Design (as product) Design refers to any article of creative art; formed by the assembly of elements as per the guidelines given by different principles. The product may be two dimensional or three dimensional; creating impression, expression or symbolism. Thus the aims fulfilled through the creation of design (as product) are as follows:
order; resulting in arrangement and creating a structure
beauty; resulting in improved appearance and interpretation of idea characteristics Design as product is thus creation of man i.e., is manmade in nature. It can be classified into two types depending of the type of stimulation it produces. The stimulation produced by the design as product can be:
Sensory; include those that are perceived or felt by the body senses like sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. The products, garments and accessories, create sensation by stimulation of senses during use and when it is observed (Fig. 1.1). The garments are worn next to the skin so they experienced from inside by the wearer himself and from the exterior by both the wearer as well as the observer. The first and foremost stimulation in garments is visual created by the colour followed by line, shape and texture; touch sensation is perceived from the texture of almost all textiles; sound is also experienced in case of certain fabrics during movement (as soft swoop of satin, the rustle of taffeta, the rubbing of corduroy, the crackling of leather, or the clatter of beads) and the smell in few like the fragrance of sandalwood beads but the sense of taste is not inflicted by the garments at all.
Behavioral; include those that affect the perceived behavior of the person rather than the physical self. The garments as behavioral products are political, economic, social, religious, communication and cultural in nature where instead of stimulation of the physical senses, the psychological components are affected. The garments serve as a media to communicate ones personality, to symbolize ones affiliation to an institution, to convey ones social and economic status and to convey religious thoughts and political inclination (Fig. 1.2).
Thus the garments and accessories worn by the individuals have the features of both, the sensory and behavioral designs i.e., are perceived through the senses and behavior of the person. The creation of clothing as design product is also affected by different factors as follows:
Purpose; depends upon individuals’ needs and preferences
Resources; the materials that will compose the garment
Technology; the methods or techniques that will be used to construct the garment
Approach; the conformity of the garment to the conditions (social, cultural, and economic) and the individual (behavioral changes)
Participants