Professor Clemens Thornquist was the guest presenter at Nottingham Trent University’s CADBE conference yesterday. His ideas about the challenges to onward movement in design gave some innovative possibilities that could be used in development of electronic textiles. He showed new methods of pattern-making for use in design of clothing. These can improve the fit and drape of garments. This could also provide a new start point for design of clothing that contains electronics. Novel designs could be developed that integrate the process of designing electronic circuits for use on the body with the method of measuring up and cutting of textiles to ensure good feel and performance for wearers. The electronic yarn that is being developed by the Advanced Textiles Research Group could be integrated into clothing at many points in the manufacturing process. The way in which it is included can be altered depending on the chosen design process.
The start points for development of designs that Professor Thornquist presented were exciting. How about using a completely different discipline and creative technique? He showed Josef Albers’ colour compositions that make some colours recede and others stand out as if the 2D image were 3D (http://www.albersfoundation.org/). A Bach fugue gave another start point with its rigorous method of taking a theme and exploring it again and again, combining and repeating it in altered ways. The possibilities are looking exciting.
Here’s a link to more details about Clemens’ work at at the University of Borås:
And here’s a photo of Clemens (on the right) in discussion with Kath Townsend and Tony Kent.
Advanced Textiles at NTU 