Search

We aimed to identify fit and comfort issues associated with the case company's body armour and suggest recommendations to mitigate the issues, guided by the integrated three-stage process model for codesign. Thirteen collaborators participated in the codesign practice, including eight company employees (ICs) and five local police officers (ECs). This study adopted one-on-one interviews, focus groups, 3D body scanning and occupational task assessment. In Stage 1, we identified the problems with the existing body armour and areas of improvement based on the inputs from the ICs and ECs. The design solutions for the defined needs were sought in Stage 2. In Stage 3, the final outcomes were validated and approved by the collaborators. The results from this study provided the case company practical guidance to improve the body armour design, and further offer a new means of involving diverse stakeholders' voices and perspectives in the product design and development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified fit and comfort issues in the hospital patient gown (HPG) that evoke the patients' physical and psychological discomfort caused by wearing an ill-fitting garment. This research inquiry required a holistic perspective to comprehend the research phenomenon from the convoluted individual variance. To achieve the goal, we developed a mixed-methods strategy that consisted of the surveys, 3D body scanning, scenarios activities, and exit interviews, and conducted the study with 85 participants (47 males and 38). The study findings indicated gender and age trends in preferences for clothing fit, anthropometric body dimensions, and perceived discomfort experienced during scenario activities. Exit interviews evinced supplementary insights to the quantitative data. We hope that the findings ofthis study lay useful groundwork for researchers, designers, and manufacturers in exploring and evaluating novel design solutions for a new HPG to serve as many patients as possible for their overall well-being and positive hospitalization experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated US firefighters’ perceptions and lived experiences with their station uniform worn when they were involved in non-fire activities in the public domain. We developed an online survey questionnaire that included close- and open-ended questions, which allowed to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, and it was administered to 342 US firefighters. The findings of this study demonstrated the phenomenon associated with US firefighters’ appearance and public confusion in non-fire occupational contexts. The narratives collected from the open-ended questions offered in-depth insights into the confused public identity and challenged occupational safety experienced by US firefighters in their work uniform. This study suggested the findings must be carefully examined to improve the public identity of US firefighters by creating a distinctive look of their work uniform, as well as to establish national regulations, to address the increased risks of potential threats in the contemporary workplace for firefighters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study proposed an integrative three-stage process model (integrative process model for universal design [IPM-UD]) as guidance for universal design practices, particularly for apparel. The IPM-UD consolidated the universal design principles and the functional–expressive–aesthetic attributes. The model validity was evaluated with an empirical design case of hospital patient apparel. To identify specific user needs, survey data were collected from 173 patients and healthcare providers at 2 large hospitals located in the Midwestern region of the USA, and guided the creative design process. Computer-aided illustration and digital textile printing assisted rapid prototyping of the designed solutions. Prototypes of the patient apparel were evaluated by potential user groups through focus group interviews. The outcome of the empirical design demonstrated potential benefits of the IPM-UD to be a valuable tool for successful practices of inclusive apparel design for users with diverse needs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this research was to identify the key determinants that evoke consumer dissatisfaction with footwear, within the framework of the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm. Particular attention was directed towards the pre-purchase decision-making factors and post-purchase wearing behaviour. Thirteen participants were recruited through the snowball sampling method and data were collected from in-depth interviews with each participant. This study identified six external variables and three internal factors in the pre-purchase stage that affect consumer expectations for footwear product performance. In the post-purchase stage, results revealed that consumers make a continuous compromise between the ideal and reality and paradigm shifts may occur regarding consumer satisfaction. The findings of this study urge the footwear industry to recognise fundamental issues with the current system of mass production and exploit innovative solutions to provide quality products and services to consumers who are not yet satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the differences in visualisation patterns are related to a viewer's previous training in design appreciation, and whether aesthetic visualisation is trainable in a short term. Forty-three female subjects, consisting of 20 trained and 23 untrained viewers, participated. Twenty fashion images, posed by a male and a female model, were shown on an eye-tracker screen for 10 s each. This study revealed that the trained viewer tended to show longer gaze duration and higher densities of fixations over the image, to be more sensitive to design changes, and to have less random scanning time, than the untrained viewer. Further, this study indicated that repetitive viewing of the same image in a short term was not an effective training mode of aesthetic visualisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the current phenomenon of user-technology negotiation associated with new technology adoption in the apparel and footwear industry. A theoretical framework was proposed as a construct, and a case study was performed to evaluate the proposed framework. In partnership with a world leading footwear company, its newly patented prototyping technology, named the virtual sampling system (VSS), was used to generate empirical data. A web survey was administered to the employees and quantitative analysis was performed to assess the relationships among the study variables. Frequency of use was the most determinant external variable to identify relative social groups to categorise the technology users by the levels of their initial expectation of the technology, satisfaction with training sessions, and evaluations of the company's performance with the use of the technology. Based on the case study findings, a strategy for increasing the efficiency of internal communications was suggested to the participant company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]