, a Buffering Uniform, an Asymmetrical Traveler Uniform, and a Tactile Identifiable uniform.
The responsive uniform // A uniform which reacts and responds to a user’s surrounding environment
Prototype A //
Prototype B //
// Moves with the hand from the torso so a user is able to feel his or her surroundings in between the arm span. Can understand wind movements or act as a protective feature.
// The user is able to remove the belt which is connected to a lower piece. The lower piece contains a chain with small bells so when it brushes against the ground, the user is able to perceive the type of surface he or she is approaching. // With chains, coins, keys, or nails, the garment can react to the environment and vibrate through the rest of the body.
The buffering uniform // A uniform which helps prevent an individual from obstacles which would not be perceived with a cane.
Prototype D // // An over-sized collar, which has enough stiffness to rest in a position determined by the user, helps block obstacles similar to a wide-brimmed hat.
Prototype
C //
// The cuff extends down, past the fingers of the hand, helping a user sense a surface before actually touching it. // By placing a sensory sound in it, ex. Small bells (pictured and (pictured above), the Cuff acts not only as a buffer, but also as a sensory tool.
The asymmetrical traveler uniform // A uniform which focuses on small design details to improve a user experience for cane travel and transportation, allowing a user to multi-task.
Prototype E // // Plastic tubes, connected to small hand holders on the sides of pleats, allow for a user to open his or her jacket and sense potential obstacles in front, and to the side. // The piece can be removed from the top of the jacket in order to act as a more realistic “cane� tool. Also, if the piece is removed, the actually cane can be inserted and stored here.
Tactile tagging system uniform // A uniform which is understandable with and without any vision.
Prototype F // // Interior pockets, which hold the cane when folded and extended, allow for a user to store his or her cane when necessary. The pockets are positioned on the dominant side of the user’s body, allowing him or her to easily access it with the hand not using the cane. // Buttons are placed under the lapel, on the center back seam, and on the outside shoulder to hold the cane when necessary.
Prototype H // // Tags indicate how garments match with one another based on shapes of circles.
Prototype I // // Garment size determined by seam finish width. Style of seam finish also varies based on the style of a garment so a user can understand his or her garment from the inside-out.
SENSORY UNIFORM DESIGN THESIS
//
The Sensory Uniform helps a user better perceive and understand his or her environment and clothing without sight. The combined prototypes aim to be as universal and accessible as possible. The uniform gives an individual the ability to establish autonomy through fashion, feel empowered, and protected.
PARTNERSHIP WITH WEARABLE COLLECTIONS // Wearable Collections keeps clothing, textiles, and shoes out of landfills, while generating funds for charities. Created by Adam Baruchowitz, the company collects clothing deposited in bins at local Greenmarkets, in the basements of building lobbies, and at various events. Adam has agreed to provide materials to help with this project.
CHAPTER 4 // SOURCING & PRODUCTION SYSTEM
SENSORY UNIFORM PROTOTYPES // Wearable collections receives various materials, one of which is rolls of fabric. While Adam can donate and re-sell garments, he has no real use for these randomly donated rolls of fabric. He has offered to supply the fabric needed to make Sensory Uniforms which would be developed and produced by my design team. For this Prototype, Adam gave me a roll of denim. For this “Season�, the prototypes would all be created with this material.
PRODUCTION SYSTEM PROPOSAL // This production system is centered around social capital. The system increases social cohesion and social interactions between individuals on a local level. Ultimately, the system will also increase awareness about visual impairments on a global level with the participation of larger companies. The system grows through community engagement, but will further progress through corporate engagement. The goal is to use notions of social cohesion, social connection, and social cooperation to create sustainable development.
