Browsing by Subject "vaatesuunnittelu"

The main goal of this study was to find out how sources of inspiration and sketching occur in fashion designers' design process and what kind of an affect they have on the process. Earlier studies (e.g. Eckert ja Stacey, 2003; Mete, 2006) have shown that sources of inspiration can be anything between material and immaterial. Sources of inspiration have also proven to have different roles in design process: e.g. they expand idea space and help to keep the design in its context (e.g. Eckert et. al., 2000; Laamanen & Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, 2014). Earlier studies have also shown that sketching is an important part of designing. Sketching also provides a vital tool for designers' ideation. Based on earlier studies two main questions were formulated: 1. How do sources of inspirations occur in fashion designers design process and how designers interpret and transforms them into new ideas? 2. How does sketching occur in fashion designers design process and how does it support and improve ideation? The method used in this study was the thinking aloud protocol. Three fashion designers were asked to design a spring jacket for women thinking everything aloud during their ideation. The designers were provided with 10 photographs as sources of inspiration which they could voluntarily use during their ideation process. The design experiment was also recorded on video and few of the designers' sketches were photographed. Material from the experiment transformed into litterate. After that material was analyzed using methods of qualitative content analysis. This study was observed to support earlier studies. Sources of inspiration and sketching were detected to be an important part of designers' ideation. The designers adapted elements from the provided sources of inspiration in their ideas. They were also proven to have abilities to use pictures as fabric materials. Sketching played an important role e.g. in adapting elements from the sources of inspiration into new ideas. It was also used as a tool to evaluate the aesthetic and functional features as well as the details of the designers' ideas. Sketches were also proven to be one of the sources of inspiration for the designers' ideation.