SENSORY UNIFORM OUTLINE
SENSORY TT SYSTEM OUTLINE
SENSORY TT WEBSITE PROTOTYPE
CHAPTER 5 // COMPILED SENSORY UNIFORM PROTOTYPE
SENSORY UNIFORM // COMPILED PROTOTYPE // LOOKBOOK
PROTOTYPE D // oversize collar // fabric, snapbracelets, sandpaper
PROTOTYPE B // sound responsive belt // Recyclced fabric, chains, small pipes
PROTOTYPE J // braille label // leftover swatches and small plastic spheres
SENSORY WARDROBE //
SENSORY WARDROBE DESIGN THESIS // The Sensory Wardrobe is a system of dress designed to aid a visually impaired user. The Wardrobe addresses design considerations from the Sensory Uniform deeper and more comprehensively. The goal of the Sensory Wardrobe is to give someone with a visual impairment the ability to choose what to wear, and understand how to wear it, allowing someone to truly personalize an individual sense of style. The prototyping process is divided in three parts to address interchangeability, systematized identification, an instinctual acts of dress. The compiled prototype is a set of four garments which are designed to engage with themselves and the user, both on the body, and inside of a closet.
CHAPTER 6 // INTERCHANGEABILITY
INTERCHANGEABILITY // WARDROBE PRINCIPLE In one memorable conversation I had with Marybeth, she mentioned she wished garments came in boxes, with a dress, a pair of shoes, and a necklace which all matched together, so she could understand how to wear them. The entire Sensory Wardrobe is based off the premise of this “box�. The wardrobe builds and evolves like a puzzle, and the garments are designed in sets with one another. The interchangeability principle allows someone with a visual impairment to add specific shells to varying sets. These shells are pre-categorized, so the wardrobe remains organized. Interchangeability gives the Sensory Wardrobe diversification and the ability to be worn in a multitude of environments.
INTERCHANGEABILITY // FRAGMENTING I first investigated how a garment pieces apart, examining the actual parts of a garment, how they are created through 2-dimensional pattern making blocks and how these create what we consider tops vs bottoms vs jackets vs skirts in order to understand how garments can piece together more cohesively in a wardrobe. By fragmenting the basic notion of garments, a new system emerges which re-designs the pieces in a more efficient manner.
Why do we fragment our garments into tops or bottoms? What if a garment was further fragmented so it could interchange with varying pieces on the body?
INTERCHANGEABILITY // SHELL FRAMEWORK In the context of a wardrobe, the way we understand and categorize a garment is less about the garment’s composition or shape, but more about how it is layered with other pieces. A jacket, for example, is considered a “jacket” because it is worn on top of other pieces, while a t-shirt is a “t-shirt” because it is always closest to the body. The Sensory Wardrobe is comprised of shells. The shells are defined based on how they interchange with each other in the wardrobe, how close they rest to the body, and how they close on the body. The shells, depending on how they are worn, create sets when worn or when in a closet. There shells which comprise a full set // // BASE SHELL // GRADATION SHELL // PERIPHERAL SHELL
BASE SHELL //
code: base
GRADATION SHELL(S) //
Always starts a set. The base shell is the first layer, the garment which is closest to the body.
Designed to be worn on top of bases. The amount of gradation shells a user wishes to layer ranges based on preference.
DESIGN ADVANTAGES // Most interchangeable in wardrobe
DESIGN ADVANTAGES // Various colors or patterns // Diverse silhouettes
DESIGN DRAWBACKS // Not interchangeable with other bases // Must be a muted, solid color
BASE SHELL PROTOTYPE //
DESIGN DRAWBACKS // Must close over the base // Can create extra weight for the user
GRADATION SHELL PROTOTYPES //
code: grade
PERIPHERAL SHELL // Furthest from the body, worn on top of the elements and base shells.
code: Peri
SHELL INTERCHANGEABILITY PROTOTYPE GRAPH // Indicates how shells exist proportionately within the sensory wardrobe, and how color ranges within each category.
ADVANTAGES // Most eccentric design and silhouette // Most eccentric color and pattern DRAWBACKS // Least interchangeable
PERIPHERAL SHELL PROTOTYPE //
Base +
grade(s) +
Peri = Set
CHAPTER 7 // C.ID METHODOLOGY
C.ID METHODOLOGY // Applied Identification In the Sensory Uniform, a braille tag indicated the color, pattern, and size of the garment. In the Sensory Wardrobe, the C.ID, (classified Identification Methodology) indicates the same information, but in context with rest the Wardrobe. The C.ID Method indicates what type of shell a piece is and what other shells can be worn with it. Additionally, it is designed to work both on a body and inside of a closet, so a user can have an easier time classifying shells. To achieve my final prototype, I experimented with various ways in which this concept could exist either as a tag within the garment or as a design consideration.
Prototype 1 // Folded fabric samples or finishing techniques identify garments as pieces of a set. For example, a base shell has one fold on the outside, a gradation shell has two folds on the outside, and the peripheral shell has three tags. A user feels folds to understand how to match a set.
Prototype 2 // Pieces are removed from the Base Shells and added to corresponding Grade/Peri Shells. When the shells are worn together, the user understands they match with each other because the external piece on the inner layer fits into the negative space on the exterior layer.
Prototype 3 // Tags extend in and out of a garment, creating a united line when on hangers next to one another. When a user is getting dressed, he or she can identify what pairs together based on tag positioning. Once on, the user can insert the tag back into the garment so it remains innocuous. When placing a piece back in the closet, the user can extend it back out to remember where it is placed, allowing the garment to remain with it’s designated set. The tags can also stay extended as a design detail.
PROTOTYPE 3 // the interchangeability principle
PROTOTYPE 3 // ON A HANGER
PROTOTYPE 3 // ON A USER
CHAPTER 8 // INSTINCTUAL DRESS
INSTINCTUAL DRESS // Designed for the user The Sensory Wardrobe explores how tactile clues help someone dress without sight, focusing on the relationship between clothing and the visually impaired user. One component is the closure landmark system. For each set, there is a closure technique which is user-friendly, such as snaps or loops. These closures are positioned on points on the body. Once a user develops a spatial understanding of the graph, he or she will understand where to place the clothing instinctively. Because of the cane in one hand, all the clothing is designed to be asymmetrical, except the last, peripheral shell because it is furtheset away from the body and offers various positions.
INSTINCTUAL DRESS // Tactile Clues The Sensory Wardrobe offers stylistic clues on the garments, so a user can better understand how to wear them differently or uniquely depending on their preference. These clues are as simple as snaps or piping which indicate a sleeve could be rolled up, or a top could be tied in a certain manner.
INSTINCTUAL DRESS // Closure Prototypes These prototypes are designed to help a user put on his or her garment in a simple fashion. The wardrobe uses different looping and snapping techniques as opposed to buttons or zippers.
With varying closure options, the garment can be fastened loosely to make the silhouette more casual, or fastened tightly to make the silhouette more tailored.
INSTINCTUAL DRESS // Landmarked Closures In orientation and mobility training, people with visual impairments develop spatial awareness without sight by landmarking environments. The Sensory Wardrobe offers a pre-defined landmark system of closures on the body to aid them with a similar sense of spatial awareness.
2
1
3
4
INSTINCTUAL DRESS // Design Development
CHAPTER 9 // FINAL PROTOTYPES
BASE + Gradation A + Gradation B + PERI = SET 1x1x4
2x2x4
3x3x4
4x4x4
SENSORY WARDROBE SET // 1 base shell 2 grade shells 1 peri shell
WHT BASE
WHT Grade A
+
RED GRADE B
+
BLU / WHT PERI
+
SENSORY WARDROBE // base shell closure landmark 1 & 2
c.id method // base shell
SENSORY WARDROBE // gradation shell A closure landmark 1 & 2
c.id method // gradation shell
SENSORY WARDROBE // Gradation shell B closure landmark 3 & 4
c.id method // gradation B shell
SENSORY WARDROBE // peri shell closure landmark 3, 4, & Loop